Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution
by Prince Gray
Summary: Ishimaru Kamikatsu met a kid and scolded him for smoking. That same kid presented him a green book and took him on an adventure he would never forget full of challenges, enemies and treasures. No longer accepting OCs. Now in the 3rd arc!
1. Prologue

_A/N- Hey everybody, Prince Gray here. Some of you may know me from the original Chain Reaction fic I wrote when I was 16 years old. I am 19 now and I am doing a long-awaited remake of the story with MAJORLY improved writing skills. The story will be quite different from the original Chain Reaction, and some of it will still be the same. Of course, I'm accepting OC's and I'm also looking for a main villain for the first arc, so if you think you got what it takes, then send em in! Now enough of me babbling, hope you enjoy! Oh and if you want to read the original Chain Reaction, just click on my profile and you will see it there! Now enjoy the fic!_

_CO A/N- "REMIX!" ;)_

[East Tokyo, Japan]

Steam and smoke rise from the busy city, blinking neon signs and crafty billboards polluted the busy streets, tall buildings and skyscrapers lived in abundance here. Life in this place was like a rain forest, at the bottom people and fast flashy cars roam the streets like ants that have a set trail going back and fourth, At mid level, restaurants and stores with neon vines rule as the main source of attraction and light. And at the canopy, huge signs advertising products of luxurious means, stadiums, pools, parks and even golf courses reside up there, the city is always alive, something always going on as for the city never sleeps. The sounds of people, music and car horns seems all too strange for a young boy carving his path through the busy crowd, A man in a motorcycle goes right by him, the torque of the engine roars like a jaguar defending it's territory showing ultimate dominance as it passes by, the tail lights on the bike fade as though an intergalactic space ship bust into light speed. The boy whistles as his eyes widen with impression and awe, time jumps into slow motion making the fast motorcycle have the splendor of a wild stallion running through a grassy valley.

"Damn! now THAT'S a motorcycle! man, not having one here sucks…"

The boy was forced to keep walking as the abrasive crowd pushed and moved him out of the way, "_stupid humans.." _he thinks in resentment as he continues on walking, coming to an alley way where shadows jump and dance, funny smells, rugged people, and stray animals intermingle here, he comes to a chain linked fence in which there seems to be a four foot hole that flicks the top part of his gray faux hawk as he walks through, the shines from the distant neon lights shimmer on the boy's black leather jacket making the white cobra on his back gleam all the more, he hears strange noises coming from the dumpsters near by continues to walk, his ears twitch as his silver loop earrings move on every step. The plain white t-shirt glows faintly yellow as he passes the back doors with flickering light bulbs of the strange alley way, shines on his black leather pants slide down the side of his leg with every swaying motion of his quick paced walk. His black boots step on and over dirty puddles of water disturbing the perfect mirror-like reflection that they resonate. He grips his fists tightly getting ready for any uncertain danger that might lash out at any second, the white cobras on his fingerless gloves seem to dance in a retro hypnotic way as he continuously flexes his fingers.

The boy was new to this place, he didn't know what to make of all the lights and sounds, he was just having a look around and completely exploring in his young yet eager curiosity, his wandering eyes eventually notice the sun coming down as menacing clouds heavy with tears seem to threaten all those who walk the busy streets. He begins searching a cozy place to spend the night, the alley is strange and dangerous but he settles to look and defend what would be his temporary territory in which to slumber.

[Miles away]

"Practice was BRUTAL today, *sigh* can't wait to get home…"

An above average height Japanese teen opens the bathroom door as steam softly floats out like cold air entering a hot sauna, he drops the towel on the floor as he opens the wooden drawers looking for his favorite tighty whities, he slips them on and takes a glance at the many letters he received from the many bothersome university scouts, _"humph, they've only seen me play a few times" _he thinks arrogantly while laying on his soft bed staring at the many soccer and bikini model posters on his wall, he's always been impressed by the dynamic poses the famous players take right before they shoot with full force towards the goal. He smirks as he licks his lips thinking out loud about his new rank in the school soccer team, "mmmmm, captain AND the best player of this whole area, Damn it feels so good!" his ego seemed justified as he was one of the top players nationally ranked in all of Tokyo, he wasn't worried about the pro leagues yet because he loved and enjoyed too much being East Tokyo High School's star ace player. He almost single handedly rose his team the cavaliers to the top with his smooth technique and flashy moves. After a while of day-dreaming he stands up stepping on the twenty pound dumbbells and small ankle weights next to his bed, he picks up his ps3 controller and laying it on the desk next to his computer on his way to the bathroom. He wipes the foggy residue on the mirror as he stares into it examining his face, He had wavy, mid-length brown hair with black streaks here and there and large brown eyes, he gave himself a quick wink as he heads for bed planning to dream about how he'll take the spotlight in next game.

[Dark alley]

The short four foot boy continues looking for spot to sleep and shield him from the coming rain, he keeps walking when he comes to a big gap in the alley having many abandoned cars and furniture spread all about, he spots one that seems to be the most welcoming and crawls inside, he inspects the interior of the car for bugs and animals searching thoroughly for any sign of unwelcoming hosts. He then makes himself comfortable in the back seat taking off his leather jacket to use as a cover and closes his eyes and lays his head down to sleep. Seconds pass as he springs awake sitting up and picking up his emerald green spell book and hides it under the passenger seat, he must always keep his book close at hand because if he were to lose it, all his goals and dreams can never be realized.

[Next morning]

The young teen stretched and yawned as he awoke, he looked at and noticed he was running late. He stumbled out of bed tripping over the ankle weights and dumbbells like he ritually does every morning before school, he walks over to his closet and yanks his black dress shirt with the golden "ET" emblem with each letter overlapping in cursive from the hangar, he struggles to put it on as he opens his drawers to pull his khaki slacks and socks. He puts everything on in record time rushing downstairs trying to quickly slip on his black dress shoes so he can head out the door, he then realizes he forgot his golden necktie with his initials "I.K" embroidered in it and rushes upstairs, he finds it then hurries back tying it on the way back to the door and grabs his black briefcase hoping that the school gate is still open. At the exact same time the small boy leaves the abandoned car after surviving the loud night-time noises of East Tokyo. He walks out of the alley with a heavy thought that has been plaguing his mind since he arrived in this strange place, he expresses a look of determination in his eyes as he sets out to find what he's desperately seeking for. He eventually comes to a huge golden gate that shimmers brightly in the morning sun, the metal on the gate seems to be polished as if the building represented some form of importance in the area. It has big curvy yet elegant letters that overlap each other. the golden "ET" gate is carefully examined by the small boy as he simply nods and continues on his way, a few minutes later the star soccer player hurries to slip through the gate as he heads towards the school building before his first class can begin.

_A/N- That's it for the first chapter, it's best to keep it short and sweet! I'm accepting OC's so send em in! My goal is to finish most of this story by the end of the summer. We'll see what happens! Read and Review!_

_CO A/N- how ya'll like my rewrite of the prologue? Let me know and leave me a review, aight till later, HOLLA! -sufrir_


	2. An unexpected meeting!

_A/N- All right guys. Here's another chapter! I don't have much to say right now, so sit back and enjoy the action! _

"_#17, Ishimaru Kamikatsu, the East Tokyo captain and star striker receives the pass. The Hiroko Tech defenders are gaining on him fast! Will he make it?"_

_Ishimaru switched his feet with the ball as he set his right foot back and kicked the ball straight into the goal. The Hiroko Tech goalie missing the ball by a long shot, the ball swished and was all net as the siren blared. _

"_Goooooooooaalllllll! Kamikatsu-kun has done it again! He's done it again! East Tokyo wins the match 2-1! These guys are unstoppable, thanks to their captain!" _

_Ishimaru's teammates rushed off of the sidelines and dogpiled on top of him. He was being lifted into the air and was being carried off of the field. His best friend, Seiku Kasumoda smirked at him and gave him his enthusiastic thumbs up. He then looked up at Ishimaru and said, "Ishi, wake up!"_

"_Huh?" said Ishimaru confused_

"_Ishi, wake up!"_

"_ISHI, WAKE UP!"_

"Dude, you started snoring in class again." Said Seiku looking at him

Ishimaru looked up and around at the class, who were all now staring at him. He had drool all over his desk and the teacher was looking at him as well.

"Care to join us Mr. Kamikatsu?" he asked

"Sorry sir." said Ishimaru

The teacher went back to teaching the class lesson. Ishimaru pulled out his spiral and flipped the pages through it. There were soccer plays and formations he had wanted to show the coach and team during practice. Most of them were plays to where he would get the ball, score and take all of the credit for doing such. He had to make sure he was the star and that he scored most of the goals.

Ishimaru closed his spiral and stared at the blackboard as the teacher droned on and on. He groaned and placed his elbow on the desk. He couldn't wait for lunch…

Speaking of lunch, Chainz decided to take a lunch break. He didn't have any money, so he decided to find some free food.

"I'll eat pretty much anything right about now…" said Chainz

The boy soon enough came across a restaurant dumpster. He looked at the large, green metallic dumpster and shrugged his shoulders. He picked up the dumpster, opened his mouth and poured all of the garbage into his mouth. A few nauseating minutes later, the dumpster was as clean as a whistle. Chainz licked his fingers and set off on his way. As he walked up and down a few streets and into a residential neighborhood. Chainz posted up onto a corner and pulled out a cigarette. He normally didn't smoke much, but he figured an occasional cig wouldn't hurt much. He lit the cigarette by rubbing it against a brick gate post and blew a few puffs as he rested on the post.

Meanwhile….

Ishimaru was glad when lunch finally rolled around. He didn't care to stay for the rest of the day. He simply left the school grounds and was on his way home. He figured he could just take an afternoon nap and grab a bite to eat later on that night. As he turned the corner, he saw a kid with a gray faux hawk and a cigarette in his mouth.

"Kid you shouldn't be smoking." Said Ishimaru

"What's it to you?" said the kid

"I don't need to be on my way home and come across some snot-nosed bastard smoking a cancer stick." said Ishimaru

"What I do isn't any of your damn business." retorted the kid

"Whatever, you should be in school anyway." Said Ishimaru

"I could tell you the same thing." Replied the kid

"Touché." said Ishimaru

"Heh, I thought so. I'm pretty good at comebacks." Said the kid

Ishimaru kinda liked the kid a little bit, so he introduced himself

"I'm Ishimaru Kamikatsu. And you are?" asked Ishimaru holding out his hand

"Chainz." Said Chainz as he accepted and shook Ishimaru's hand

Ishimaru then noticed the Emerald Green book Chainz had in his hand. He wondered what kind of book it was.

"What kind of book is that in your hand?" asked Ishimaru

"See if you can read It." said Chainz

"Why wouldn't I be able to read it?" asked Ishimaru as he took the green book

The book had a bunch of weird looking circles and other symbols on the cover of it. As Ishimaru flipped the pages, he noticed that they all seemed to be written in blue ink.

"What kind of language is this? I can't read this blue ink." Said Ishimaru

Chainz sighed as he started to reach for the book. Ishimaru then exclaimed, "Wait a minute! There's a part in green ink!"

"Before you read that—"

However Chainz never got to finish that sentence, Ishimaru then read "The first spell, _Kai Lei!"_

Chainz's suddenly shot a white laser out of his mouth as it blasted a hole through the brick post and melted part of the gate as well.

"What the hell was that?" said Ishimaru who was freaking out a bit

"It was a spell." said Chainz

"A spell? How are you shooting lasers out of your mouth? What are you?" asked Ishimaru

"Let's go inside your house and I'll explain." Said Chainz

It wasn't everyday Ishimaru met a kid who could fire lasers from his mouth, so he figured this could be pretty interesting.

As they set at the table in Ishimaru's kitchen, Chainz went on to explain.

"Every 1000 years, 100 mamodo kids are sent to Earth in order to battle for the right to become King. We all have different elements and abilities. We keep fighting until only one of us is left standing and that one left standing will be crowned."

"Wouldn't it be easier to just have an election?" asked Ishimaru

"Very funny. So, are you going to help me are what?" asked Chainz

"Why do I have to help? Can't you get someone else to do it?" asked Ishimaru

"No. Only one human can read a mamodo's spell book and that human is you." said Chainz

"I see. Looks like I have no choice then." said Ishimaru

"I see that you're cooperating." said Chainz

"One question though, why do you want to king and if you were to become king, what kind of king would you be?" asked Ishimaru

"Uh…I…I don't know." said Chainz

"You should probably work on that." Said Ishimaru

"I don't need to worry about being king for now. There are also other motives as to why I want to fight in this battle." Said Chainz

"What are these motives you speak of?"

"Well…let's just say I'm also on the lookout of a certain someone and even if I don't become king, as long as I take this someone down, I will be satisfied." Said Chainz as he bared his sharp teeth

"Who is this certain someone?" asked Ishimaru

"That isn't important right now. For now, just always be on the lookout."

"For what, can't we just hide until the other 99 destroy each other?" asked Ishimaru, who didn't really care about this so-called battle for king

"Easier said than done…you'll see soon." said Chainz as he looked out the window

Meanwhile, a few blocks away, a boy with flaming orange hair and bright orange eyes with pale skin said, "Kenji, I sense a mamodo nearby. Let's take him down."

"All right Rage, let's do it." Replied the teenage boy who sat in the alley on top of a few silver metal trashcans as he put his sunglasses on. In this boy's hand was a red-orange book, similar to the one Chainz gave to Ishimaru

Back at Ishimaru's house….

Chainz kept staring at the window; he then clinched his fist and quickly stood up. He began to make his way to the door.

"Ishimaru, let's go."

_A/N- All right, that's the end of the chapter. Don't worry fan mamodo will appear soon enough, so no need to worry, Chainz apparently has ants in his pants. Who knows why? Stay tuned for the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! Read&Review!_


	3. Rage! Champion of flames!

_A/N- I have nothing to say! Let's get this started._

"Ishimaru, let's go." said Chainz as he opened the front door

"Go where?" asked Ishimaru

"You'll see."

Ishimaru was just starting to get into his afternoon nap, but no. Chainz was apparently trying to go somewhere, Ishimaru really did not give a damn where he went, but at the same time, there's probably a reason why he wants him to come along. Ishimaru got up and made his way to the front door. He no longer had his school uniform on. He was wearing a white t-shirt and some blue jean shorts. Ishimaru slipped his white tennis shoes on and closed the door behind him. As they were walking up the street, Chainz handed Ishimaru the book.

"You need to keep this on your person at all times. You left it on the kitchen table. If a mamodo would have blasted the door down, we would have been in s.o.l."

Ishimaru figured that he may as well keep a watchful eye over the book, especially if he could avoid hearing Chainz babble about it constantly. After about twenty minutes of walking, Ishimaru noticed that they on their way up a grassy hill, which was in a park on the outskirts of the city. He saw that Chainz came to a halt as he stood on the hill. Ishimaru came up a few moments later and looked around.

"Okay Chainz, what are we doing here?" he asked

Chainz didn't answer or even look at Ishimaru. He simply said, "I know you're here. Reveal yourself."

Ishimaru was dumbfounded.

"Who are you talking to? There's nobody—"

Suddenly, Chainz pushed Ishimaru out of the way as a blast of flame hit Chainz's leg, right where Ishimaru was standing a few moments ago.

"You shouldn't have moved."

Just then, a boy with flaming orange hair appeared and beside him was a teenage boy around the same age as Ishimaru.

"Rage, I figured you would try a sneak attack." said Chainz

"I see your sense of timing isn't off." Said Rage as he now stood face to face with Chainz on top of the hill.

Rage was about the same height as Chainz, he had spiky flaming orange hair and large, bright orange eyes. He wore a black shirt with an orange fireball and orange shorts and shoes as well. The teenage boy that was with him was around 5 feet 8 inches tall, we had dark tan skin, messy brown hair and wore sunglasses as well. He wore a white t-shirt and light blue jeans with white shoes. He held an orange book in his hand. Ishimaru figured that it must be similar to one he possessed. Rage then spoke, "This is Kenji, my book reader."

"Who cares." said Chainz as he was ready to fight

Rage simply raised his hand and opened his palm in front of Chainz and Ishimaru. The orange book in Kenji's hand began glowing.

"_Koreigun!"_

A fireball shot out of Rage's hand. Chainz took the hit from the fireball head-on, as the fireball hit him; he stumbled back and had to re-stand his ground. That fireball hurt more than he thought it would. Ishimaru stood there and simply watched. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing, was this kid seriously shooting fire from his hands?

Rage smirked and then looked at Kenji. "Follow up with another spell; let's beat him to a pulp!"

"_Koreido!"_

Rage's fists then glowed with flames as he ran forward and began punching Chainz repeatedly, Chainz held off many of the punches but Rage overwhelmed his with his fiery fists. Rage jumped back and stood in front of Kenji. He then planted his feet and got into a squatting pose.

"I'm going to beat you down and finish you off by burning my fists at full power!" exclaimed Rage

"Ishimaru! Read a spell!" yelled Chainz

Ishimaru didn't answer him, he stood there, frozen. Did he truly want to participate in this battle? Now that he is witnessing a battle firsthand, does he truly want to keep doing this? Ishimaru looked at the city and towards the direction of his house. He breathed in and released a long sigh.

"Chainz, this is it for you! Time to finish you off!" yelled Rage as he ran forward towards him with his fists covered in flames

"_Kai Lei!"_

Rage flew backwards and crashed into the ground as the white laser hit him square in the middle of his chest.

Ishimaru walked up and stood by Chainz.

"Let's hit him where it hurts. _Kai Lei!_"

Chainz opened his mouth and hit Rage with another laser. Rage slid back into the grass, leaving burn marks within his trail. Chainz smirked and looked over at Kenji, Rage's bookkeeper.

"Ishimaru, let's use one more Kai Lei and finish this up."

"Got it. _Kai Lei!"_

Chainz fired a laser from his mouth once more, but aimed it at Kenji this time. The laser knock him off of his feet and shot up a small pile of burnt grass, however the laser didn't hit Kenji's arm, which apparently was where Chainz was aiming. Kenji began to roll down the hill but was caught just in time by an injured Rage.

"Damn you Chainz…we have no choice but to retreat for now. We'll be back, so try not to get eliminated." said Rage as a hoisted Kenji on his back and began jogging down the hill.

"You know Chainz, for a first battle you did okay. You have bad aim though."

"Bad aim?"

Chainz was bewildered; he most certainly did not have bad aim, though it wouldn't hurt for him to work on it though.

"So…what now?" asked Ishimaru

Chainz simply shrugged his shoulders as they turned and went back into the city. Grabbing a bite to eat at Pizza Hut wasn't a bad idea. Little did Ishimaru know mamodo had rabid appetites. Ten and a half large pizzas later, Ishimaru found that out the hard way. Even though he ate a large pizza and a half, Ishimaru was shocked that Chainz at nine pizzas consecutively. After getting a to-go box for the remaining half, they walked out of the restaurant with full bellies and heavy eyes. Which of course, are symptoms of an incoming food coma.

Still sitting inside the restaurant was a boy and a teenaged girl.

"Hori, you're getting the kiddie meal, you're not going to be able to finish a medium, adult-sized pizza."

"I don't want a kiddie meal Meida! I'm not a baby! I want the double roll specialty!"

Hori crossed his arms and closed his eyes. He didn't feel obligated to argue any further with this girl. This of course, has been going on since they met about a week and a half ago. Meida cleared her throat and spoke up to the waitress at their table.

"One plain medium pizza for me and the sausage roll specialty pizza for him." said Meida as she handed the waitress the menus the waitress then left the two and she went on to say

"Have you sensed any mamodo recently?"

"I sensed one in this restaurant not too long ago. However, there's no rush, after all. I can strike down whoever we confront. So for now, let's keep a low profile."

A few minutes later, the waitress returned with their pizzas. Meida's plain cheese pizza and Hori's double roll specialty. It was an interesting pizza to say the least. It had little bacon wrapped sausages littered across the crust, mini hamburger patties on top of the mushrooms, soy beans, corn, paprika, garlic chips, green peppers, and pepperoni. As for cheese, it had mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan. As they began digging in, Meida asked Hori, "How's your gross pizza?"

"It's not gross, and to be honest I don't think I can finish it."

Meida fell over anime-style. What is she going to do with him?

Meanwhile…

Ishimaru was lying down on his back. He hadn't been that full in a long time. He tried to get up but simply couldn't. After dozing off for a few hours, he woke up to a neutral belly, considering he had digested most of the food. He showered and climbed back into bed, he had to be prepared for afterschool practice tomorrow.

The next morning….

Ishimaru was running out of the house with his briefcase swinging from side to side with the green spell book tucked safely inside. As he turned the corner and ran into the school gate, he hurried into the building. He ran up three flights of stairs and headed into the classroom. As he ran inside, he saw that the classroom was empty. He looked around and saw that nobody was there. He then looked at the clock and saw that he was an hour _early _to school. He was angry yet relieved. As he looked up, he saw that his classroom actually not completely empty. There was some guy in the classroom and he was sitting in Ishimaru's seat! He was a light-skinned black male with messy black hair and glasses. He was wearing a variation of the East Tokyo high uniform as instead of a black dress-shirt with the school emblem on it, he was wearing a white dress shirt with the gold school emblem on the left hand corner, however he was wearing the golden school necktie, but it was loose around his neck and he still wore khaki slacks and black dress shoes.

"You're in my seat."

"Like a give a damn." Replied the kid rudely

"I didn't ask you to, now out of the way!"

"Make me!" barked the kid

"Don't mind if I do!" shot back Ishimaru

Ishimaru wasn't going to get punked out by some random kid. As he made his way over there, the teacher came in and stopped the confrontation.

"That's enough you two! You boys are juniors! Act like it!"

He boys glared at each other and left the classroom.

Later that morning, after class started the teacher made an announcement.

"Attention class 11-3, we have a transfer from class 5-1. His name is Vincent and he'll now be a member of class 11-3."

"Isn't class 5-1 the retarded class?" retorted Seiku

The class (including Ishimaru) burst into laughter. Vincent shot daggers at Seiku as he went to go sit down, as he passed Seiku's desk, he kicked the right outer leg and made the desk cave in, causing Seiku to hit his chin against the desk. Vincent took the desk across the aisle on Ishimaru's left. They had a score to settle and neither one of them were going to rest until it happened. The two boys glared at each other until lunch break came.

As they stood facing each other in the main courtyard, a crowd of students began surrounding them. There were seniors placing bets and many sophomores also placing bets as well.

Seiku came between them and said, "The best way to settle this is with this." He held out a soccer ball

"First one to score three goals wins."

Both boys nodded in agreement as they prepared to face-off.

_A/N- Who will win in this clash between Ishimaru and Vincent? You can find out by tuning in next time for another chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R! _


	4. Vincent vs Ishimaru!

_A/N- So, I did a Mary Sue litmus test and the original Chainz got a 26 and the Iron Revolution Chainz got a 15 so I'm doing fine as far as that goes. I also got a 28 with Ishimaru, so I better be careful with him. Though I think it's mainly the soccer thing that makes the score like that. I was bored so I also saw Bella Swan from Twilight and she got a 90! I saw that Edward Cullen had a 124! I can't stand Twilight; it's a miracle that they even sell. Anyway, enough of me ranting, here's the next chapter. (No offense to you Twilight fans out there!)_

The students made their way to the school's soccer practice field. It was a plain, yet well-kept field which had its lines sprayed into the grass and there were two opposing soccer goals. In the middle of the field, Seiku placed the soccer ball between the two and looked at them both.

"After each goal is scored, the ball will return to the middle of the field."

He then took his foot off of the ball and said, "Ready, begin!"

Vincent kicked the ball away from Ishimaru and caught up with it. He was making a clean path for the goals and easily booted it through. He smirked as he saw the look of shock on the spectating students' faces. Did this kid actually score on THE ace of East Tokyo high?

"_This guy isn't so hot. As long as I'm aggressive, he won't stand a chance."_

"Vincent leads 1-0." said Seiku as he placed the ball in the middle of the field

Vincent aggressively stole the ball from Ishimaru and made his way towards the goal again, he kicked the ball and it rolled into the goal. Vincent couldn't help but feel good. The ace of East Tokyo was getting his ass handed to him because he couldn't handle aggressive playing. How practical was that? Vincent was really hoping for a challenge, he figured he may as well wrap this game up.

"For someone who is supposedly a star, you're pretty overrated." Said Vincent

"Vincent leads 2-0. Game point." said Seiku

Ishimaru didn't say anything. He simply went back to the middle of the field as Vincent got set and ready to sweep Ishimaru.

"Kamikatsu is overrated!" said one student

"Maybe he's having a bad day?" said another

"I bet this game is rigged!" said another student

Seiku set the ball down in the middle again and Vincent once again aggressively took the ball and charged towards the goal. He wanted to smear Ishimaru big time, so he cocked his foot back and brought it forward with tremendous force and let off a powerful kick. However, there was no ball to be kicked. Suddenly, all Vincent heard was "Swoosh!"

Vincent turned around and saw that Ishimaru had dumped the ball into the goal.

"Vincent still leads 2-1." Said Seiku

"_How could he have stolen the ball that quickly? I'm not letting some overrated superstar beat me." _Thought Vincent as he once again aggressively kicked the ball and this time was going to kick it like he meant it. However, Ishimaru surprisingly ran in front of him. As Vincent kicked the ball towards the goal, Ishimaru bounced it off his head and then, ran to catch up with the ball. Vincent went on the defensive. He was neck and neck with Ishimaru as he charged into him; however Ishimaru leapt over Vincent as the ball rolled under him at the same time. Ishimaru then kicked the ball and it slammed into the net.

"Score is now tied." said Seiku as he put the ball back into the middle

"_I'm going to have to try and take it up a notch." _ Thought Vincent as Ishimaru took the ball and started maneuvering down the field with it. Vincent curved his foot and stole the ball away from Ishimaru. He turned around and sprinted towards the goal. Ishimaru came from behind Vincent and took the ball away and turned back towards his goal. Ishimaru was in front of the goal; Vincent made one last grab at it and jumped in front of Ishimaru as he kicked the ball. The ball bounced off of Vincent's body and up towards the goal's outer edge. The ball bounced off of the edge and back towards Ishimaru. He gracefully did a front handspring and kicked the ball into the goal, sealing his victory.

"Winner, Ishimaru Kamikatsu!" exclaimed Seiku

The spectators began to cheer. Ishimaru defeated Vincent. Ishimaru was pretty pleased with himself. He won the showdown and was pumped up and sweaty. Vincent was pissed but accepted his defeat.

"Having an aggressive offense is still the way to go." He simply said

"Watching your opponent's moves and having a balanced offense and defense is better." said Ishimaru

"You won't get far using such a passive strategy."

"We'll have to do this more often." Said Ishimaru as he looked over himself

All of that diving, rolling and jumping in the grass caused his uniform to get dirty, Vincent was no exception, and his clothes were filthy as well. Fortunately, some sophomore had pulled the fire alarm and due to the alarms being broken and needing maintenance, school was canceled for the rest of the day. This did not matter to Ishimaru, as he was going to skip out on the rest of the day regardless. After returning home for a quick shower and change for soccer practice, Ishimaru returned home later on that evening in order to relax and think of something that would occupy his time. Chainz suggested using his boot to occupy Ishimaru's time and even recommended a place where Ishimaru could put it. Ishimaru responded to this by placing his wastebasket on top of Chainz's head.

The next morning…

Ishimaru performed the usual ritual of preparing for school and leaving Chainz to his own devices. As he was on his way out the door, Chainz called out to him, "What am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?"

"I don't know, watch TV or go to the park. You're a big boy!"

And with that, Ishimaru closed the door behind him. Chainz was sitting in Ishimaru's room wearing nothing but his boxers. He figured he would watch a few cartoons go through the fridge and garbage can. Then, if he got bored enough he would go to the park. Chainz eventually did all of the listed things and saw that it was only ten o'clock. He went ahead and slipped on his clothes and made his way to the local park.

_A/N- Yes, yes I know it's short, but I'll submit another much longer chapter in a few hours. Stay tuned! R&R!_


	5. An unlikely team forms!

_A/N- As promised, here you go! _

Chainz made his way to the local park. As he got there, he saw various kids running around and playing. He was a little too old to be playing on a playground that was reserved for small children. Nonetheless, he hung around anyway. He didn't have anything better to do. So, why not at the very least, chill here

He looked around and saw a swing; he went and sat down on it. Swings were so childish, there is no way an older kid could have fun with such a thing. Chainz felt the breeze on his back and started moving around a bit.

"Heh, I couldn't have fun with this thing. I mean, what's so fun about doing this…" he said as his voice trailed off

As he said that, he began to swing back and forth. He had to admit, he kinda liked it. As Chainz came back towards the ground, he kicked his feet into the air as he went back even higher. He went even higher and higher till eventually he was about to go over the swing bar! This attracted the attention of a handful of kids as they began to gather around him and Chainz cold hear some of their murmurs.

"I wonder if he's gonna crash."

"Do you think he's going to hit the sun?"

"I want him to go higher!"

Chainz then slowed the swing down until it came to a close halt. He looked up at a bunch of kids applauding and he smirked at what he saw. However, the moment was ruined by a voice.

"It was alright, but I can easily do better."

Everybody, including Chainz turned and looked at the owner of the voice. It belonged to a young boy. He was about 2 and a half feet tall, with messy black hair all over his little head, brown eyes with a line coming down under each eye, a black t shirt with orange stripes, blue shorts and brown shoes. Chainz leered at the kid, but then said, "You talk a big game kid. Are you challenging me?"

"According to the author, I believe I am." He said

(The story comes to a temporary halt)

PG: Now, you know you aren't supposed to be breaking the fourth wall, right?

Boy: You haven't even introduced my name yet!

PG: I was getting to that before you did that…this isn't a comedy or a parody you know?

Boy: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

PG: ….Back to the story!

"What's your name kid?" asked Chainz who had an eyebrow raised

"My name's Jyan."

Chainz then took Jyan away to a secluded area. He then shook his head and said, "I already know you're a mamodo, so where's your human partner at?"

The big silly grin Jyan once had, left his face.

Jyan: My grin isn't silly! Well…okay a little.

PG: Do I need to write you out of the story? (It's an empty threat but he doesn't know that)

Jyan: I can read between parentheses!

PG: Stop holding up things up!

"He's not here. I figured you would want to fight. I'm pretty sure you're a weak demon, because a strong one would have attacked me without introducing themselves."

Chainz snarled as Jyan made that remark. He was in fact not a weak mamodo and was eager to prove it.

"All right, fine. Meet here later on this evening and we'll see who's weak." Said Chainz as he walked away

"All right fine, I didn't want to have to send you back this early, but looks as if I have no choice." Said Jyan

Meanwhile, hidden inside of a small tree, a small girl overheard the whole conversation between the two.

"If they fight and weaken each other, then I can go in and burn both of their books! Or if one burns the other, then the other will be too weak to put up a good fight. I like the way I think sometimes!"

As Ishimaru came home later on that evening, he was ready to kick his shoes off and take a hot shower. Soccer practice was exhausting and he could really go for some Pizza Hut as well. However as he walked through the door, Chainz was standing there.

"What's up Chainz?"

"Let's go."

As they were walking up the street, Ishimaru said, "So let me get this straight, you met a mamodo at the park and arranged to fight him?"

"Yep."

"Can't this wait or something?"

"I'm afraid not."

Ishimaru groaned as they made their way inside the park. It was around five o'clock and the sun was setting. After looking east, he saw a black haired mamodo boy and his bookkeeper. He had to have been American judging by his appearance. He was around the same height as Ishimaru (About 5'11, 6'0), there was brown hair in a neat, short haircut, a yellow t shirt with red stripe, blue jeans and tennis shoes, and in his hand was a blue spell book, which was obviously Jyan's. Jyan and Chainz glared each other down. Jyan then jumped back as his book owner yelled, "_Chikeru!"_

A blue aura shot out of Jyan's mouth, Ishimaru quickly yelled, "_Kai Lei!"_ Chainz fired the white laser from his mouth as they collided with each other on impact and exploded. The cloud of dust kicked up and it was hard to see. When the smoke and dust cleared, Chainz and Jyan were grabbing each other's hands, trying to push each other down. Chainz then went in for a low sweep and knocked Jyan off his feet as Jyan rammed his knee into Chainz's stomach. They were rolling on the ground as Ishimaru and Jyan's bookkeeper looked at each other. They then closed the spell books and walk over towards each other they met halfway, and then Jyan's bookkeeper then spoke,

"Anata wa tatakai tsuzukeru ka?" (Do you want to keep fighting?)

"Īe,-sōde mo nai." Said Ishimaru (No, not really.)

"Watashi no namae wa joshurūsāda to watashi wa amerika kara no kōkan ryūgakusei o shite imasu." Said Josh (My name is Josh Luther and I am a foreign exchange student from America)

"O ai dekite ureshii, watashi wa Ishimaru Kamikatsuda" (Nice to meet you, I'm Ishimaru Kamikatsu.)

They then looked at the two mamodo boys who were still rolling around fighting. Chainz had Jyan in a headlock, however Jyan bit Chainz's arm as they began wrestling. They seemed to be unaware that their human partners were not calling out any spells.

"All right, I think that's enough." said Ishimaru

"Hold on, you can speak English?" exclaimed Josh Luther whose eyes popped out of his head

"Most people here can, or at least somewhat. You don't really need to use Japanese much here."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"I just felt like messing with you."

Josh didn't look too amused by the joke, however they were interrupted by a tree branch that sprouted from the ground and almost hit them. Jyan and Chainz stopped fighting with each other as they now noticed the tree branch was trying to figure out where it came from.

"It must be a mamodo." Said Chainz

Jyan nodded in agreement as they ran towards Ishimaru and Josh. As soon as they reached their bookkeepers, a bunch of pebbles flew towards them as well.

"Show yourselves!" yelled Chainz

"Yeah, what he said!" said Jyan

"Very well then." Said a voice

Just then, four figures showed themselves. One was a brown ogre-like kid who had brown skin, two large bronze horns on each side of his head; he was shirtless and wore brown jeans and no shoes. Most notably however, he three eyes. Standing next to him was a man with long black hair and a Hawaiian print shirt and blue shorts and brown flip-flops on his feet. In his hand was an olive green spell book.

The other kid had messy lime green air. He had glaring purple eyes, razor sharp teeth. He wore a dark gray hoodie which had the sleeves cut off at the elbows, black sweatpants and black and white converse high-tops. The human standing next to him had short black hair and a business suit on. He appeared to have just gotten out of a business meeting or something. In his hand was yellow spell book.

"My name Sledge." Said the ogre-like kid

"And mine is Flint." Said the green-haired kid

"We're here to take you guys out." Said Sledge

"Ohhh to where? The carnival? A movie? Dancing? The moon?" said Jyan excitedly

"Not literally you ass!" said Chainz

"Steven, gimme a spell!" yelled Sledge

"_Jirogu!"_

Another tree branch sprouted from the ground as Chainz and Jyan dodged it. These guys weren't playing around.

Ishimaru and Josh had their books opened and ready.

"The first spell, _Kai Lei!"_

Chainz fired the white laser from his mouth and disintegrated the tree branch.

"The first spell, _Chikeru!"_

Jyan fired a blue aura from his mouth and hit Sledge directly. The ogre-like mamodo fell back but regained his ground and composure.

"I take that you guys never fought as a team before. Ha, this is gonna be a piece of cake!"

Sledge then held up his hands as Steven yelled out another spell, _"Jirogasa!"_

Sledge then placed his now glowing green hands onto the ground as trees appeared to have sprouted up from the ground, surrounding them completely. Ishimaru and Josh looked bewildered as they were now in what appeared to be a small forest.

"How are we supposed to fight them now?" asked Josh

"Not sure. They could be anywhere."

"Jyan, you should look towards the southern area, Ishimaru, you and Chainz keep an eye out on the northern area."

As they looked around, they didn't see a thing. Just then, a small rock tumbled towards them as they quickly jumped out of the way, only to have a surprise above them.

"_Grounsen!"_

A barrage of sharp rocks rained upon them as they tried to dodge for cover but couldn't. For some strange reason, they could reach any of the trees. As they tried to roll to the sides in order to cover up into some foliage, the plants seem to be impossible to reach. Ishimaru and Josh looked at each other and nodded.

"Jyan, close your eyes and listen." said Josh

"Chainz, you do the same." said Ishimaru

The mamodo boys nodded and closed their eyes. The key point was to focus their power and heighten their senses. The hairs on Chainz's faux hawk began to stick up on his head. Just as that happened, the spell book began glowing a bright green light.

"I can read more of the book now!" said Ishimaru

"That means a new spell can be used." said Jyan

"I see." said Ishimaru

"_The second spell…Hokkado" thought Ishimaru_

Just then, Chainz and Jyan quickly opened their eyes.

"Now!" yelled Chainz as he and Jyan pointed in opposite directions.

"_Kai Lei!"_

"_Chikeru!"_

Chainz shot the white laser from his mouth at the direction he pointed and Jyan shot the aura towards his direction as well. Suddenly, the forest faded away.

"Just as we thought, it was an illusion!" exclaimed Ishimaru

Flint and Sledge were both on the ground. As they got up, Sledge then spoke, "How…how could you see through my illusion? My foolproof technique?"

Ishimaru then said, "When we tried to hide behind trees or into bushes, the closer we got to the plants, the further back they would move! Then and only then did we know it had to be an illusion!"

"Ugh, no worries though. You won't beat us! Read a spell Steven!"

"_Jirogu!"_

"We still have our combination left!" yelled Flint who now had his hands on top of the tree branch that came out of the ground.

"Read the spell Herman!"

"_Grounsen!"_

This time, the sharp rocks came out of the tree branch, forming a long, spiked whip. Sledge then slammed his hands to the ground, as the tree branch bent and slammed towards Jyan and Chainz at a steady speed.

"_It's now or never, might as well try it!"_

"The second spell, _Hokkado_!"

Chainz then stuck his hands out as a giant iron gear rose out of the ground and stood in front of them. The gear stood strong when the spiked branch slammed into it. The gear then began to spin like gears normally do and sent the spiky branch back at them the branch shook the ground a little on impact but it was strong enough to knock them off of their feet. The gear dissipated and they ran over to the fallen mamodo.

"That spell was a giant gear shield; it spins and reflects the attack back at the opponent. I like it!" said Ishimaru as he picked up Sledge's spell book.

Josh grabbed Flint's book as he then said, "I think this belongs to us now."

Ishimaru then flipped through the book as he tried to read some of the pages, however he had no success. He then remembered what Chainz had said the day he met him.

"_Only one human can read a mamodo's spell book…"_

As he and Josh walked away, Chainz then said, "Ishimaru, you eliminate other mamodo by burning their book, usually with a spell."

"I see."

Ishimaru and Josh nodded and tossed both books into the air at the same time. They flipped open their glowing spell books and yelled,

"_Kai Lei!"_

"_Chikeru!"_

The laser and blue aura struck the spell books as they were covered in flames. Flint and Sledge began fading away. Sledge then yelled at Ishimaru, "The battle only gets tougher from here on out, I doubt you guys will last too much longer. You only won by dumb luck, the bigger, stronger and scarier mamodo are going to eat you all alive!" and with that, they both were gone. Their books made rectangular burn marks into the grass as they were gone too. Everybody was exhausted from the battle as Jyan began jumping for joy due to his victory.

"Man, I'm amazing." He said

"You obviously wouldn't have won if it wasn't for me." Said Chainz as the two began arguing again

Ishimaru and Josh laughed as Ishimaru then said, "Well Josh, it looks like we're a team now."

"Yeah, I think so."

"Let's go get some food, I'm starved."

"Yeah, you guys got a McDonald's around here?"

"Who doesn't have one of those?"

The pair began walking down the sidewalk talking as their mamodo were behind them arguing.

Meanwhile, the girl from earlier finally showed up at the park.

"Rai-Nii, these two mamodo are going to fight and I'll be there to beat them both! As she walked over to the grassy area and saw two burned rectangle patches."

"Either they burned each other's books or someone else came and did it before I could!"

"Adella, don't worry about…we'll find someone else to fight."

"I-I guess so." Said Adella

Adella was a small girl a little bit shorter than Chainz at about 3 feet tall. She had long silver hair down to the middle of her back, today (well now tonight) she wore a plain light blue dress.

Rai, her bookkeeper was pretty short for a teenaged boy, who was around 5 feet tall. He had neatly combed and fringed short blue hair and large green eyes. He was wearing an orange shirt, blue vest and green pants, which of course he considered his favorite outfit. Most importantly, in his hand was an Orange-Red spell book.

Just then, the spell book glowed a bright red light.

"_Attention all remaining participants. There are now 90 mamodo on Earth left. The battle for king only gets tougher from here on out. Every time a milestone is reached, an announcement will be made inside the spell book. Best of luck to all remaining participants._

_~King Bell_

Adella and Rai looked at each other and nodded as they realized the battle for King just got tougher.

_A/N- Man that was a long chapter. I'll be up and at 'em tomorrow with some more chapters as I got quite a bit of free time on my hands. (I need to get a life lol) If you want to know how I was planning the final King Festival rankings in the original story, PM me and I'll let you know. Til next time. Stay tuned for Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution_

Name- Sledge

Partner- Steven

Rank- 91st out of 100

Element- Trees

Book color- Olive

Book burned by- Chainz and Ishimaru

Spells-

Jirogu- Summons a giant tree branch

Jirogasa- Causes an illusion of trees to appear.

Name- Flint

Partner- Herman

Rank- 92nd out of 100

Element- Rocks

Book color- Yellow

Book burned by- Jyan and Josh Luther

Spells-

Grounsen- Sends out projectiles of sharp rocks.


	6. Motives and Strategies!

_A/N- I hope you liked the light-hearted beginning! It won't be so light from here on out, Enjoy!_

Chainz ran his fingers into his hair as he looked at the clock. It was half past noon. He must have slept in, yesterday's battle and victory left him exhausted. He rolled over and got up on his feet; he did some morning calisthenics and put his clothes on. He felt peaceful these last few days. However, he cannot forget that he is fighting a battle and that any day could be his last. He sat there and looked outside. It was a typical, dull sunny day. Nothing special was going on, he couldn't help but go outside, as he was out there he figured that it was too nice of a day to waste inside the house, so he left and went to the park. He saw a lot of children laughing and playing. He then came across Jyan, who was sitting on top of a hill, overlooking the entire playground.

"Hey Jyan." Greeted Chainz

"Hey." He replied back

"Thinking about yesterday's battle?"

"Yeah, the possibility of yesterday being my last day on Earth was all too real."

"Yeah Jyan, but we beat them and we got see another day."

"Today's no different."

"Yeah, I know."

Chainz was surprised to see Jyan's serious side. He knew however, that this battle for king was a pretty serious topic, so there was no joking around to be done.

"Chainz…what are you looking to get out of this battle?"

"I...I don't know to be honest."

"It's really something to think about. I never thought about myself realistically becoming king. I couldn't use any spells back home, so I figured that I would be one of the first to be eliminated, but after yesterday's victory, the possibility of becoming the last one standing has started to dawn on me."

Chainz was quite shocked to hear this. He could use his powers fairly alright in the Mamodo World or the Makai as it's properly called. However, he heard of a few freak cases where mamodo could not properly use spells. He never would have guessed however, that he would be allied to one though.

After a brief silence, Jyan then spoke. "I remember what Sledge said after we beat him, that there were bigger, stronger and scarier mamodo out there. I wonder what we are truly up against."

"There's only one to find out!" said Chainz as they looked up at the clouds in the sky.

Meanwhile, on the Ryukyu Islands hundreds of miles away…

A boy was sitting on a large rock. The boy was about 5 feet and 4 inches tall, average height for children in his age. He had long, brown tousled hair with a white headband tied on his forehead, looking into his sharp blue eyes could slice plywood in half, complementing his appearance was his tan skin. He is wore a brown tank top with very short sleeves that showed his slightly muscular arms, going along with it were some blue cargo shorts and black shoes. His hands and wrists were covered in bandages, which of course meant that he did a lot of physical training. He was staring at the waves that were hitting the shore, just then he heard a voice.

"I see you're here early."

"No, it's just that you are fashionably late."

"Chase, you shouldn't have such a smart mouth, some people do not like that."

Chase smirked at that comment. He always had an overconfident swagger about himself. Despite his training bandages, Chase relied on brain power more than anything. He was all wrapped up into logic; all of his impulses were all logic-based as well.

The other boy smirked and said, "You didn't bring your bookkeeper? What a pity. Here, I was hoping on having a little fun."

This boy was about 5 feet 7 inches tall. On his head was slick gray hair that went down to his ears. He had two piercings in both ears. He wore a black leather vest with a white cobra on his back with no shirt underneath. He was in fact very muscular with large, ripped arms and an 8-pack. He wore black gloves on his hands, dark blue jeans and black boots.

"I doubt you would attack me without my book owner, that isn't how Slash of the Cobra Clan's style am I right?" sneered Chase

Slash couldn't help but grin at Chase a smile baring his razor sharp fangs. Chase had done his homework, maybe he wasn't as stupid as Slash thought he was.

"True. However, I don't mind making exceptions." said Slash, cracking his knuckles

With that being said, Chase disappeared then reappeared in Slash's face and threw a kick at him. Slash grabbed his leg and tossed him into the water.

Chase came out of the water and threw a barrage of punches. Slash kept up and blocked most of them; Chase then feigned a punch with his left hand which faked out Slash and left an opening and right-hooked Slash in the face as he fell to the ground. He got and rubbed his jaw. How could he be so careless as to leaving himself vulnerable for a blindside hit like that?

"Now that that's settled, what are you trying to pull?" asked Slash

"I have a master plan that is going to make me king! That's what!" said Chase

"Oh really now…care to enlighten me?" said Slash

"I won't go into too much detail, but I will say that I am making a few investments."

"I didn't know you were a businessman." said Slash

"Just stay out of my way, I'm going to fix your wagon in a bit. So you won't be around for too much longer. This is whole battle is like a big chess match. You have your pawns, rooks, knights, bishops, king and queen. I am the king and chess master. It is only a matter of time before I declare my checkmate." Said Chase as he laid down in the sand and crossed his arms behind his head

"I also have two weapons to my advantage to which you could never obtain Slash."

"And what would that be?"

Chase sat up, looked at Slash and said, "I kill my enemies with kindness and sincerity." He then laid back down

Slash scoffed and said, "I don't really give a damn about your little game. I have my own motives and a bigger picture to look at. This isn't a game."

Chase shook his head and said, "This is a game and I play to win it. It's either go hard or go home. Plus, I like winning."

Slash began to walk away, as he was walking away, he said, "To each his own."

As he walked away, he thought about his reasons for being in the battle and continued on his way.

"Next stop, East Tokyo." He said flatly as he went back into a local village in order to make preparations for the long journey ahead.

_A/N- All right guys. Short chapter I know. However, it is one of the most important. If you have to, re-read it a few times and see if you understand the significance of the conversation between Slash and Chase. It also reveals a few more things too. In your reviews, tell me what you think is going on and what you think is going to happen! I look forward to reading them! Till next time! R&R please!_


	7. Enter Nana's trio!

_A/N- All right guys. My streak for consecutive chapter uploads has been snapped. I had writer's block and was at a standstill. However, I had a brilliant epiphany today and I am doing something I have never done before…anyways I hope you guys like it. So, enjoy!_

Vincent groaned as he was pushed out of the car by his Grandma. He was always one of it not the first student to arrive at East Tokyo High School. Every weekday and Saturday is the same thing. His grandma often throws a bucket of water on him, and then she threatens to use boxing gloves if he doesn't get up. He gets ready, complains about going to school, and then gets thrown out of the car every morning. It's to the point that it is a routine. His loosened tie and white uniform dress shirt is a form of Vincent's rebellion. Other than the fact that he was the only black kid at a school with mostly Japanese students and a few white American exchange students and an occasional European, Vincent was also the tallest student, standing at 6'5". He liked and took pride in his non-conformity. Hell, if it was up to him he would come to school without any shoes on. However though, he was actually a bit more interested in school now. He was transferred from class 5-2 (It means 5th classroom, 2nd floor.) to class 11-3. Even though he was a lazy student, Vincent received fairly high test scores, which prompted his promotion to class 11-3. Class 5-2 was a remedial class, while class 11-3 was a middle-tier class. However, that wasn't why Vincent was little more interested in school now; he couldn't give a rat's ass about that. In fact, it meant more unfinished homework that was going to flood his wastebasket at home.

He was more interested in school, because he had somewhat of a rivalry going on. Kamikatsu Ishimaru, The ace of East Tokyo High. Normally, Vincent wouldn't even give this guy a second thought, however after the challenge they had the other day, for some reason, Vincent had to face-off with him again. It could possibly be a pride issue. Or it could be the fact that he finally had someone who he saw as a worthy challenger. Nonetheless, Vincent was a little impressed that somebody was keeping him on his toes.

As Vincent opened the door to class 11-3, he saw that it was empty. Typical of course, he sat down in his desk and laid back thinking about what was going to happen today. Same old crap. He then looked at Ishimaru's seat and then said, "If he had a mamodo, things would be pretty damn interesting."

Speaking of mamodo, Vincent thought about his partner.

"_I hope CJ has a better day than I'm gonna have…"_

Meanwhile, a few miles away from the school, a young boy was hurrying down the sidewalk.

"I can't wait to get there! I need to get a move on!"

CJ wanted to get to the park as fast as he could, for today was an important day. He was hoping for this day ever since he came to the human world and today, that day has finally come. He wanted to make sure he looked decent as well. He was around three feet tall with bushy brown hair and red eyes. He had floppy guinea pig ears but covered them up with a red Kangol hat. He also wore a red shirt and brown shorts.

CJ finally reached the park. The sun was bright and happy, so he knew that things could only go up from here. He then came across a small clearing in the park and stood around. He was surprisingly early and didn't see anyone around.

"I thought I was going to be pretty late. I know they said 6:00 am and its 6:50, so maybe they left…" CJ said as his ears drooped.

"Of course not! They're just late!" he said as he rebounded. CJ found a rocking horse on a spring and got on top of it began rocking back and forth on it.

"Any minute now." he said

Soon enough over two hours passed and still no sign of anybody showing up. CJ was pissed. How could he be stood up like that?

"This is bull! I'm out!" said CJ as he started to storm away

"Where are you going CJ?" called a voice

CJ smiled as he recognized that voice

"Beat? Is that you?" called CJ

"In the flesh." He said

Beat finally came to a halt. He stood at four feet tall, he had a bandana over his head, a pair of hue headphones, reminiscently similar to a Walkman, and he wore sunglasses over his eyes and was wearing a black tank top and blue jeans.

"Hold on! This still doesn't explain why you are late! You were supposed to be here at 6:00!"

"ACTUALLY, you were supposed to come at 9:00."

CJ and Beat smiled when they heard the familiar voice.

"Angie!" they said in unison

Angie appeared in front of the two boys. She was about 6 feet tall with red hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a ninja costume with a mask covering the lower half of her face. On her back, was a samurai katana.

"I can't believe we're reunited once again!" said CJ enthusiastically

"I know right!" said Beat

"As much as I enjoy a reunion, we have a purpose for being here and we will have to fight sooner or later." Said Angie

"Aw Angie, must you always be such a killjoy?" asked Beat

Angie didn't say anything. She was pretty adamant about winning the battle and becoming king. If she had to, she wouldn't hesitate to eliminate Beat and CJ as well.

"So, what now?" asked CJ

Meanwhile….

Chainz walked into the park. Jyan told him that he had found a new toy and wanted Chainz to check it out. He hoped it would interesting. He found Jyan standing on the top of the main hill overlooking the park.

"Jyan, what's up?"

"I got this new toy!" he exclaimed as he pointed to it.

This "toy" that Jyan had was a rusty shopping cart. Jyan explained that he stole it after he and Josh went grocery shopping.

"I haven't done this in forever." Said Chainz who used to silly stuff like this back in the Makai

Jyan climbed into the old shopping cart as Chainz got on the back of it and pushed it with the back of his foot. Chainz then back flipped and got inside the cart. He and Jyan sped down the hill. The cart sped past other children ad was going fast.

"Hell yeah!" screamed Chainz

"Wooooohooooo!" screamed Jyan

As they reached the bottom of the hill, they realized that they weren't stopping, they sped through the grass. As they went through a clearing, they were coming straight towards CJ, Beat and Angie.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" they yelled as they were about to collide into the three mamodo.

"Holy shit!" yelled CJ

"Uh-oh." Said Beat

Angie however, didn't say anything. She unsheathed her katana and three quick swipes later. The shopping cart froze in motion and suddenly appeared diced into metal pieces and scraps. Chainz and Jyan fell to the ground with a thud. As soon as they looked up, they saw the katana pointed at their faces.

"You'll put someone's eye with that!" yelled Jyan

"Wait a minute…I know who you three are." Said Chainz

"Oh really now?" said Beat

"Yeah. You're Nana's trio." Said Chainz

Angie flinched a little after hearing that. How could such an idiotic mamodo know who they were?

"How do you know that?" she demanded

Chainz then showed her the back of leather jacket.

"I see…you're from the Cobra Clan. That's their emblem."

"Of course." Said Chainz smirking

"Cobra Clan? Nana's trio? What the hell is going on around here?" exclaimed Jyan

"Allow me to explain." Said CJ clearing his throat

"Back in the mamodo world or the Makai. There was an orphanage owned by Nana. We were the strongest mamodo at the orphanage, plus our teamwork is like no other. That's the gist of it anyway."

Chainz the spoke, "Teamwork or not. All three of you against me!"

"Nobody has their human partner with them!" said Beat

"We don't need humans to fight. We simply won't use spells. Plus, this will be a good workout."

Chainz took off his leather jacket and took off his shirt. He revealed a fairly lean body with a not-too-shabby 6 pack as well. He put up his fist and pivoted his back right foot.

"Let's go"." Said Chainz

"As foolish as you are doing this, I must admit that you have a lot of balls." Said Beat

Chainz focused as he prepared to throw down with Nana's trio in hand-to-hand combat.

_A/N- I'm leaving you all on a cliffhanger. Chainz is about to spar with the trio. How will it go? Find out on the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R!_


	8. A surprise for Jyan, Chainz and Vincent!

_A/N- No need for me to talk, let's get this started._

Chainz glared at the trio as they waited to see who would make the first move. Suddenly, Chainz moved his right arm as he blocked CJ's punch. Beat came from behind as Chainz rolled to his left, only to risk getting blindsided by Angie's left-hook. Chainz back flipped and saw that all three members of the trio surrounded him. He expected this to be tough; after all they are Nana's trio. CJ then hopped on Chainz's back, Beat tackled Chainz and grabbed his legs and Angie began jabbing his stomach repeatedly. It looked like Chainz was beat. However, he wrenched his arms free and pushed Angie away. Chainz then managed to stand on his hands and began spinning his legs, similar to a break dance.

"He seems to be using his legs as a counter-shield. Pretty impressive I must admit." Said Angie

Angie then maneuvered herself behind Chainz and managed to grab a hold of his torso. Beat and CJ grabbed his legs and held him down. Chainz was going down fast. He had to think of a way to wiggle out of this tight spot. Chainz smirked as he bit Beat's arm, causing him to release his leg. Chainz smiled as his cobra-like fangs fully extended.

"Beat you fool. You should have known better to watch out for his fangs, they can contain venom if you aren't careful." said Angie

Beat's forearm had two small punctures on it. A small about of blood dripped from it; for the most part however, Beat wasn't worried about it though.

"Lucky for him, I didn't leave any venom in his skin. This isn't a real fight." Said Chainz

"Of course." Angie said as they surrounded Chainz once more

Chainz then jump kicked CJ as he knocked him over. However, Beat and Angie were on him quickly as they grabbed his arms and legs. CJ then got up and head-butted Chainz in the stomach, slamming him into the ground, sealing the victory for Nana's trio.

Chainz slowly got up. "Damn…I lost, but that was pretty damn awesome."

Jyan then broke his silence saying, "Let's do a bit of training. We can learn quite a bit from the teamwork you guys have!"

"Normally, I would be against helping a future opponent, but hell even Beat and CJ are future opponent. We may as well get started." Angie replied flatly

The five mamodos began to jog around the park.

A few hours later at East Tokyo High School….

Vincent sat on top of the roof as he looked down on his lunch. It was simply onigiri and cold shrimp. It was alright, nothing special. As he ate, he saw an onigiri ball slip out of his little box and onto the pavement. Tetsu Yoshiro, the starting left center forward on the soccer team and a popular Senior, happened to be walking by, not seeing to sticky, slippery rice ball, he slipped and crashed into a nearby picnic table. A few bystanders came to his aid and paramedics were called to the school. As Coach Yuushi examined Tetsu and chatted with the paramedics, he then announced to the students, "Yoshiro has a broken ankle, he'll be out for the next 4 months. We're going to have to fins his replacement."

The student body began to chatter amongst themselves.

"Poor Yoshiro."

"Let's find the one who made him slip!"

"He was our best defender!"

Ishimaru was sitting outside at a picnic table with Seiku, Kana Takahashi and a few others. He was bouncing a soccer ball on his head and caught it in his hands. Daisuke Komahoya, a strong-willed goalie and the only starting sophomore on the soccer team, came to Ishimaru to break the news.

"Yoshiro had an accident earlier and now we need a replacement. Since you're the captain, he's leaving it up to you to find Yoshiro's replacement."

Ishimaru groaned at the news. Yoshiro was the team's most aggressive and efficient defender. How was he going to find someone else to fill the major void? He then began to get an idea.

"Daisuke, I know who I'm going to ask!" said Ishimaru

"HELL to the no!" exclaimed Vincent as he began walking home

"I didn't know the big bad Vincent was a chicken." Ishimaru teased he began clucking. Vincent wasn't as amused however; he simply kept walking up the street. Ishimaru smirked and said, "If you don't come, then I'll scare you with…um…you-know-what!" Ishimaru obviously didn't know what Vincent could possibly afraid of, but he figured he could dig up something. To Ishimaru's surprise, Vincent froze in his tracks. He didn't budge at all, as a matter of fact, Ishimaru then turned around, motioning for Vincent to follow him. Vincent's actions and apparent fear had Ishimaru curious as to what exactly it was.

"Vincent went into the soccer field house and was given a gold practice jersey with a white number 00 on it and black shorts, socks and old, tattered white cleats. He was then shown to the locker room. The locker room was fairly new. There were various black lockers which of course were for the Varsity team. The underclassman Junior Varsity team had smaller, gold lockers in a separate locker room. Vincent then opened a locker and got dressed. He never thought he would join an athletic team, much less one at school, but he didn't want Ishimaru to force his fear onto him. He actually figured that Ishimaru was just BSing around, however he also gave him the benefit of the doubt, in case he in fact did know what it was. Nonetheless, Vincent ran onto the field and the Varsity and Junior Varsity teams were huddled around Coach Yuushi.

"We have the big Homecoming/rivalry game against West Tokyo next week. All of the East Tokyo alumni will be at the game and this is also a key game in the division. You guys need to bust your asses this week and all through next week. Kamikatsu will now take over." Coach Yuushi turned and left Ishimaru to anchor the team.

"All right guys, we have our new left center forward here, Vincent." Ishimaru said, pointing to the black haired teen. The team simply blinked at him, Ishimaru ignored this and continued speaking.

"Let's get the JV team to scout a few of West Tokyo's formations, Varsity starters, let's get into a defensive position and neutralize their offensive advances." The teams then lined up and got in position to play. Vincent looked lost as he saw everybody else line up. Ishimaru came over to Vincent saying, "Just stand on the far left of centerfield and don't let them get the ball across the field." Vincent simply nodded as he got in position. The JV players were maneuvering the ball as they kicked the ball back and for towards each other, Vincent charged at the nearest player with the ball, only to have the player pass the ball to the center side of the field, and the ball sailing into the goal. Ishimaru shook his head as he helped Daisuke get up. Ishimaru then turned his attention to Vincent as he came over to him.

"Vincent, you're being too aggressive, if you focus too much on one player, you're going to leave a wide opening." Vincent scoffed as Ishimaru told him this. He had an amazing mental capacity. He just didn't need it when it came to sports. He lined back up as practice resumed, he saw the same player from before maneuvering the ball, this time however Vincent saw the ball get passed to the player onto his right and took his chance, stealing the ball from the incoming player. Vincent then ran forward, dodging various JV players and passing the ball to Seiku as Seiku kicked the ball into the goal. Ishimaru smirked as Vincent was getting the hang of his newfound position. Vincent had his way of doing things and Ishimaru had his. After practice, Ishimaru was coming in to change and head home. He saw Vincent leaving the shower and wiping his glasses clean. He then saw that inside of Vincent's bag was a brown spell book.

"No way…he has a mamodo!" exclaimed Ishimaru

Ishimaru turned and saw that the green spell book in his bag glowed a green light. As he looked around an opened the book, he saw that he could read more of the book, as more green ink appeared.

"_A new spell…but how?" thought Ishimaru_

Chainz let out a huge sigh as he and Jyan collapsed in the grass. They were training with Angie and the other members of Nana's Trio. They did various speed and power exercises, and even though they were exhausted, they did not feel any stronger. CJ stood by Jyan and Chainz as Beat and Angie left.

"I'm lucky to be alive." Chainz gasped, being barely able to talk

"Yeah, what he said." replied Jyan

Just then, Vincent came into the park and came over to CJ. "It's time to go you little runt." The black haired teen replied

CJ rolled his eyes as he transformed into a guinea pig and rested on top of Vincent's shoulders. His red eyes gleaming in the sunset.

Ishimaru and Josh also came into park to pick up their mamodo as well. Just then, Ishimaru and Vincent saw each other.

"YOU!" they yelled in unison

"I can't believe you have a mamodo." Said Vincent

"I saw your book in the locker room. I could have taken it and burned it." Said Ishimaru

"So why didn't you?" said Vincent harshly

Ishimaru didn't have an answer. He did not expect that to come from Vincent.

"It's not my style." He said coolly

Vincent simply turned and walked away, he didn't want to lose CJ, he also did not feel like getting into with Ishimaru either. He had to go home and rest after a long day and also forcefully go to soccer practice as well. Ishimaru then turned to Chainz and said, "A new spell appeared in the book today, I'm not sure why."

"Me and Jyan were training today with these other mamodo."

Jyan nodded in agreement as Josh revealed that he also gained another spell as well. Ishimaru, Josh and their mamodo partners head home for the night, waiting to see what tomorrow has in store for them.

_A/N- Did anybody see that coming? Read and Review and stay tuned for another chapter!_


	9. Showdown at the Art Museum!

_A/N- Here we go! I've been job-hunting since my funds are empty, so whenever I get employed, I probably won't be updating daily, but we'll see. Enough talking from me, here's a new chapter!_

"All right class, here we are! The Tokyo museum of Art!" announced the Teacher as he got off the bus. Class 11-3 was on a field trip to the art museum. Ishimaru had a so-so opinion of art. He didn't really care about the field trip, he was just happy to be outside of the classroom. As they came to the front door, the teacher passed out an entrance ticket and a meal ticket. Ishimaru lit up when he heard that he could cash in the meal ticket at any given time at the museum's all-you-can-eat cafeteria. The teacher then split the class into groups of four. He was going down the list making the groups.

"All right, Group 5 will be Kamikatsu Ishimaru, Kasumoda Seiku, Takahashi Kana and Vincent."

"Why do I have to be in a group with _**him**_?" Ishimaru and Vincent said in unison referring to each other. Ishimaru frowned as now his day was apparently ruined

"Oh well, at least I can still eat." Ishimaru said while he looked at his cell phone, seeing that it was close to noon

Meanwhile, outside of the museum the bus trunk popped open, Chainz, CJ and Jyan all climbed out. Chainz popped his neck, shoulders and knuckles. He didn't expect the bottom of the bus to be so cramped.

"Jyan, that's the last time we go with your plan." said Chainz

"Nobody said that you had to listen to me." Jyan said shrugging his shoulders

CJ shushed the other two mamodo as he pointed to the entrance. They then walked through the entrance and to their surprise; they saw the security guard busy chatting away with the teacher. They walked past them and looked around. CJ then sniffed the air and started running, Chainz and Jyan followed suit and soon enough, they ended up in the cafeteria. They saw that there were lines and lines of various foods. They three mamodos looked at each other and snuck behind the counter, remaining unseen. They received a close up look and it was a sight to behold! There was American Cuisine, such as fried chicken, cheeseburgers and pizzas, there was sashimi, onigiri, and spicy octopus tentacles chilled on ice, there were piles of egg rolls, baked lizards and warm soba. Chainz looked around to another lie of food and saw sandwiches, sandwiches and more sandwiches. Jyan saw the dessert table; there were blocks of Ice Cream in every flavor, various cakes, sweet roll dumplings, dango, cookies and brownies. CJ saw the fruit and salad bar, which consisted of melons, star fruit, strawberries, grapes, mangos and other fruits.

The boys then looked at each other but frowned a little. There was still one problem. Nobody knew where to start! Chainz rubbed his chin and smirked.

Meanwhile, Ishimaru and the group were viewing various sculptures; Seiku sketched a few of them. Ishimaru and Vincent's stomachs growled simultaneously. Kana sweat dropped at that instance. She then said, "I guess that's a sign that we should go eat."

As they came to the cafeteria, they saw no food, a pile of plates and many angry students. Ishimaru and the group approached the group in order to find out what was going on. Ishimaru then approached a nearby student, asking what had happened.

"Apparently, three kids came in and ate everything."

"I see." Ishimaru said as he went back to the group

"_If three kids ate all of this…the only way this is possible is if those kids were mamodos."_

"Why the long face dude?" asked Seiku when he saw Ishimaru's frown

"Y-Yeah. What's wrong Ishi?" stammered Kana

"I…just need to investigate." Said Ishimaru as he hurried out the door

Vincent noticed Ishimaru leave and figured that mamodos had something to do with this and with that, he left as well. Seiku shook his head and said, "I don't know about them, but I'm staying here."

Kana couldn't help but agree with the blonde haired, green-eyed teen's remark. She was a little concerned about Ishimaru but shook it off, knowing that he could handle himself.

"I hope Ishi doesn't hurt himself."

Ishimaru ran throughout the museum, he had to get home and find Chainz; he knew that there had to be a threat in the museum. As he turned the corner, he collided with a few kids. Ishimaru looked dup and saw Chainz, Jyan and CJ.

"Hold on a sec. Chainz, Jyan what are you two doing here?' said Ishimaru

"We wanted to come along on the field trip too!" said Jyan happily

Ishimaru then looked at CJ; he remembered seeing him at the park two days ago.

"You're Vincent's mamodo right?"

CJ nodded as Vincent came around the corner

"What the hell are you doing here runt?"

"Um…I wanted to come." CJ said

Their reunion however, was short-lived when they heard a crash. A hole was made through a nearby wall, a man and boy climbed out of it and was standing there.

The boy appeared to be around 9 years old; he was about 3 feet tall and wore a blue jumpsuit and a black cape. He had shaggy black, large blue eyes, and blue gloves. The man appeared to be an artist in his mid-20s. He had curly blonde hair, wore a maroon beret on top of his head, navy blue spandex pants and a large long-sleeved white button-down shirt. He also was holding a slate gray spell book.

"My name is Crush and this is my human partner Pierre."

Crush placed his hands in front of his body as Pierre yelled, "_Spirusen!"_

Then, metal spikes shot out of his hands. Ishimaru and Chainz jumped out of the way as the spikes destroyed a sculpture, breaking it into various pieces.

"We need to leave and go somewhere with open space." Ishimaru said, not wanting to destroy any more priceless art. Ishimaru signaled to Jyan, Vincent and CJ, only to see that CJ and Vincent disappeared. Ishimaru didn't have time to think about it as he picked up Jyan and took off running.

"You can't run away!" yelled Crush as he began running after them

"_Spirusen! Spirusen!" _yelled Pierre as Crush repeatedly fired spikes at them

Ishimaru began jumping and dodging as the spikes destroyed paintings and sculptures left and right. He saw the door and went through the back exit, into the back parking lot; there weren't any people around, which was a good sign. Ishimaru set Jyan down as he opened the spell book.

"_Kai Lei!"_

Chainz fired the laser from his mouth as it barreled its way towards Crush. The laser struck him, however Crush hid behind his cape, which absorbed the laser energy.

"How in the hell did that happen?" exclaimed Ishimaru

Crush smirked and decided to say why, "My cape is made of special material which can absorb and deflect weak spells."

Chainz was enraged, how dare he call his spells weak. Chainz looked at Ishimaru as he nodded and yelled, "Forget him, let's blast him again! _Kai Lei!_"

Chainz opened his mouth and hit Crush with another laser. The laser was once again absorbed by the cape, adding to their frustration.

"I already told you, my cape can withstand your weak laser. Give up your book ad we'll be on our way."

"Ni way in hell is that happening!" yelled Chainz

"_Wait a minute. The third spell, I remember when it appeared two days ago. I'm not sure if I want to risk t. I should probably hold off a bit longer."_

"_Gigano Spirusen!" _

Then, larger spikes shot out of the ground, catching Chainz and Ishimaru by surprise. However, thanks to his training with Nana's Trio the other day, Chainz was able to dodge. Just then crush smiled as Pierre began to chant the spell in rapid succession. "_Gigano Spirusen! Gigano Spirusen!"_

Then, large spikes rose in various spots from the ground. Chainz jumped and dodged, Jyan sat on a nearby fence as he watched the battle, impressed by what he saw. If Josh was there, he would have helped, however he knew that Chainz and Ishimaru would come through without his assistance. After dodging barrages of spike for about ten minutes, Chainz still had a bit of energy left, he was really starting to appreciate training form the other day.

"Ishimaru, these guys are using Gigano-class spells which of course uses a lot of heart energy. We have to find a way to hit them. Kai Lei isn't going to work; you're going to have to try the third spell!"

Pierre and Crush were breathing hard; using a lot of Gigano spells burned Pierre's heart energy up quickly.

"Give…it…up. You won't win." panted Crush

"We'll see about that! The third spell, _Hokeigo!" _

Chainz jumped back, opened his hand as a spike ball connected to a chain shot out of it. The spike ball missed Pierre by at least 6 feet to the right. He then tried to swing it back to the left, only to have Pierre simply move out of the way. The spike ball crashed into a nearby vending machine, causing it to shatter into pieces.

"_That spell is strong but Chainz can't control it!" _

The spike ball dissipated as Crush sneered. "I'm going to finish you guys off!" he yelled as he ran towards Chainz and Ishimaru, the slate gray spell book in Pierre's hands glowed a gray light as he yelled, "_Spirusen!"_

Crush tossed the spikes at Chainz as he took the hit head-on. Chainz shook off the spikes as he saw Crush getting closer.

"Let's give it another try! The third spell…_Hokeigo!"_

The spike ball connected to a chain fired out of Chainz's hand again, this time slamming into Crush's stomach, sending him flying into Pierre, causing his book to be tossed into the air. Chainz then swung the spike ball, slamming it into the book, causing it to set ablaze.

As Crush faded away, he said, "I can't believe you saw through my sneak attack! I lost my shot for king to a guy I ambushed!" and with that, he faded away, his book leaving a rectangular burn mark on the ground

Jyan hopped off of the gate and ran up to the victorious mamodo and his partner. "Nice job guys! I wonder what happened to CJ and Vincent."

"Good question." Said Ishimaru

"_Gorodu!"_

The ogre mamodo released a green vapor from his mouth. His bookkeeper, an artist with shades and a blue beret grinned as the gas engulfed CJ and Vincent

"_Fogar!"_

CJ grew red armor over his body, as the transformation was completed; he then covered himself in flames. He covered his face as he ran forward and slammed his flaming body into the mamodo's torso. The mamodo fell back into his owner as he dropped the book.

Vincent snatched the black spell book saying, "Tell me what you know!"

The mamodo had purple skin and was ogre-like in appearance. He had long dark purple hair, one large eye and was about four and a half feet tall. He was shirtless and wore black jeans.

"I'm not telling you a damn thing!" he spat

Vincent was starting to get pissed off; he stepped on the mamodo's throat.

"I...d-don't know anything!" choked the mamodo

"Useless." Said Vincent as he tossed the book towards CJ. In response to Vincent tossing the book, CJ ran forward and punched the book with his fiery fist, causing it to burst into flames. The ogre mamodo faded away and the bookkeeper was unconscious. Vincent closed CJ's brown spell book, causing CJ's armor to disappear. He then turned into a guinea pig and climbed on Vincent's shoulder as they left the main exhibit room in ruins. Vincent also made sure that the security cameras were broken as well, so there would be no evidence of the mamodo battle that took place in the room.

"_They didn't know anything." CJ said telepathically to Vincent_

"Yeah, but I will find out who the chess master is and I will put an end to him." Said Vincent as he began walking down the street, on his way home.

Meanwhile….

Ishimaru made sure Chainz and Jyan hid in the bus' bottom trunk before returning to the class. As he came back he heard the news from Seiku

"Ishi, a bunch of vandals destroyed a lot of art in the museum. The officials seem to think that it was some students from our class and since they can't specifically find out who did it. They decided to ban East Tokyo high from returning to the museum for the next 5 years."

"Oh damn…that's um too bad." said Ishimaru

As they got on the bus and returned to school, Ishimaru got Jyan and Chainz out of the bus trunk and they made his way towards his house for a well-deserved nap.

_A/N- That was much longer than I expected it to be. I dropped a few more clues in this chapter, see if you noticed them. Everything should really come together in the next chapter, so stay tuned and find out! Read & Review folks!_

Name- Crush

Partner- Pierre

Element- Spikes

Book color- Slate

Rank- 88th out of 100

Book burned by- Chainz and Ishimaru

Spells- Spirusen- Crush shoots spikes out of his hands.

Gigano Spirusen- Stronger version of Spirusen

Name- Unnamed Ogre Mamodo

Partner- Unknown Partner

Element- Gas

Book color- Black

Rank- 87th out of 100

Book burned by- CJ and Vincent

Spells- Gorodu- Ogre shoots gas out of his mouth.


	10. Pawns of the Chess Master!

_A/N- I know you've been waiting for this one! So here ya go!_

Ishimaru packed his two outfits into the suitcase, his toothbrush, hair gel, conditioner and socks were already packed. He grabbed his suitcase and was ready to go. He was invited to Sukiomi Tech on a recruiting trip. Suki Tech was among the many universities that had gave Ishimaru a scholarship offer, located in the city of Osaka, Ishimaru knew that there was much fun to be had there. He sat on his bed and tried picturing himself in a Suki Tech soccer uniform. After a minute or so, he opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. He couldn't believe he was actually picking between universities. Ishimaru figured that he wasn't ready for professional soccer just yet and turned down all of his professional contract offers. Plus, he wanted to enjoy university life and maybe get an education in case soccer doesn't work out. Ishimaru shook these thoughts out of his head as he got up and reached for his cell phone. He figured he should call his mother, a traveling businesswoman who was rarely at home.

"Hey mom, I'm getting ready to get on my flight to Osaka."

"That's great hon. Call me later on tonight."

"All right, bye."

Mrs. Kamikatsu, a widowed woman in her mid-30s hung up the phone. Like Ishimaru, she had large brown eyes and she had shoulder-length straight brown hair, one could barely tell that she was in fact a mother. Her job caused her to have many appointments and various numbers to crunch. As a stockbroker and corporate consultant, her job required her to be away from her home and son for extended periods of time. She sighed as she answered the phone and began chatting with the secretary of another corporation.

As Ishimaru checked the time on his cell phone, he noticed Chainz coming through the door. The Suki Tech coaches sent Ishimaru a package with two plane tickets and hotel accommodations for two. Normally, Ishimaru would have brought his mom, however due to her work constraints and for obvious reasons. He brought Chainz along instead. Ishimaru picked up his suitcase and headed for the door. He was excused from school and was on his way to the airport. They waited until the taxi came and made their way to the airport.

As they reached the Tokyo International Airport, they looked around. To Chainz's amusement, there were shops ad kiosks and best of all dozens and dozens of restaurants. Ishimaru then found Terminal G and went down the corridor; he saw that their gate to Osaka was opening at 1:15 pm, about 30 minutes from now. He figured that they should wait in line and by then, 30 minutes would pass.

As 20 minutes came and went, Ishimaru was next in line. He showed the girl behind the desk their tickets and was given boarding passes. Ishimaru loaded his suitcase on the conveyor belt and went through the metal detector. Chainz also went through the metal detector, only to have it beep.

"Why the hell did it do that?" Chainz said as he went through the detector

"Take off all of your metal and go through it again." Replied Ishimaru

Chainz removed his ear piercings, his lighter, his ring, his pocket chain, his motorcycle keys; he then went through the metal detector once more, only to have it beep yet again.

The travel security agents looked at Chainz and he put the dagger in the bucket as well. Chainz went through the detector again and finally passed through. Chainz received everything but his lighter and dagger back, much to his anger.

"They can't take my stuff from me!" he said angrily as he sat down in his business class seat.

"You had weapons; of course they aren't going to let you have them." Ishimaru said, putting on his headphones. Chainz grumbled as he reclined his seat a little. He then began kicking the seat in front of him. As the plane took off, Chainz felt a little uneasy, as it stabled he was calm and just continued kicking the seat.

About an hour and 45 minutes later, the plane was landing in Osaka. Ishimaru stretched and yawned, Chainz rose from his seat as well. As he was getting off of the plane, he noticed that the man in front of him left a white bag full of something. It smelled a little bad, but Chainz figured that it was probably something greasy. He examined the bag in his hand.

"Barf bag…must be some kind of restaurant." said Chainz as he caught up to Ishimaru, carrying his bag of goodies with him. Ishimaru and Chainz then saw a man who was holding up a sign saying, "Ishimaru Kamikatsu" They jogged up to him, he was a man who appeared to be in his mid-40s, with black and gray hair. He wore a scarlet polo shirt with a silver "ST" on the right-hand sign of the shirt.

"Hello Mr. Kamikatsu and guest, I'm Coach Tanaka, one of the assistant coaches at Sukiomi Tech. Follow me."

Chainz and Ishimaru nodded as they followed behind him. They grabbed Ishimaru's suitcase and left the airport. The city was huge; it reminded Ishimaru of Tokyo, but smaller and serenely different. They eventually came to a car. Ishimaru put his suitcase in the trunk and got into the front seat. Chainz hopped in the back and Coach Tanaka got in and began driving. They came to a hotel room close by campus. Coach Tanaka turned and said, "You guys should go check in the hotel. I'll call you in the morning so you can get ready for the campus tour, after getting settled in feel free to check out the area." After saying that, Coach Tanka drove off. Chainz and Ishimaru went to go check into the hotel. It was a decent 3-4 star hotel. It wasn't extremely fancy but it wasn't exactly cheap either.

"I think we're going to have fun here." said Ishimaru

"Oh come on Kai! It's not that much further!"

"Just like women to treat us guys as pack mules!"

A boy and girl were walking down the busy Osaka street. The boy was around 5'7, he had spiky black hair, blue eyes that resembled sapphires and tanned skin. Like Chainz, he had both of his ears pierced but instead of loops, this guy had studs. He wore a silver shirt with a blue jacket over it, a silver scarf, black pants and matching black boots.

The girl on the other hand, was around 5'8; she had long red hair that was in a ponytail, hazel eyes and light skin. She was a looker ad she was just right, not a girl you could break in half, but nowhere near a whale either. Considering she just went to the grocery store right after school. She was wearing a scarlet sailor outfit with silver stripes and a silver scarf. Looking down, you could see that she also had black shoes with scarlet socks.

"Haley, are we there yet now?" groaned Kai

Haley smiled and said, "We're almost there, only 2 more blocks!"

They then reached the apartment complex near campus Kai breathed a sigh of relief. It was populated mostly by university students, which of course drove the landlord crazy. Haley unlocked the door and Kai put the groceries on the table in the living room. It was a fairly large, 2-bedroom apartment with a decent sized living room, kitchen and 1 ½ bathrooms. (The ½ bathroom only had a toilet and sink.) Haley went into her bedroom and threw down her schoolbag. It was Friday, no class on the weekend and she can relax until Sunday afternoon.

Kai stretched and made his way outside; he didn't want to be cramped up inside an apartment at 3:00 in the afternoon. As he closed the door outside, Haley opened the door following him. She then followed Kai to the University Park where he sat down in a patch of grass and Haley followed suit.

"So, you're just going to lie around her all day, when you could be getting stronger in order to become king!" Haley exclaimed revealing a silver spell book

"Once again Haley, I do not care about this damn battle. I want to lie around all day and do absolutely nothing and besides we have five spells right now anyway."

"Five spells aren't enough spells! If you would get off of your ass and train, we would have ten spells by now!" she said feigning anger

Kai smirked as he turned on his side and closed his eyes. Being lazy was the way to go.

Meanwhile, Chainz and Ishimaru left the hotel and made their way to the park. Chainz ran and saw a hill. He rolled off of the hill and down towards the bottom. He then tumbled and rolled towards Haley and Kai. Haley looked up as Chainz rolled over towards her. Chainz was a little dizzy but nonetheless was okay. He sat up and looked at Haley.

"H-Hi t-there m-m-my name is H-Haley what's yours?" she stuttered

"I'm Chainz." He said flatly

"T-This i-is my friend Kai; he's sleeping like a log."

"I'm not asleep; I just don't give a damn." Kai said without turning around or opening his eyes

"Don't mind him, he's always like that." Haley said glancing over at Kai. She was a bit nervous, but Chainz didn't seem to mind.

"So, how did you and Kai meet?" asked Chainz

Kai, who was lying on his side, heard the whole thing. His eyes were now open and he wasn't smiling.

"T-This may sound crazy, but Kai is a mamodo." Haley said looking in Kai's direction she apparently wasn't aware that Chainz was a mamodo himself

"Really. What's a mamodo?" asked Chainz

"These kids with sp-special powers. I really shouldn't be talking about this." Haley said clutching her bag

Chainz stood up and nodded. "I understand. I'll be on my way then." With that, Chainz walked away and figured he should meet back up with Ishimaru. As soon as Chainz was out of sight, Kai stood up and said, "Haley, you got to watch out who you tell stuff like that to."

"Yeah I know, but I can tell that he was okay."

"_Without a doubt that guy was a mamodo, he probably went to get his human partner, so I'm going to attack him when I see him again." _Kai thought as he looked up at the clouds

Just then, three kids walked up to Kai and Haley and they didn't look to friendly.

"We are the pawns of the Chess Master and we are making a move." said a blonde haired mamodo

"We are advancing a few spaces." said a white haired one

"We are going to put you in check." said the girl mamodo with pink hair

"What do you want?" growled Kai. He wasn't pleased at being challenged to a fight while he was loafing around. Hell, he had half a mind to let them burn his book just so he can finish loafing around without fighting, however he knew how much the battle meant to Haley, so he couldn't let her down.

"We are pawns of the Chess Master, our mission is to make sure our Chess Master is the king and to become king, we make sure that opposition like you is destroyed. My name is Rose." The pink haired mamodo said

"Opposition? I don't even want to be king!" replied Kai who just wanted to finish his laying around

"Very well then. Hand over your book." Rose said

"We will never hand over the book!" Haley yelled, the passion burned in her hazel eyes, something Kai only sees when she studies her schoolwork or during mamodo battles.

Rose then shook her head. She had pale white skin, dull blue eyes with blue lines coming down her cheeks. She wore a blue mage-like gown with a blue cloak over her shoulders and most notably, she wore a white mantle with a blue pawn chess piece on the front of it.

"Rose, shall me and Tyson take care of them?" the blonde haired mamodo replied

"Very well Gregory, go ahead." Rose replied

Gregory had blonde hair which covered up one of his eyes. The visible eye was green. He also had pale skin and wore a similar gown to Rose's. Tyson like the other two wore the same gown; however he had white hair and dark brown eyes.

Rose raised her hand as three humans appeared from the bushes. The first human appeared to be a construction worker who stood behind Rose; he was holding a pink spell book.

The second human appeared to be a banker and he stood behind Gregory, he held a lavender spell book.

The third human was a guy wearing jogging pants, a tank top and running shoes, he came and stood behind Tyson, he held a red spell book.

"You will not make it out of this alive." said Rose flatly as she motioned for a spell.

"_Rakur!"_

Rose shot a thorny stem out of her hand. Haley flipped open the silver spell book and looked for a spell. Kai ran in front of her and grabbed the thorn stem. The thorns scratched his hands as he grabbed a hold of it. Kai broke the stem in half and jumped back in front of Haley.

"We will crush you." Rose said as she looked at Gregory and Tyson

"Give us another spell, humans!" commanded Rose

"_Rakurga!"_

Rose opened her hands as rosebuds flew out towards Kai and Haley

"_Saier!"_

Gregory fired lightning from his hand

"_Zageruga!"_

Tyson fired a stream of scalding hot water from his mouth. The rosebuds were coming at Kai fast. "Haley, we need a spell now!" he yelled Haley flipped a few pages and yelled,

"Catch us if you can! _Chisokumera!" _Kai picked up Haley into his arms as his speed increased tenfold. With his newfound speed, Kai was able to dodge the rosebuds, which caused the ground to explode, the lightning which also destroyed some of the grass and the boiling water which scorched the broken earth.

Kai set down Haley a few yards away from the mamodo. He stood up as they were coming straight towards him. Haley flipped through the book as she found another spell.

"Kai, blow them away! _Kazedron!"_

Kai lifted up his hands as he swiped towards the incoming mamodo. The force from the wind fired from Kai's hands knocked back the mamodo a bit, which bought Kai and Haley time for a counterattack.

"All right Kai, _Kazedron!" _

Kai fired another blast of wind from his hands, causing the already pushed back mamodo to be pushed back even more. However, Rose saw a tree branch and smirked. She knew how to put an end to Kai's advantage.

"_Rakuruk!" _

Large roots began to grow out of Rose's body; they grew even longer and planted themselves into a nearby tree. The roots dug deep into the tree's bark, becoming rooted within it. Suddenly, green thorns rose out of her body, her face turned red as red petal-like tufts grew around her neck, forming a collar of rose petals. Her body turned green as well.

"My Rakuruk spell allows me to use my ultimate power and transform into a rose monster. Your wind spells won't work anymore now that I'm ingrained to this tree and my roots are tied down to its roots deep underground!"

Kai had to admit that he was impressed with her strategy; however it wasn't going to stop him from winning. Just then Gregory and Tyson charged at Kai from two different directions.

"_Gigano Saier!"_

A large lightning ball formed in Gregory's hands as he tossed it towards Kai.

"Ganzu Zageru!"

Tyson opened his mouth as boiling hot bubbles fired like a machine gun. Kai was being attacked by two directions. He then smiled. "Now Haley!" he yelled

"_Kazerudo!"_

Kai lifted his hands as a wind barrier formed and deflected both spells. He then crouched down as Haley chanted the next spell.

"_Maxchisoku!"_

Kai took off running. His speed was insane; he sprinted around the area where the mamodo were fighting. He sprinted even faster, his spiky hair was pulling behind his head, and tears were leaving his face as he increased his speed. He slid and came to a scorching halt. A large vortex formed and engulfed Tyson, Gregory and their partners. Rose was still ingrained to the tree; she stretched from the tree but overall stood strong. Tyson and Gregory lay on the ground in defeat as Kai sprinted and snatched their spell books. Haley put them in her bag as they then turned their attention to Rose.

"You still have me to deal with." She said as she floated as far as her stem and roots allowed her to.

"Read the spell Carter!" yelled Rose

"_Gigano Rakur!"_

Rose laughed hysterically as a giant rose came out of the ground. This didn't appear to be an ordinary rose; it was a monster-like rose. It opened its petals to reveal sharp teeth. It charged forward at Kai.

"Kai, we only have one shot to beat this spell! _Kazesaimon!"_

Kai sprinted forward and made wind slashes with his arms, as he tried to cut the rose monster to pieces, the thorns flared up to the point where Kai wasn't able to touch it. Haley was a bit scared now that the Gigano spell was coming at her. However, her passion was too strong. She had to escape and find a way to win. Haley tried to run and tripped, Kai turned around and was bewildered and enraged at the same time. He couldn't get to Haley in time, his spell had worn off and he couldn't sprint as fast.

"Haley no!" yelled Kai

"_Hokeigo!"_

A spike ball connected to a chain fired out wildly and by dumb luck, it struck the rose spell on the "neck" between the bottom edge of the petals and top part of the stem. The spell dissipated.

"What is the meaning of this?" shouted Rose

"Huh?" said Haley, looking up

Chainz and Ishimaru were standing on top of the hill. They slid down and came up to Haley.

"Are you alright?" asked Ishimaru

"I-I-I-I' f-fine." Said Haley who was getting nervous, however they were interrupted by the glowing light of Kai's spell book.

"A new spell is appearing!" exclaimed Haley

Kai, who was now by Haley's side saw the spell and nodded at Haley to read it.

"All right, the sixth spell! _Giga Kazemaron!"_

Kai's hand glowed a silvery light as a giant sword appeared. Kai held it up as it became huge.

"Go Kai!" yelled Haley

Chainz and Ishimaru watched in amazement as Kai ran towards a shocked Rose and sliced the tree in half. The bottom part of her stem was cut, causing her to transform back into her normal form. Haley tossed Tyson and Gregory's spell books, hitting them both in the head. Haley nodded at Kai who then swung the giant sword at all three fallen mamodo, causing an explosion.

After the dust and smoke cleared, Gregory and Tyson's books were on fire. Rose however, barely protected her book, and scurried away. "The chess master won't be pleased with me." Rose said sadly as she retreated

After Gregory and Tyson faded away, Haley and Ishimaru put the unconscious men under a tee.

"When they wake up, they'll think it was a dream." said Ishimaru as Haley nodded

"T-T-Thanks for helping me out at the last second." Haley stammered

"Hmph." Retorted Kai

"I'm Ishimaru Kamikatsu and Chainz is my partner. He told me that after he rolled down the hill, he ran into you."

"That's right." said Haley

"Oh and I-I'm Haley Storm and this is my partner Kai."

Kai then spoke, "I bet that was a front in order to attack us, so since I'm not getting that nap back and I'm already worked up, let's fight now!"

Ishimaru shook his head. "I don't want to fight; I'm just here on a university visit."

"Suki Tech?" exclaimed Haley

"Yep. They offered me a full ride for soccer." Replied Ishimaru

"A-Allow me t-t-to give you the grand tour of the O-Osaka area, we can have dinner at a restaurant tonight."

"Like a date?" smirked Chainz as he and Kai snickered a bit

"Shut up Chainz." Ishimaru said as he blushed lightly, he had to admit that Haley was cute.

"That sounds great. Oh and why were those mamodo wearing weird outfits?" asked Ishimaru

"They said something about being pawns of the Chess Master. Something tells me that it isn't the last we'll hear about this." Haley said, frowning

Ishimaru and Haley agreed to meet up later on that evening, Chainz and Kai were going to hang-out a Haley's apartment and try not to get into too much trouble. As they went back to the hotel room for a bit, Ishimaru laid down on the bed, wondering what the next twist in this battle was going to be…and dinner with Haley.

_A/N- SO does anybody know who the Chess Master is? Does anybody know who the main villain is? Are they one and the same? Did anybody expect Chainz and Ishimaru to suddenly show up? I also would like to apologize to Lazy-Rain-dancer for not seeing your OC submission until yesterday and I thank you for being patient. Find out what happens next on the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution_

Name- Gregory

Partner- Unnamed book reader

Element- Lightning

Book color- Lavender

Book burned by- Kai and Haley

Rank- 85th out of 100

Spells- Saier- Gregory shoots lightning from has hand.

Gigano Saier- A larger version of Saier in the form of a lightning ball.

Name- Tyson

Partner- Unnamed book reader

Element- Boiling water

Book Color- Red

Book burned by- Kai and Haley

Rank- 84th out of 100

Spells- Zageruga- Tyson sprays boiling hot water from his mouth at the opponent.

Ganzu Zageru- Tyson spits out boiling hot bubbles at the opponent


	11. A night to remember!

_A/N- Sorry for the near-month delay, lol I didn't have any internet plus I had a writer's breakdown. I'm back now and that's all that matters! Oh and I changed Gregory's spells in the last chapter, they weren't meant to be copied off of Zatch's spells they were intended to be used as a generic lightning spell. Here's the next chapter!_

Ishimaru washed and conditioned his hair; the mid-length brown hair with black streaks looked great. He ran his fingers through it, the silkiness was heavenly. Ishimaru wore a black t-shirt and some dark blue skinny jeans. He slipped on black and white Converse low tops. As he began walking out of the hotel room, Chainz cleared his throat, causing Ishimaru to turn around, he turned around as Chainz threw a black and white plaid button-down shirt and the green spell book. He smirked as he genuinely forgot about the book. This caused Ishimaru to grab his black messenger bag and placed the book inside of it. As he and Chainz left the hotel, Ishimaru pulled out his cell phone and plotted the points on his GPS app as they made their way to Haley's apartment. Since the hotel and her apartment were both by the campus, except on opposite sides, it wasn't long before they were at Haley's door. After nearly six minutes of standing at the door waiting for an answer, they were greeted by Kai who surprisingly got up and opened the door.

"Sorry about the wait, I was making up for the lazy time I lost due to fighting this afternoon." He replied

"Haley will be out in a sec." Kai said as he flopped back down on the living room couch in front of the TV.

Ishimaru and Chainz hopped on the couch with Kai. As he took the remote off of the table, Ishimaru asked Kai how many channels they had.

"Haley thinks we only have 60 channels because she wanted the basic package. I actually order the Platinum package, so 700 regular channels, 80 movie channels, 25 pay-per-view channels, 45 music channels and 105 cooking channels, so almost 1,000 total channels."

Ishimaru and Chainz's jaws dropped when they found out that there were almost 1,000 channels on the TV.

"Where have you been all my life?" Chainz said, hugging the television.

Kai and Ishimaru laughed as Haley finally came out of the room. She let her long red hair down which glided across her shoulders quite nicely. She wore a white spaghetti-strap top and black Capri pants. To compliment it all, she had white sandals on her feet and a black purse strapped across her shoulder. Looking towards her ears were small silver earrings. She looked amazing.

Ishimaru and Kai's jaws dropped when they saw her.

"Dammmmmnnn." They said in unison

Chainz, who was too busy flipping through the hundreds of channels didn't initially notice until he turned his head and saw the other two older boys staring.

"Who's the cute girl in the living room?" asked Chainz as he took a long swig of the sports drink that was sitting on top of the coffee table

"That's Haley you—HEY! That's my drink!" exclaimed Kai

"It WAS your drink." said Chainz coolly as he continued drinking

Ishimaru chuckled as he and Haley left the apartment. As they were walking down the busy street, Ishimaru looked around and liked what he saw. It was as if the city or the district at least, catered to college students. Haley was quiet for a while and she broke the silence saying, "What do you want to see first?"

Ishimaru's stomach began growling and Haley nodded as if it was a response.

"I know a restaurant I think you may like."

Meanwhile, on top of a nearby building, there were three kids standing on the roof. One of them had long white hair and azure eyes and appearing to wear a nun's outfit, except it was only a partial covered one, there was also a cross on the center of it as well. The other kid was a much older girl at about 5 feet and 5 inches tall, with long, dark violet hair, a black undershirt and a violet vest with feathers all over it. She wore a purple miniskirt, with its edges carved out in feathers. To top things off, she had a pointy witch hat on her head. The third kid appeared to be Adella, the red-haired mamodo girl from a few weeks ago.

"Sola…I'm a bit scared to be standing up here." Said the one in the nun outfit

"Azure, we'll be fine up here and I'm not going to let you fall anyway." Sola replied as she glanced over towards Adella's direction

"So what do you want to talk about Adella?" Sola asked

"Well…I…I…I really like being here and I don't want to go away anytime soon. So I was thinking of a way to stay here without having to fight all that much but still be strong at the same time." Adella said as she moved closer towards Azure

"I understand." Sola said as she began to rub her chin. Sola loved logic and thinking logically, it was a part of her and what she did best. Aside from training and enjoying birds, she was fiercely loyal to Azure and to a lesser extent, Adella. It was going to be a cold day in Hell before she would let anything happen to them. Suddenly, Sola had an idea.

"I think we should form a 3-person team, considering there are strength in numbers, also, this way we can spend more time with each other and I'll be able to protect you guys better." She said looking at the two smaller mamodo children

Azure and Adella looked at each other, appearing to be considering Sola's proposal. They then turned and nodded their heads at Sola. Sola simply smiled as they looked up at the nighttime stars.

Ishimaru and Haley were being seated at The Samurai, a famous Osaka restaurant that was popular among many of the university students throughout the city. It resembled a typical Japanese grill; however there was a distinct feudal era theme. Ishimaru and Haley stared at each other for a few minutes, not really saying much,

"_I honestly have no idea what to even talk about, she answered pretty much all of my questions before we even got here." Ishimaru thought as he kept staring_

"_Why is he staring at me like that? Then again, I'm doing the same thing!" Haley thought as she followed suit_

Haley finally broke the silence blurting out, "I-I wonder what Chainz and Kai are doing?"

Ishimaru then blinked at Haley

Back at Haley's apartment, Chainz and Kai were still on the couch flipping the channels. Chainz had never been a big fan of television, back in the mamodo world; he was more entertained with his motorcycle and causing destruction and mayhem. He wanted to kick himself for missing out on the glowing box that contained dreams and magic. Chainz suddenly came across a commercial showing a guy on a motorcycle.

_Biker Max: Hey Biker Bob, let's go grab some sandwiches!_

_Biker Bob: Sure._

_Biker Max and Bob go to a sandwich restaurant._

_Biker Max: These triple deluxe sandwiches are packed with six different cheeses, 2 types of bacon, American turkey and ham, eight slices of bread all stacked and deep fried with a vanilla cake batter._

At this point, both Chainz and Kai's mouths were watering. Much to their dismay, a second commercial came on.

_Announcer: Do you know what's extreme?_

"WHAT?" exclaimed Chainz and Kai in unison

_Announcer: Xtreme Mayo is what's extreme!_

_Announcer: This isn't your average mayo. Xtreme Mayo is Xtremely spicy! Flavored with jalapenos, habaneros and ghost chilies! Now made with real fire. _

_Announcer: Now go get some Xtreme Mayo for an extreme taste!_

"I want some Xtreme Mayo now." Chainz said scratching his head

"Go figure, that's what a TV ad does." Kai said

"Let's go get some then." Chainz said as he was making his way towards the door

"With what money?" the older boy asked

"Who said anything about money?" Chainz asked as he began turning the knob only to turn and see Kai lying on the couch

"As much as I would like some, I don't feel like walking all the way to the store and getting a jar off the shelf."

"But the store is only 6 blocks down the street." Chainz said

Kai simply rolled over on his side and closed his eyes, he already had his exercise for the day, he wasn't going anywhere outside of the apartment tonight. Chainz then had another idea.

"We can always just make some Xtreme Mayo ad put it on the triple deck sandwich." Chainz said as he grabbed Haley's laptop that Kai swiped from her room earlier and began searching for a recipe on the internet. Chainz then smirked at something he found.

Haley and Ishimaru were walking through the park they went to earlier that day, she had showed him a few malls, the main hangout restaurant, a couple of stores and now they were relaxing before they went back to her apartment, because Ishimaru had to grab Chainz and head back to the hotel so he can get ready for his campus tour.

Ishimaru sat on top of the hill and Haley sat next to him.

"How long have you and Kai been fighting in this battle?" Ishimaru asked

"About a month and a week." Haley said looking at him

"That's two more weeks than me and Chainz."

Ishimaru and Haley then talked about various things, from their mamodo partners, to politics, to of course, soccer to throwing rocks and blowing spitballs and surprisingly, the weather. It was funny how after a night beginning with a long silence, could end with endless conversation. Ishimaru figured that tonight couldn't get any better.

Back at Haley's apartment, Chainz had collected a bunch of assorted hot peppers and a bunch of egg whites. He pulled out his lighter and cracked his knuckles as he looked over to see Kai snoring on the couch…

Thirty minutes later, Ishimaru and Haley were back in front of Haley's door. He had a great time and wanted to do this again as soon as possible.

"Ishimaru, I haven't enjoyed myself like that in quite a while. I'll be happy to be your tour guide again…if you want I mean. Um…I'll s-see you later." She said as she began to turn and unlock her door.

At the second, Ishimaru felt like his body was on auto-pilot and he turned Haley around and pecked her on the lips. Haley was a bit shocked and was about to bring her face closer to his once more but the door flew open and Chainz and Kai were standing right at the door, smirking.

"Oh shut up." Ishimaru said as he and Haley came in

"So…what did you guys do?" Haley asked

Chainz didn't say anything, he simply held up a jar of Xtreme Mayo. Kai, who had fallen asleep earlier, was shocked.

"Did…did you make that yourself?" exclaimed Kai who was in shock

"Pfft…no. I was trying to make a snack earlier, but I burnt all of the peppers and egg whites so I put them in Haley's toilet, which was weird because they had knobs on them…

"That was the sink!" exclaimed Haley

"Then what did I wash my hands in?" said Chainz

"Anyway. We need to go, so I'll catch up with you sometime." Ishimaru said as he grabbed Chainz and hurried out the door and back to the hotel.

Meanwhile, out on the Ryukyu Islands…

A girl with straight purple-blue hair and purple eyes, wearing a Purple overcoat, a pair of Black Jeans under the leg armors, and wearing a pair of claw-like gauntlets and a pair of Leather and armored boots walked on the beach. She was going towards Chase, who was sitting on a ridge overlooking the waves. As she got closer, she handed Chases a folder filled with a few papers

"Thank you my queen. These files will help me out quite a bit."

"For the last time, my name is Myth and I'm not your queen. I don't even know why, but I gathered data from the pawns and knights who were spying on other mamodo. From what I read, two of our pawns were defeated by a mamodo named Kai. Rose also reported that he defeated her in her Rakuruk form and almost burned her book had she not fallen over it within the last second. "

"I see." said Chase as he continued staring at the waves

Myth then turned and left. Chase wasn't worried too much bout Kai because all he had to do was tweak his plans a little to make sure he didn't get too much in the way. Chase then looked through the papers and closed the folder. He then smirked and said,

"Now is the time to begin the operation."

A/N- All right that's it for this chapter. I know there wasn't any fighting in this chapter, but there were a lot of important things in this chapter though. (See if you can pick them out!) Read and Review because I do love reviews! Till next time!


	12. An unexpected appearance!

_A/N- Let's get this party started!_

"Man it's great to be home!" Ishimaru exclaimed as he threw his bags down on the floor. The weekend was amazing, and his visit to Sukiomi Tech was great as well. He could easily picture himself in a scarlet and silver soccer uniform, leading the Japanese University Athletics League in goals and taking the Silver Foxes to the National Championship. He also couldn't forget Haley either; he kissed her on the first date mainly because it was the whimsical thing to do. He knew it was pretty rash but overall, he liked how it felt to be headstrong like that. Ishimaru shook these thoughts off and turned towards his mamodo partner.

"As great as that trip was, we have to get re-focused on training and getting that 3rd spell under control."

Chainz nodded into agreement as he quickly stripped his clothes and was in his boxers, he curled up into his bed made of blankets and sheets on Ishimaru's bedroom carpet floor and was instantly asleep. Ishimaru smirked as he prepared himself for bed.

The next morning, Ishimaru was already at school and Chainz stretched and yawned. He scratched his butt and looked at the time; it was ten o'clock in the morning. Chainz took a shower and got dressed in his usual attire and just as he finished styling his faux hawk, he made his way downstairs, only to see Jyan standing at the door.

"Let's go to park already!" exclaimed Jyan excitedly

"Yeah Yeah Yeah." Chainz said as they began making their way down the street. Reaching the playground, they looked around for something to do. Just then, they saw a bunch of pre-teens around Chainz's age standing around a pile of tires, apparently passing something around. As they got closer they saw that it was a joint.

"What do you want?" asked one of the kids rudely

Chainz then reply, he simply snatched it from the kid's hand and sucked in a puff. He wasn't that much of a smoker, but like said before; it didn't hurt to give it a try. Jyan, who also wanted a puff tried to grab it from Chainz's hand.

"Oh come on, give me a puff!" Jyan exclaimed

"Fine." Chainz said, handing the joint to Jyan. Just as he was about to take a puff, a hand took the joint away from the blue-haired boy.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves!" said a voice

Chainz and Jyan turned to see who the voice belonged to.

A fairly beautiful teenage girl with blue hair down to her waist, wearing a white mini skirt, blue t-shirt, and a white French beret was standing in front of them. Her eyes appeared to be closed as well, but she seemed able to see and in her hand was the joint she took from the boys.

"_Grace…" _thought Chainz as he stared at the girl

"You two shouldn't even have this and you should be in school anyway or at least be doing something productive!"

Chainz rolled his eyes and Jyan smirked. Grace looked at the boy, curious as to why he was smirking.

"Why are you smirking like that?"

"You just want that joint for yours-! Ow!"

Jyan never got to finish that sentence because Grace whacked him on the head before he could. She then threw the joint on the ground and stomped it out. She then turned and walked away as she was making her way out of the park, her mind began to race.

"_I didn't expect to see Chainz like this. If I ran into Chainz this suddenly, I wonder how much longer it'll be before I see HIM as well…"_

Meanwhile, as Chainz and Jyan were on the see-saw, sudden impulses began going off in Chainz's head. He felt his hair stick up a bit more than usual, and his fangs growing a little too.

"_It was a matter of time, before I ended up sensing his presence. Looks like I'm headed for a fight. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm going to need Jyan to back me up."_

"What's wrong with you?" Jyan asked as he was looking at Chainz, because he stopped moving on the see-saw.

"It's…nothing. How about you and Josh come to the park and help us train this evening?"

"As fun as a double date sounds, I don't swing that way." Jyan replied half-jokingly

"No." Chainz simply said. Jyan figured that according to his response, Chainz was in a serious mood. Jyan decided against saying something, but he was wondering what he had sensed.

Later on that evening, Josh and Jyan showed up at the park and after meeting up with Chainz and Ishimaru in an open field, suddenly a figure appeared.

"I knew you were going to show up!" Chainz snarled, his fangs were showing and the hairs on the back of his head were standing straight up.

The figure turned out to be none other than Slash. He simply smiled and said, "It's been quite a while."

"Cut the crap, let's fight. Right here and right now!" Chainz yelled charging forward at Slash

Chainz threw a punch, causing Slash to simply catch his fist and throw Chainz into Ishimaru. After tossing the smaller and younger mamodo, Slash then said, "Don't insult me with your petty punches."

Chainz however, ignored Slash's comment and turned towards Jyan and the others. "Let's take him down. Ishimaru give me a spell."

Ishimaru though reluctant, opened the book and yelled, "_Kai Lei!"_

Chainz fired the laser from his mouth and hit Slash directly. Slash on the other hand, sat there and took the laser.

"Damn it!" yelled Chainz

"Chainz, I got your back! Mainly because of the author is making me though! Josh let's go!"

Jyan ran towards Slash's right and Chainz maneuvered toward Slash's left. Slash simply stood there as they called their attacks.

"_Kai Lei!"_

"_Chikeru!"_

Chainz jumped into air and fired the white laser from his mouth and Jyan fired a blue aura from his mouth as well. Slash held up his arms and blocked both spells with each arm. Slash then punched the ground, causing cracks and crevices to appear and sent both Jyan and Chainz flying back towards their book owners. After walking up closer to them, Slash began to explain why he was there.

"I actually didn't come to fight for once, not that I couldn't beat the hell out of you two anyway."

"Then why did you come?" Josh asked

"Let's just say that a lot is about to go down." Slash said flatly

"What do you mean?" Ishimaru asked as he was now curious

"Everything will explain itself soon enough." Slash said as he then turned towards Chainz

"How many spells do you have?"

"Not that it's any of your damn business, three."

"Use your Hokeigo spell on me."

"Why?"

"I need to see something."

Chainz was thrilled at the opportunity to hurt Slash, but didn't want to show him that he couldn't control his spell. Nonetheless, he nodded towards Ishimaru as he chanted the spell.

"_Hokeigo!"_

Chainz then shot the spike ball connected to the chain in the air and it crashed into a tree, knocking it over.

"Just as I thought." Slash said

"I can control it just fine." Chainz said, he was starting to get even more angry, if that was even possible

"Don't lie to yourself. You can't control it, simply because the impact the iron makes when leaving your hand causes you to flinch, thus allowing it to have a mind of its own . You're not putting enough weight on to your wrist in order to level it. I perfected _my _Hokeigo spell back in the demon world because I actually trained myself. Hence why I can use it freehandedly."

"Okay, so what's your point?" Chainz asked

"Put your left hand over your right wrist and have your human partner call out the spell." Slash said

Chainz amazingly swallowed his pride and put his hand over his wrist, Ishimaru called out the Hokeigo spell. The spike ball and chain shot out of Chainz's hand and would have hit Slash in the face if he didn't make it dissipate with a single punch.

"Again." Slash said

After about thirty minutes of doing what Slash told him, Chainz got the hand of the sell. He had to continue putting his left hand over his right wrist, but it allowed him to control the spell instead of relying on luck in order to hit his target.

"Just because I helped you, don't think it's because I like you or anything, I only helped you because I don't need you getting eliminated just yet." Slash said as he walked away

Chainz hated when people made allusions and one coming from Slash didn't make things any better.

"Chainz, did you know that guy from back home? Why did he also have the same hair color, the same spell and the same cobra symbol on his back…wait you're related to him aren't you?" Jyan asked

"He's my big brother." Chainz said with disgust

"Wait a minute…now I recognize his face! Back home, I remember his nickname! Iron Prince Slash, he's one of the main contenders favorite to become king!"

"Over my dead body!" yelled Chainz

"We are fighting in this battle, not only for king but also for full control and inheritance of The Cobra Clan. By Seniority, Slash is supposed to be heir but since our father only cares about having a strong leader, we have to duke it out here instead. I am going to take Slash down and become king myself."

"I'm all for taking Slash down, but you're mistaken if you think you're going to be king over me." Jyan said triumphantly

"Whatever." Smirked Chainz as the boys began making their way home with Chainz's newly controlled spell

Meanwhile, Slash was sitting on top of the hill with a small, sleeping girl lying next to him. Without turning his back he said, "What do you want?"

Just then, the figure behind him revealed himself. It appeared to be a boy around 5 feet and 4 inches tall. He had a full set of thin metal armor on and short jet black hair. He had a blue and white knight chess piece on the front of his armor and on his shield that was strapped to his back.

"Iron Prince Slash. What an honor to meet you, as you know I am a knight of the Chess Master." Bowed the knight

"Cut the formalities, are you trying to fight?" Slash asked, still with his back turned

"Oh dear no. I wouldn't dare. I'm only here to relay a message. The Chess Master wanted me to tell you that your clock is ticking and that it is your move."

Slash couldn't help but smirk, finally turning his head and looking at the knight, "Well tell him that I already made my move a while ago and that the ball is in his court."

Soon enough, the knight was off. Slash turned his head back around and continued looking at the stars.

Meanwhile on the Ryukyu Islands…

Myth and Chase were sitting in the ebb tides on the beach as a pawn came and got on a knee. He then spoke, "Your majesty, we have received a confirmation that the operation is being executed as we speak. Slash has also been reported to be somewhere in the Tokyo area."

Chase then blinked and said, "Any mamodo seen associating or interacting with Slash is to be hunted down and eliminated."

"Yes sir." Replied the pawn and away he went

Chase continued to enjoy the ebb tides as he felt the sensational coolness throughout his body.

"_Slash, you are too predictable." He thought in his head and grinning on the outside_

_A/N- All right. That's the end of that Chapter. Read and Review and lemme know what you think is happening so far if you want. Til Next time!_


	13. Slash's warning!

_A/N- I don't really have anything to say, so here's the next chapter_

Ishimaru stood there in his closet as he looked at his various clothes. It was finally Homecoming week and the big Homecoming game was on Friday night. It was also known as the Tokyo Bowl. For some odd reason, the faculty and athletic director wanted the Tokyo Bowl to be played on Homecoming; Ishimaru presumed that it was so the alumni have even more to brag about. Coming out of Junior High, Ishimaru had a chance to go to West Tokyo, considering he took and passed the entrance exam in order to get in, but in the end decided to go to his neighborhood High School not only because of the convenient distance, but also because he wanted his best chance to be a standout on the soccer field. West Tokyo was a sports factory. They had solid football, basketball, baseball, water polo, tennis and especially soccer teams' year in and year out. Ishimaru knew he would have a chance to play on a championship team, but at the same time knew that he would get less playing time and since the West Tokyo suburb was a higher-income part of the city, a lot of the kids were pretty stuck-up. East Tokyo was more known for their academic prestige than for sports. East Tokyo's athletics ranged from so-so to downright terrible, however since Ishimaru and Seiku played on the varsity team as sophomores and currently as juniors. East has been on-the-rise and finished in 4th place in the division and even made last year's Summer playoff tournament, even though they lost in the first round. However, East was on the verge of winning the Tokyo Metropolitan Division this year and was a darkhorse favorite to win the High School Cup.

He finally picked out a white t-shirt, a mint green and blue plaid button-down shirt, blue jeans and white sneakers. He put the clothes on, grabbed his briefcase and was out the door. Since it was homecoming week, the uniform dress code was relaxed and it was casual dress. As he was going up the street, he was joined by Seiku.

"Hey Ishi, what's up?" the blonde haired teen asked

"Nothing man. Just ready for practice, we're gonna give West a beat down they aren't gonna forget!" Ishimaru said as he began walking faster

"You've been acting weird lately, as a matter of fact, I saw you at the park the other day with some gray-haired kid with a faux hawk. What's going on?" Seiku asked, suspicion rising in his voice

"Um...it's nothing! That must have been somebody else!" Ishimaru exclaimed as he jogged into the front gate of East Tokyo High, Ishimaru hurried across the courtyard and into the building.

"I'm going to find out if you're up to something Ishimaru Kamikatsu." Seiku said, also making his way into the building.

As Ishimaru found his seat in class, he saw Vincent. He was apparently looking at something in his spiral, he was wearing a brown football jersey, blue jeans and his white sneakers were under his chair as he was shoeless. Ishimaru smirked and said, "Something smells like corn chips and sardines!" as he waved his hand in front of his nose.

"Well tell your mom to close her legs." Vincent shot back without looking up

"You son of a—"

Ishimaru was cut off by the teacher who threatened to tell the principal if they continued their behavior. However, since it was homecoming week, Ishimaru figured that they would be let off the hook, because the Principal himself was an East Tokyo booster and alumni and therefore, wouldn't allow two key players to sit out of one of the most important games of the year.

Meanwhile, Slash was walking down the street on his way to the park. He decided to settle around in the East Tokyo area for now, it was a matter of time before the Chess Master sent enemies after him, and so what was the point of even running? Besides, he had a chance to launch a counterattack and having home field advantage helped with that. As Slash walked into the park, he looked over at a little girl happily swinging and kept walking. The young girl was around six years old with short brown hair and a pink blush on her cheeks. She was wearing lavender overalls with a white shirt and a blue floral pattern on it; her lavender shoes were also noticeable. Most importantly, she had a small pink backpack lying right next to the swing and inside of it, was a cerulean blue spell book.

Slash nodded and made his way to the usual clearing by the main hill. As he got there, he heard a voice telling him that he was late. The voice turned out to belong to Angie. As she jumped down from the tree, she spoke again.

"I'm surprised that you're still around."

"You have a dry sense of humor." Slash retorted

"Anyway, how your little trip to the Islands?"

"Let's just say, we have a pest problem on hand." Slash replied, the disdain in voice was evident

"I see. Mr. Chess Master himself?" Angie said, she already knew where this was going

"Yeah and he seems to be a threat this time. There is a small army of mamodo on his side and what I'm trying to figure out why they are so loyal to him…they don't seem to be under control nor are they being forced to do anything…it's actually like they're doing it all on their own free will."

Angie nodded and said, "Ya know, he's always had a knack for stretching the truth, so I assume that may have something to do with it."

"That's what I'm going off of as well."

"Hey Angela, it's about time we find you!"

Slash and Angie turn to see Beat and CJ sliding down the hill and coming up to them.

"We were looking for you this morning and—wait a minute! Aren't you Iron Prince Slash?" Beat exclaimed as he saw Slash

"Who?" CJ said as he was quite confused as to who Slash was and why Beat suddenly made such a big deal about it.

Beat adjusted his shades and explained to CJ, "Slash is a very powerful mamodo. He was known as The Iron Prince because of his devastating metal spells. Another reason he received his name is because of his mother, Iron Maiden Kiyoko, she fought in the battle to become King 2000 years ago but was defeated, and however she finished in the top 15. The point is CJ; Slash is one of the favorites to become King."

CJ was still a little confused, especially considering that he wasn't all that much interested in history nor was he used to Beat rambling like that. Angie saw that CJ was still a little loss and decided to put it in layman's terms for him.

"He can fight evenly with me." Angie said flatly

CJ's jaw dropped. He was standing in front of two elite mamodo, if he was to become king; he was going to have to bring down powerhouses like Slash and Angie.

Slash smirked at Angie comment to CJ, he knew that he and Angie both could inflict massive damage without using spells; however he was curious if her sword could cut through his iron.

Slash broke the brief silence, saying, "As much as I enjoy a history lesson and whatnot, there are more important things to deal with."

"Like what?" CJ asked

Just as Slash began to open his mouth, Grace appeared.

"Hi Grace!" said CJ

"Hello CJ." Grace responded back , she waved at Beat and Angie gave her a nod of acknowledgment

Grace then saw Slash, they caught each other's gaze for a few seconds, and Grace turned away from him.

"Anyway, the Chess Master is on to me and there is going to be an attack here soon, so you three need to be on your guard."

"Wait, who's the Chess Master?" CJ asked

"I'll explain it to you later, all you need to know is that you and Vincent need to train and get a lot stronger." Angie said as she motioned for Slash to continue

"Since you guys work so well together, Nana's Trio shouldn't have a problem with these guys."

Slash then turned and looked at Grace, "You…just stay out of my way."

Grace scoffed at Slash's comment and flipped her hair in his direction, to everybody's surprise, she opened her eyes and said, "You don't know what you had until it's gone. You should open your eyes and think about what I said."

Slash seemed to ignore her and continued, "Remember what I said, stay on your guard. I also warned my retard brother and his equally retarded friend too."

Speaking of Chainz, he and Jyan were having the biggest race of the century.. They already ran around ¾ of the park. Chainz won the 1st heat and Jyan winning the 2nd. This was the final stretch, whoever won the 3rd heat took the bragging rights. The boys took off, sprinting across the main part of the park and towards the hill, they were neck and neck, then Chainz's left foot and Jyan's right intertwined with each other's and rolled off the hill. They landed in front of Nana's Trio, Slash and Grace.

"Typical." Slash said

"You're asking for an ass-kicking." Chainz shot back

"Oh please, you don't believe that any more than I do." Slash said as he began to walk away

"Oh and Chainz…"

"What?"

"Keep your eyes peeled for the Chess Master's pawns."

"I'll be more than ready for them, I already have four spells and I also have my ace in the hole!" Jyan exclaimed as he ran off towards the Park's entrance

"Hah, looks like we're officially rivals." Chainz said following in his wake

_A/N- All right! The next chapter is going to be long and it's also begins the second half of the first arc, things will be getting pretty hectic for Chainz and friends. SO stay tuned for another Chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R!_


	14. The right fight at the wrong time!

To Ishimaru Kamikatsu, Homecoming week was among the most interesting of the year. Various events were arranged throughout the week. Monday, it was a boring casual dress day. Tuesday however, was Sushi day, and many students came to school wearing various sushi costumes and some came with various sushi brand logos on their t-shirts. Wednesday, was pogo stick day. Students go to and from and around school on pogo sticks. Thursday, which was Ishimaru's personal favorite, was senior day. Students came to school dressed as them 60 years in the future. Today however, was Friday. Game Day, Ishimaru's fun during the week was now behind him and tonight was the game he had been waiting for. He wanted his chance to lead East Tokyo to their first Tokyo Metro Division title and an upper division seed in the Summer Playoff Tournament. The top 3 teams from every division made the playoffs and East Tokyo clinched the 3rd and final spot the year before, however this year, they had their chance to win 1st place and a top-tier seed.

Ishimaru and Seiku made their way through the gate as they went over to the field house. Seiku was wearing a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans, while Ishimaru was wear a short-sleeved black under armor shirt. They went inside the Fieldhouse as Coach Yuushi threw their jerseys at them. Ishimaru looked at his black jersey with "East Tokyo" in dark gold letters across the top part on the front of the jersey. Going through the East Tokyo letters, was a cavalier sabre with a silver blade and a gold and black handle. On the back of the jersey, was a gold number "6" and "Kamikatsu" on the top of the back also in gold letters. Seiku's was similar to Ishimaru's however his had number 14 and Kasumoda on the back of his instead. They soon left the Fieldhouse and was on the way to class, hearing an occasional "Good luck." from various students and a few giggles from some girls as well. Sitting in class, Ishimaru looked and saw Vincent wearing his jersey as well. However he wore number 00 and had Heart on the back of his as well. Ishimaru had wondered what Vincent's surname was and it was actually kind of funny to find it out this way. The teacher then reminded the class that the pep rally was later that afternoon and some of the alumni would be in attendance. Ishimaru already knew that he and three others were going to be the captains for the game. Ishimaru of course, was the main captain of the Varsity team so he was always captain. However, the other three captains are shifted among the team, depending on their performance during practice and the previous game as well. Ishimaru began taking notes off of the blackboard as he wondered what Chainz was doing for the day.

"Come on Jyan, just a few more reps!"

Chainz and Jyan were lifting weights in Josh's basement. The exchange family he was staying with, had converted their basement into a weight room in case Josh wanted to work out. Jyan remembered this and convinced Chainz to come over and lift weights in order to prepare for any upcoming attacks.

Jyan: Actually, I didn't know anything about a weight room, until you just typed it a few seconds ago.

PG: What did I tell you about doing that?

Jyan: I'm just saying…

PG: *Gives Jyan a don't-make-me-write-you-out-of-the-story look.

Chainz ignored what just happened and pulled up the bench press bar weighing 225 lbs. "I'm going to the soccer game tonight, so I can see how good Ishimaru actually is." Jyan got off the bench and stretched his legs out and said to Chainz, "Yeah, I'm going too. Josh plays for West Tokyo. He's a freshman goalie on the Varsity Team. I didn't even know he was the athletic type. I think he said something about it getting him extra credit or something."

"Our human partners are going up against each other, I guess we'll have to see how things are gonna go." Chainz said feeling competitive

"Yeah." Jyan said as they left the basement and left Josh's house and made their way up the sidewalk. Meanwhile, in a nearby alley, Rage and Kenji sat on trash cans, figuring out their next move.

"I want my revenge on Chainz." Rage said

"Really? I wouldn't have had a clue due to you saying it over 9000 times already!" Kenji exclaimed sarcastically

"Anyway, word around the Tokyo area is that the Tokyo Classic is going on tonight at the Tokyo Dome. Normally High School soccer are played in high school stadiums but this is a big game by two of the biggest schools in the East Tokyo Area, East Tokyo high and West Tokyo high." Kenji said looking towards the street

"Okay, what's your point?" Rage asked impatiently

"Chainz's book keeper is a hotshot player for East Tokyo high, so most likely he'll be at the game. We attack Chainz while his bookkeeper's nowhere to be found and we kill him."

"I like that idea." Rage said, rubbing his hands in anticipation

Meanwhile, in Central Tokyo, various high school students at Tokyo High School were sitting around in the hallways chattering amongst themselves, many of whom were talking about the game East and West Tokyo were playing that night.

"I heard both teams were evenly matched"

"East is just a Cinderella, once-in-a-lifetime team, West has a solid program year in and out, West wins hands-down."

"East is gonna take it, Kamikatsu is the man."

Meanwhile, a boy with nice black hair and chocolaty brown eyes was sitting down on a bench in the courtyard, many students crowding around him.

"Derrick, are you going to the Tokyo Classic tonight?

"Do you think Tokyo High is going to win next week?"

"Do you like football or soccer better?"

True, Derrick Runners was the captain on the football team; he also did soccer during the spring in order to stay in shape for football. He mainly played midfielder and mostly defended his side of the field and also lead the Tokyo Metro Division in assists, even though he was a football man, he was a decent soccer player as well. He wore the standard Tokyo high uniform, which consisted of a blue dress shirt with a cyan "T" on the top right hand side of his shirt, a cyan necktie and gray slacks with black dress shoes. He was a fairly popular student and quite a ladies man. Derrick was happy and relieved that the bell rang. This week was Tokyo High's bye week so the soccer team didn't have a game and there was no practice on Friday either, so a lot of buzz around school was the East Tokyo vs. West Tokyo game also known as the Tokyo Classic. As he left the school, he saw a little girl on the sidewalk. She was about three feet tall with silver hair all over head and gray eyes. She had a brown jacket with bear ears on her hood; on the top of her head were two silver buns, which put further emphasis on the bear theme. In her arm was a teddy bear.

"Hey there Wild Cub." Derrick said with a smile

"Hi, Derrick." She responded back

"Let's go to the park and I'll let you play on the swing." He said while grabbing her hand

Derrick and the girl reached the park as they found a swing. (Note: This is not the same park Chainz and the others go to, that one is in East Tokyo. The park Derrick is at is in Central Tokyo.)

"Push me higher Derrick!" the girl squealed

"All right Alice!" he said pushing harder

"_Akur!"_

A blast of water caught Alice off guard and caused her to fall off of the swing. Alice was hesitant, they were pretty sure that they were the only ones in the park. Derrick pulled out a silver spell book as he looked around to see the aggressor. Derrick looked around and saw a boy and a small girl coming towards them, without hesitated Derrick shouted

"_Kironu!"_

Alice opened her hand as a blast of spiraling silver energy shot out of it.

"Hey! S-Sorry about—ahh!"

The girl fell back and hit the ground after taking the hit head on.

"Oh no! "yelled the boy running over to her

Derrick and Alice ran over to them and Derrick had a better look of her. She had very pale blond hair worn in two thin pigtails and equally pale blue eyes. She wore a pink dress with a white collar adorned with a pink ribbon as well, on her feet were brown shoes and interestingly a star pendant was around her neck.

Looking at the boy, Derrick thought his head was shaved for a sec, but saw that it was just very short brown hair. He saw that he wore glasses over his brown eyes, he had a dark blue shirt on with black skinny jeans and pale blue sneakers, and he had an Indigo backpack on his back.

"Drew, I'm…alright." The girl said softly

"Alright Alice." Drew said happily

"Wait…did you say your name was Alice?" Alice asked

"Yeah, it-it-it is Miss Alice." Alice replied back

"My name is Alice too!" Alice exclaimed

"What a unique name." Drew said rolling his eyes

"Why did you attack me?" Alice asked, standing in front of Derrick

"I-I-I wasn't trying to attack you, we were practicing and I was off my target." Alice said as she hung her head

"Oh, that's why I attacked back. Well from here on out just call me Wild Cub so you won't be confused." Wild Cub said as she held her hand out. Alice shook Wild Cub's hand as they began talking.

Meanwhile, back at East Tokyo High School, the main gym was packed with students and fans decked out in gold and black. It was pretty obvious that the basketball court was recently polished due to the sheen give off that was usually seen only during basketball season. In the middle of the court was a large black circle with a gold "ET" with black outlining on it with a silver sabre going through it. On two of the main walls, were the words "East Tokyo Cavaliers" on both sides in black letters with gold trim. The student MC stood in the middle of the court as she started the pep rally.

"Hey there East Tokyo High! I know you're all ready for the Tokyo Classic tonight against West Tokyo, so let's get this show on the road, here's coach Yuushi!" The student body let out a moderate cheer as Coach Yuushi came to the center of the court, he tapped the microphone a few ties and finally spoke.

"All right, the moment you all been waiting for, here are your East Tokyo Cavaliers!"  
>The school fight song began playing as the soccer team, in their jerseys and blue jeans n, ran out of the eastern entrance and onto the court and into their chairs in the southeast corner of the basketball court.<p>

After the cheerleaders, band and others played, Coach Yuushi came back up to name the game captains.

"Your main captain tonight, is none other than Kamikatsu Ishimaru!"

The student body roared in applause as Ishimaru jogged to the center of the court and bowed in a showboat-like manner.

"Next up, is Seiku Kasumoda!"

The student body erupted into applause as Seiku went to the middle of the court as well.

"Our third captain, the Sophomore Sensation, Daisuke Komahoya!"

Just then, a bunch of sophomore girls wearing gold t-shirts with "Daisuke Fan Club!" written on them screamed as Daisuke came on to the court, he smiled at them, causing them to swoon and blush.

"Last but not least, this guy is a newcomer and has shown a lot of hard work in practice, VINCENT HEART!"

A light applause was heard but that was overshadowed by the murmurs amongst the stands.

"Who is this guy?"

"I wonder how good he is."

"He's really tall!"

Vincent walked to the middle of the court with his arms crossed, he was ready for this to be over already, hell he wouldn't even be on this team if Ishimaru hadn't threatened to sick his worst fear on him, which Vincent doubted Ishimaru knew, but he still didn't want to take his chances

Coach Yuushi gave the microphone to Ishimaru and left the court. He turned towards the upperclassmen first and exclaimed, "What's up Upperclassmen?"

"The sky!" yelled back some of the seniors

"Come on out to the game tonight and support us while we take down West Tokyo!"

A moderate applause sounded off as Ishimaru tossed the mike to Seiku.

"Hey East Tokyo, come out and watch me and my boy Ishi score some goals and put a smile on all your faces, especially on those beautiful ladies back there. Speaking of which, I don't wanna be lonely after the game so—"

Ishimaru took the microphone from him and gave it to Daisuke.

"Much love to the sophomore class over there!"

The juniors and seniors booed and jeered as screams erupted from various sophomore girls as sophomore guys looked on in jealousy.

Daisuke continued, "Anyway, come on out to the game tonight and watch me keep West from getting any points tonight!"

The crowd applauded as Daisuke handed the microphone to Vincent, only to have him shake his head. Ishimaru glared at Vincent as he refused to speak on the microphone. Ishimaru looked at Daisuke, as he continued speaking.

"Let's get to our Spirit Stick contest, the class with the most school pride, gets it!"

As Daisuke and Seiku began going around the gym, directing the students with their cheers, Ishimaru glared at Vincent, only to have him glare back.

"Way to make an ass out of yourself." Ishimaru said hotly

"Bite me." Vincent shot back

Meanwhile across town, Alice and Alice were staring each other down. Neither one of them were really chatterboxes, so it wasn't really awkward.

"It's a little like looking in the mirror." Alice said

"P-Personality –wise that is." Alice replied

"We are in a battle after all, let's see who the better fighter is. Our names may be the same but our spells aren't." Alice said as she zipped up her bear hoodie."

"Um…o-okay I guess." Alice said, getting ready to clash with Alice

Derrick opened the silver spell book as a glowed with a bright silvery light.

"The first spell, _Kironu!" _

Wild Cub opened her hand as a spiraling blast of silver energy shot out of her hand; Alice saw this coming and motioned for Drew to counter the spell.

"_Akur!"_

Alice shot a blast of water from her palm, countering the silver energy.

"Again Derrick!"

"_Kironu!"_

Wild Cub shot another blast of silver energy from her hand, Alice however dodged the first blast, and however she was struck by the second blast however.

Wild Cub smiled, saying "My Kironu spell can fire two blasts when I separate my hands, but their power is cut in half though.

Just then, Alice and Drew suddenly disappeared, which caused Derrick and Wild Cub to look around aimlessly. Just then, Wild Cub turned around just as an attack was coming from behind.

"_Kageru!"_

Alice opened her mouth as large ball of water began to form. Derrick had to think fast.

"Counter that spell!_ Kiroru!"_

A large silver ball which resembled an atom formed in Wild Cub's hand as she tossed it at Alice, who then fired off the water ball. The large spheres collided and exploded as the hit each other, sending dust and debris everywhere. Both girls stared at each other as they realized that this fight was a lot tougher than they thought it would be.

Not too far away from the park in Central Tokyo was the Tokyo Dome, where the Tokyo Classic was being played at. About 34,000 people were in attendance. Normally high school soccer games averaged 2-3,000 people at best in small high school stadiums, but of course, this was a historic rivalry going on for generations, so this was quite expected. In the main tunnel stood Ishimaru and the East Tokyo High soccer team. Aside from their black and gold jerseys, they wore black shorts, back socks and black and gold cleats. Daisuke's jersey however, was different from the rest of the team due to him being the goalie. His jersey had black and gold stripes all over the front of it, but other than that, his was also the same. Ishimaru stood facing his team and began to speak.

"This is what we've been practicing the last 2 weeks for. This moment. We're gonna go out there, beat West and win a division title and go into the playoffs on a high note!"

Ishimaru started jumping around.

"ONE BODY!"

"ONE BODY!" the team shouted back

"ONE MIND!"

"ONE MIND!" the team echoed back

"ONE SOUL!"

"ONE SOUL!" echoed the team

"ONE TEAM!"

"ONE TEAM!"

"LET'S GOOOOO!" Ishimaru yelled as he and the rest of the team galloped out of the tunnel.

"And heeeeeeerrrreeee comes your East Tokyo Cavaliers!" yelled the excited announcer, an East Tokyo alumnus

The East Tokyo fans erupted in a loud cheer as the West Tokyo fans on the other side jeered and booed. Ishimaru and the team ran to their sidelines as they all circled around Ishimaru and were all jumping around.

Meanwhile, the West Tokyo team were jumping around as they ran out of the tunnel.

"There go the West Tokyo Tigers!" the announcer boomed

The West Tokyo soccer team wore purple jerseys with white numbers and trim. They also wore white shorts with purple paws on the sides, complimenting the shorts, were purple socks with white stripes and white paws between the stripes. The West Tokyo fight song began playing.

"Fuck West Tokyo!" Seiku yelled as he had an adrenaline rush, the rest of the team were fired up as well.

Coach Yuushi showed Ishimaru and the other starters the starting formation as they ran onto the field. The referee let the ball down in the middle of the field as he blew the whistle. West Tokyo had possession of the ball as they began kicking it between various forwards. Vincent saw a West Tokyo forward dribbling the ball in his direction. Vincent ran forward and stole the ball from him as he began kicking it down the field; he passed it to Seiku who then passed it towards Ishimaru who was in close range to the goal. Ishimaru slammed his foot against the ball, only to have Josh jump to the right and catch the ball as he tossed it to one of his nearby teammates. Ishimaru maneuvered around a few defenders as he stole the ball and kicked it once more, only to have Josh slide and slapped the ball out of bounds. The referee tossed the ball back in and Vincent kicked the ball towards Seiku, who then kicked to Sakuraba Matsudo, a junior forward who got the ball stolen from him by a West Tokyo defender. Vincent took matters in his own hands he ran forward and slammed his shoulder into a West Tokyo player, causing him to tumble over as he took the ball. The West Tokyo crowd erupted in to boos and jeers as the West Tokyo player limped off the field and a fresh backup came in.

The referee blew his whistle and ran over to Vincent, pulling out a yellow card. He then pulled out a notebook and wrote down his name and number. Ishimaru was not pleased at all. He jogged over towards Vincent, only to hear him talk back to the referee.

"That's bullshit! He shouldn't be such a pussy anyway!" Vincent yelled at the referee

"That's enough out of you! One more crack and I'll pull out a red card and eject your ass from this game!"

Vincent began making his way towards the referee, but Ishimaru grabbed him and pulled him towards the sideline.

"Chill out, let's play ball." Ishimaru said as they began running up the field to catch up with the play.

"I don't need your help. Stay out of this." Vincent said firmly

"Stop being a hard-ass. It's annoying." Ishimaru said

"Stop being a prick and I wouldn't have to be one." Said Vincent

As they finally caught up the field, they see that Daisuke failed to stop the penalty kick, resulting in a goal for West Tokyo.

"GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL!" yelled the Announcer as the West Tokyo players and fans were celebrating

The electronic scoreboard read, "Tigers 1, Cavaliers 0"

"This is your fault!" Ishimaru yelled

"If you weren't all on my balls, you could have been there to play defense!" Vincent yelled back

"If you wouldn't have caused the damn penalty, they wouldn't have gotten a penalty kick!" Ishimaru shouted, his face starting to turn red.

"GOOOAAAAALLLLLLL!"

Ishimaru and Vincent turned to see that West Tokyo scored another goal. Causing the West Tokyo fans and players to run wild with excitement. The East Tokyo fans were quiet and began booing.

Coach Yuushi called a timeout and brought the team together.

"It's my fault that they score two goals because being the goalie, it's my job to stop them, but you two aren't helping at all." Daisuke sighed, rubbing his head

"Coach, Ishimaru and Vincent need to get out of the game. They are just dragging us down with their bickering." Seiku said shaking his head

Coach Yuushi nodded and sent Vincent and Ishimaru to the bench, two backup players, a brown haired junior and a red haired senior ran onto the field to replace Ishimaru and Vincent.

"I expected more than this from two captains." Coach Yuushi said as he walked away from Vincent and Ishimaru

Seiku and Daisuke were instructed to lead the team and to change formations if they saw fit. Ishimaru and Vincent glared at each other as the game continued on without them.

Meanwhile, back at the park a few miles away, Alice and Wild Cub were both breathing hard. This was a really good workout for the two mamodo girls and they agreed on one last clash.

"You are a v-very good fighter." Alice said

"So are you." Wild Cub replied back

Derrick, who had the silver spell book opened, shouted out the spell with all of his remaining heart energy, "_Giganto Kiroru!"_

Wild Cub's hand began forming a massive silver energy ball as she focused it.

Drew then yelled, "_Razen Jo!"  
><em>

A giant spiral appeared in front of Alice's hand as the large torrent of water began forming. Alice then fired the large swirling pillar of water as Alice tossed the large silver energy ball. The two large spells clashed and as they hit each other, neither one of them budged. The spells were standing neutral towards each other. Wild Cub's sphere started to push back the water, only to have it explode and the fight ending in a draw.

"I feel as though I have gotten stronger from our fight." Alice said, smiling

"Me too." Wild Cub said as she and Alice shook hands and parted ways.

"Sounds like you have a new playmate." Derrick said

"A new playmate…and a new friend." Wild Cub said as she and Derrick went home

Back at the Tokyo Dome, halftime was here.

"It's halftime. The West Tokyo Tigers lead The East Tokyo Cavaliers 2-0."

Looking towards the East Tokyo crowd, many had frowns on their faces, it seems as though they were giving up and abandoning hope. Looking over to the student section was another story.

"Let's go East!"

"We're gonna make a comeback!"

"We got this in the 2nd half!"

In the stands, Chainz was snoring and drooling. CJ on the other hand, saw the whole game so far and slapped Chainz, causing the punk biker to wake up.

"Wha...What it's over already?" Chainz asked looking onto the field

"No, it's halftime." CJ said as he began sniffing the air

"Oh, you sense a mamodo don't you?" Chainz said as he continued stretching

CJ nodded and said, "If you focus, you will sense them too."

"Yeah. I sense it too. Let's go check it out."

Ishimaru and Vincent walked back in to the locker room behind the team. They were already inside and Coach Yuushi's voice could be heard. Ishimaru sighed as he could see the door up ahead.

"_Koreigun!"_

A fireball almost hit Ishimaru as he rolled to the right just in time. He looked up to see none other than Rage and Kenji standing there. He also saw two other mamodo as well. One of them was a boy around 4 feet tall with slick black hair, a white t-shirt and black shorts and sneakers on. The woman standing next to him appeared to be a cleaning maid as she wore the typical black and white uniform and was around her mid 40's and she held a light gray book in her hand. Ishimaru saw a boy around his age with a dog standing next to him. The dog appeared to be an Alaskan Husky and was black with a white underbelly and legs. In the boy's hand was an orange spell book.

"You're Chainz's human partner." Rage stated as he and Kenji stood in front of Ishimaru

"And what of it?" spat Ishimaru, who was already in a foul mood, this just made things worse

Rage, wiped the spit off of his face and kicked Ishimaru in the side.

"Just for that, I'm going to burn the book and kill you."

Vincent, who witnessed the whole thing, came over to Ishimaru and said, "Oh great, more mamodo."

"Get out of here you damn dirty human!" Rage roared

Vincent spat at Rage and for the second time, Rage wiped the spit off of his face.

"Ugh, that's it! Kenji, let's burn them to Ashes!"

"_Koreigaruga!"_

Rage opened his mouth as a stream of fire spewed out of his mouth, Ishimaru and Vincent rolled out of the way, Rage stopped the flames before they could burn the hallway up.

"Hey, you can't have a party without inviting us!"

Chainz and CJ appeared with their spell books in their hands.

"You guys forgot something!" Chainz called out as they tossed their spell books to their respective bookkeepers. Vincent and Ishimaru caught the books as they got ready for a fight.

The boy with the white shirt and black sneakers looked at CJ, taunting him. "My name is Donovan; even though you are one of Nana's Trio, I must tell you that I hate filthy rodents."

That remark made the back of CJ's hair's stick up. He wasn't going to let Donovan get away with that remark.

"_Kai Lei!"_

Chainz opened his mouth and a white laser shot out of it, Rage and Donovan both jumped out of the way. Chainz ran towards Rage and CJ towards Donovan. The husky and the other boy stood there as they watched the fight go on.

"Valkyrie, hang tight. If anybody comes, just blast them."

"Understood." Valkyrie replied as he kept watch on the entrance

"You already know what's coming!" Rage yelled as Kenji shouted the spell

"_Koreido!"_

Flames covered Rage's fists as he ran towards Chainz and began punching him. The punches did not burn that much, but they hurt nonetheless. "You were right about one thing. I sure as hell knew what was coming!" Chainz said as he dropped to the ground. Chainz's right leg swept on the ground as his boot collided with Rage's ankles, knocking him off of his feet.

"And you should've knew that was coming too." He said as he guided his left and back flipped onto his feet.

"Chainz, let's blast him with a laser fury! _Kai Lei!_"

Chainz fired another laser at Rage. Rage jumped out of the way and opened his mouth as Kenji chanted the Koreigaruga spell. This time however, the flames hit Chainz and caused him to fall on the ground. Chainz rolled towards Ishimaru as he got to Chainz and helped him stand up.

Meanwhile, CJ transformed into his Guinea Pig form as he was going neck and neck with Donovan.

"_Fogar!"_

CJ's body turned into fires as he sped up and slammed into Donovan.

"_Uruk!"_

As CJ slammed into Donovan, his body broke up and dissipated, CJ stopped in his tracks as Donovan re-materialized and laughed. "My element is smoke, it is virtually impossible to hit me. No matter what spell you use, it will go right through me!"

"_Dosu Uruk!"_

Donovan's body broke up and disappeared, leaving puffs of smoke behind. Suddenly, he reappeared, tossing the guinea pig mamodo into the air, and then jumping up to punch him.

"_Foshield!"_

CJ then grew his fur out, resembling a large brown cotton ball. The fur absorbed all of Donovan's kicks and punches. Donovan grabbed the furball and slammed CJ into the ground. However, most of the impact was absorbed by CJ's fur. CJ returned back to his normal guinea pig form as he stared down Donovan.

"I think I have an idea." Vincent said as he saw that Donovan was breathing hard and tiring out.

"CJ, you ready to go?"

CJ nodded as he came back over to Vincent and transformed back into his human form.

"_Fokai!"_

CJ grew blue armor as lightning sparked and cackled from the armor.

"CJ, run towards Donovan!" yelled Vincent

CJ ran towards Donovan, who in defense, backed away from the now human CJ and waited for his partner call a spell.

"_Giga Uruk!"_

Smoke left Donovan's feet as he sped towards CJ, only to have him dodge and then charge at him at an equally high speed. The two mamodo clashed as CJ began to take the upper hand. Valkyrie however wasn't going to have this. "I'm not going to let Donovan screw up and lose, Marty, use a spell!"

"_Furego!"_

"_Chikeru!"_

Valkyrie opened his mouth as a blast of green flame-like energy came out of his mouth, only to be countered by a familiar blue aura blast.

"I'm crashing this party!"

Chainz and CJ turn to see none other than Jyan and Josh standing there. Josh had the blue spell book opened and glowing with bright light.

"Took you long enough."

"I sensed the mamodo presence and I went to grab Josh. I have a new toy I've been waiting to try out." Jyan said as he and Josh faced off against Valkyrie and Marty

"All right Jyan, _Chikeru!"_

Josh fired the powerful blue aura blast from his mouth, hitting Valkyrie, knocking him back into Donovan.

"I don't think so! Marty gimme a bigger spell!"

"_Gigano Furego!"_

Valkyrie opened his mouth as a massive green flame-like energy beam made its way towards Jyan and Josh. "Chainz, we'll have to use Hokkado in order to help them out!" Ishimaru said, but Rage and Kenji blocked the path as the beam was about to blow Josh and Jyan into smithereens. However, the boys did not move and did not appear to be afraid of the attack. Jyan's book glowed with an amazing blue light, "Alright Jyan, it's time! _Rachishiru!"_

Jyan's eyes rolled to the back of his head as a blue barrier surrounded him and Josh. There where white stone hinges around the bottom, which were apparently projecting the aura. The massive beam Valkyrie fired was deflected and the spell dissipated. Jyan regained consciousness and smirked.

"You shouldn't have been able to deflect a Gigano-class spell!" Valkyrie snarled as he charged head-first towards Jyan and Josh. "Marty, give me another spell!"

"_Doruforeido!" _

A fiery green aura surrounded Valkyrie as it began spinning around his body, creating a strong flame tackle. Josh and Jyan looked and nodded at each other as Jyan placed his hand onto the tiled floor.

"_Chimardo!"_

A swirling blue vortex appeared onto the floor as Valkyrie was sucked in and reappeared, falling through the ceiling.

"What kind of spell was that?" Chainz said, astonished at how strong Jyan actually was

"Jyan's Chimardo spell allows him to summon a vortex and suck in any opposing mamodo; it also can allow him to teleport one long-range spell to another if two of them were shot at different places.

Valkyrie lay on the ground unconscious; Jyan walked over to the husky mamodo and put his foot on top of him as if he were king of a mountain. He looked over at CJ and Donovan as they continued their fight.

"_Fogoken!"_

CJ's body sparked as long, sharp needles grew out of his back and arms. CJ got on all fours as they shot off of his body like missiles. "Oh no you don't, you already know the drill human!"

"_Uruk!"_

The needles flew at Donovan; however his body dissipated and rematerialized again, the needles going right through him.

"Didn't I tell you, the needles will not hurt me, and I thought you would have learned the first time?" Donovan said shaking his head

"I know. We weren't aiming for you." Vincent said smiling

Donovan turned around to see his spell book impaled by the needles. The needles sparked and the book burst into flames, much to Donovan's horror.

"Damn you! Damn you! I lost to a rodent! Bu they, if I'm going down, I might as take you with me."

"None of your spells do any damage. They are focused on escaping and trickery. That will only get you so far. I figured that you would slip up and if we were to do something as simple as fire projectiles at you, you would think that we would aim for you and use your spell to dissipate, therefore leaving a clear path for your book." Vincent said as he looked over towards Chainz and Rage.

"All right Chainz, _Hokeigo!"_

Chainz shot the spike ball and chain from his hand, he also remembered what Slash taught him and put his left hand over his right wrist as it hit Rage in the stomach and knocked him into Donovan. Kenji then turned and ran, dropping the now burning spell book as well. Jyan picked up Valkyrie and Josh snatched the book from Marty, also throwing them towards Donovan and Rage.

"All right Jyan, wrap this up! "

"_Gaou Chikelga!_ "

Suddenly a lot of pressure could be felt in the air as Jyan opened his mouth as a blue wolf emerged. The wolf opened its massive jaws and engulfed the enemy mamodo, causing a small but strong explosion. The smoke cleared a little bit and Rage, Donovan and Valkyrie were all gone. Three rectangle burn marks could be seen on the pavement.

"Good teamwork guys." CJ said as he felt tired yet quite satisfied with his victory

"Vincent, we'll call a truce for now. We got a game to win." Ishimaru said as Vincent agreed

"You guys gotta get past me first!" Josh said as he hurried back to the West Tokyo locker room

Chainz, Jyan and CJ made their way back into the stands as Vincent and Ishimaru went into the East locker room.

"Coach. We're ready to play." Ishimaru said as Vincent nodded in agreement

"That's what we like to here!" exclaimed Daisuke

"And there goo yourrrrrr East Tokyo CA-Vuh-Leeers!" yelled the announcer as they stormed out of the tunnel

West Tokyo came out as well, as the 2nd half got underway.

For the next thirty minutes, a physical game played by both sides ensued. Seiku suddenly stole the ball as he passed it to Ishimaru. He saw Josh up ahead, ready to block his kick once more. Ishimaru however, faked Josh out to the left and slammed the ball in, causing Josh to fall over.

"GOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!" yelled the announcer

The East Tokyo crowd went wild. The score then read, Tigers 2 Cavaliers 1

For another 20 minutes, the West Tokyo team played decent ball. They kept the ball away from East Tokyo and there was only about 45 seconds left in the match. Vincent swept up the field and knocked over two West Tokyo players as he stole the ball and passed it towards Hiro Takanawa, a senior midfielder. Hiro went down the field and passed it to Seiku. Seiku glanced at the clock and saw that only 15 seconds remained in the match; he passed it to Ishimaru, hoping the striker could make a miracle occur. He was about 30 feet away from the goal and Josh's eyes were like a hawk, his hands ready to go. Ishimaru pulled back his foot and slammed his foot into the soccer ball as the buzzer blared. It appeared as if the ball was going to sail right over the goal, however the ball came down. Josh jumped, his hands about to slap the ball down, the ball was just out of his reach and changed its direction as his fingertips grazed the ball. The ball rolled behind his hands and hit the inside of the net.

"!" erupted the announcer

The scoreboard read, Tigers 2 Cavaliers 2

East Tokyo was ecstatic. Ishimaru took off his jersey as various players were patting him on the back. The fans couldn't be happier.

"Kamikatsu is the man!"

"He's dreamy."

"Best player in school history."

"Don't celebrate just yet!" reminded Coach Yuushi

"We still have a shootout here." Coach Yuushi said as he drew up a formation

West Tokyo lined up for its' shootout kick. The East Tokyo defenders made a black wall, in hopes it would be enough to stop the Tigers. Tetsu Tomoko, the Tigers' leading scorer and the one who scored both of West Tokyo's goals was up for the kick. He booted it over the wall, but Daisuke jumped to the right and trapped the ball between his hands.

"The sophomore sensation stopped the go-ahead score!" yelled the announcer

"Nice job Daisuke." Ishimaru said as he jumped in the air for high-fives. Daisuke smiled as he jogged off of the field and went on the other side of the field.

East Tokyo set up their formation as Vincent looked around and kicked the ball towards the goal. It appeared as Josh was going to catch it but suddenly, Ishimaru hits with his head, causing it to go in and give East Tokyo the win.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL: EAST WINS! EAST WIS! EAST WINS!" screamed the announcer

The final score on the board read, Tigers 2 Cavaliers 3

The field was swarmed with black and gold as East Tokyo fans, students and alumni were all over the field. Ishimaru went over to Josh.

"You gave me a run for my money." Ishimaru said holding out his hand

"Thanks, but I hope we play each other again in the playoffs." Josh said as he accepted and shook his hand

Suddenly, a reporter ran up to Ishimaru and dragged him over towards Seiku, Daisuke and Vincent. Many other photographers were snapping pictures.

"My name is Yoko Kasaburo and I'm the lead sports journalist for Tokyo High School athletic magazine. Many are dubbing you guys as "The Fabulous Four." What are your opinions about this?"

"Well…." Ishimaru began to say

"I'm an individual! I do not want to be associated with that guy over there especially!" Vincent cut in

"So much for a truce…" Ishimaru said rolling his eyes

A random fan girl appeared out of nowhere, and jumped on Vincent's back, causing him to suddenly freeze.

"I love you Vincent Heart! You are amazing!"

"Oh God…." Vincent squeaked

Ishimaru chuckled. "So THAT'S what his fear is."

Field security pried the girl off of Vincent and dragged her away.

"Vincent Heart! You can't get rid of me that easily! Woooooooooooo!"

Vincent facepalmed, even if Ishimaru didn't know his fear, he definitely does now.

Meanwhile, miles away, a pawn of the Chess Master was making his way though some bushes, he stopped as he saw who he was looking for. The knight that had encountered Slash a few nights before, turned around.

"Sir. I have a new report for you."

"Go ahead." The knight said, moving his jet black hair from his face

"I observed a fight that Chainz, Iron Prince's Slash's brother and the other son of the Iron Maiden Kiyoko, his ally Jyan, who's an anomaly because according to documents from the Mamodo World, he could not use his spells properly, yet here he has the power equivalent of a Bishop and potentially could fight even with the Chess Master—"

"Okay, that's enough! There's no way that blue-haired runt could possible be stronger than me!" shouted the knight

"O-Oh, but sir there was also a member of Nana's Trio fighting alongside them as well."

"Nana's Trio you say, which one?"

"The one c-called CJ sir. He can transform into a human-like and guinea pig form."

"I see."

"W-What's the plan sir?" stuttered the pawn

"We attack The Iron Prince and the others at dawn."

_A/N- All right, that was over 18 pagers of writing on Microsoft Word. I had to wrap up Rage's return. I thought about having a deeper sub-plot with Rage and Chainz's rivalry and whatnot, but Rage isn't really that important-enough for me to do so. Anyway, It took me about two weeks to write the outline (I have outlines and scripts for every chapter) and the actual chapter itself (mainly because of work, and being lazy) Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! There's going to be even more fighting from here until the end of this first arc, so stay tuned for another chapter of Chain Reaction! R&R and whatnot._

Name- Rage

Partner- Kenji

Element- Fire

Ranking-79th out of 100

Book Color- Red Orange

Book burned by- Chainz and Ishimaru

Spells- Koreigun- Rage throws a fireball at the opponent

Koreido- Rage's fist become covered in flames as he punches the opponent

Koreigaruga- Rgae blows flames from his mouth

Name- Donovan

Partner- Unnamed Book Reader

Element- Smoke

Ranking-78th out of 100

Book Color- Black

Book burned by- CJ and Vincent

Spells- Uruk- Donovan's body dissolves and reappears

Dosu Uruk- Donovan's feet becomes smoke as his speed increases tenfold

Giga Uruk- Enhanced version of Uruk

Name- Valkyrie

Partner- Marty

Element- Breath

Ranking- 77th out of 100

Book Color-

Book burned by- Jyan and Josh Luther

Spells- Koreido- Valkyrie shoots a firey energy breath from his mouth

Giagno Koreido- Larger version of Koreido

Dorukoreido- Fiery Energy spins around Valkyrie's body as he charges into the opponent


	15. The first wave of attacks!

_A/N- Let's get things moving!_

"One-two! One-Two!"

That came from the grunting and shouting of Ishimaru, Chainz, Jyan and Josh. The foursome were doing floor exercises and strengthening their cores as a result. After another half hour of calisthenics, Ishimaru got up and stretched.

"Anything else for today?" Josh said, looking towards the door

"I think that'll be all." Ishimaru said, making his way up the stairs to his room

Ishimaru opened his laptop and sat down; he opened up his Skype and saw that Haley was online. He pressed the video call button and it began to ring. Suddenly, a familiar-looking red head could be seen on the screen.

"Hey." Ishimaru greeted

"Hey." Haley said back

"I actually called about something serious. A few days ago, a mamodo named Slash who happens to be Chainz's older brother, warned us about attacks form someone named "The Chess Master." This would explain the weird mamodo we fought a few weeks ago. As a matter of fact, I, Chainz and a few others fought against these three mamodo yesterday and even though we burned their books, I don't think they had anything to do with the Chess Master Slash warned us about. Anyway, just keep an eye out for anything shady."

"All right, will do." Haley said

"Hey, so this must be your girlfriend!" Jyan exclaimed as he jumped in front of the monitor

"Jyan, what the hell are you doing?" yelled Ishimaru

"I remember when you kissed her a few chapters ago, so I figured that y'all were together by now. Now that I think of it, I'm a few chapters ahead of myself—ahh!"

Ishimaru threw Jyan out of the room as Haley laughed and hung up on Skype. Ishimaru slipped on a black sleeveless under armor shirt and put on navy jogging pants. He grabbed the green spell book and went into the backyard and saw Chainz and Jyan sparring. They were both wearing white t-shirts and navy blue gym shorts as they stared each other down before charging into each other. Chainz's fist slammed into Jyan's jaw, Jyan, regained his footing and began throwing punches at Chainz. Chainz however, saw this coming and kept up with Jyan, blocking his fury of punches. Chainz then dropped close to the ground and swept his right foot, connecting with Jyan's ankles, causing him to topple over. Jyan grabbed Chainz's left foot and pulled him to the ground, Chainz slammed his free foot towards Jyan's head, only to have his right hand block it. "It's a stalemate." Ishimaru declared, much to boys' dismay

The moment however, was short-lived, as just then, four figures were standing in front of them.

"Who the hell are you?" asked Jyan

"By the orders of the Chess Master, we are required to take out our targets." Said one of the pawns. Like the pawns Ishimaru saw in Osaka a while ago, these pawns wore blue and white mage-like robes, one on the right had short, deep red hair and blue eyes. A blue fabric pawn chess piece was stitched to the front white part of his robe. The mamodo on the left wore an identical robe and patch but instead had brown hair and green eyes.

"So they are the ones Slash had warned us about." Jyan said

"But why are they attacking us?" josh said

"You are allies of the Iron Prince and we must do our job of eliminating anybody who associates with him." Said the red-haired one

"Allies? Oh hell no. That explains why Slash was warning us and it explains why he told me how to control my Hokeigo spell! That no good, low-down, son-of-a-!"

"_Ekir!"_

Chainz never finished his sentence as a plain, red laser beam hit him in the shoulder and knocked him over.

"Chainz!" Ishimaru yelled, opening the green spell book

Chainz was furious, he didn't remember the last time he was this angry.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU ARE GONNA PAY FOR THAT! ISHIMARU GIVE ME A SPELL NOW!"

"_Kai Lei!"_

Chainz opened his mouth as he fired the white laser from it, hitting the red-haired mamodo in the middle of his chest.

"I am Chainz of the Cobra Clan and never disrespect me like that ever again…oh wait, there **won't be** a next time for you! Ishimaru the spell!"

"_Kai Lei!"_

Chainz blasted the red-haired mamodo, causing him to crash into Ishimaru's wooden fence.

"Carter, are you alright?" called the brown-haired mamodo

"No Sage, I am not." Carter said weakly

Chainz stood in front of Carter as he tried to get up, he grabbed Carter and smiled.

"This is going to hurt you a lot more than it's going to hurt me." Chainz said as he opened his mouth and Carter winced at his inevitable fate

"_Kai Lei!"_

Chainz blasted the white laser from his mouth as it streaked across the sky. He tossed Carter into his now fleeing bookkeeper. The forest green spell book in his hand fell to the ground as it was covered in flames. Carter quickly faded away. Chainz and Jyan turned their attention to Sage as he was now backing away from the two teams; they smiled as Sage's bookkeeper threw their tan spell book at them as he took off running."

"We were going to ask a few questions and let you guys go, but hey, this works too!" Josh said, picking up Sage's spell book.

"Josh, aren't you going to give me a spell?" Jyan asked

"All right guys, the s'mores are ready!" Josh said as he used a spatula to take the s'mores off of the barbecue pit and handed the plate of treats to Chainz, Jyan and Ishimaru

"Do I get one too?" Sage asked, who was tied to the fence

"Oh yeah, now we can get rid of this book." Josh said as he tossed the book into the pit and poured some kerosene in it, causing the flames the burn hotter.

"Whatever. At least I can go home now. That's what he promised us." Sage said as he grabbed a nearby s'mores and began chewing on it.

"What do you mean promised?" Ishimaru asked

"Heh." Sage said as he faded away

"What was he promised?" Ishimaru said as he tried to figure out what Sage was talking about

"Bravo. Bravo you two."

The group turned and saw none other than Slash. He was clapping his hands as he walked up to them and started talking.

"I saw the whole thing. Ever since you two were rolling and hugging on the ground." Slash said

"We were sparring thank you." Jyan retorted

"Anyway. You guys need to go to downtown Tokyo and meet at a rendezvous point. Hang around until I give you further instructions." Slash said, turning around

"What if we don't want anything to do with this fight? I rather not get involved with The Chess Master in his antics; I rather read a book or look at the sky or something. "Josh said

"Oh come on Josh, have a sense of adventure, and besides the road to king passes through tough challenges such as one of these!" Jyan replied excitedly

"All right good then." Slash said as he walked away

[_Meanwhile, A few miles away..._]

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!"

That voice belonged to Vincent, he was already walking in the opposite direction away from his house and CJ had to get him to turn around.

"Oh come on Vincent, I'm sure she's not that bad!"

"I am not going within 100 feet of that witch." The black hair teen said, now walking again

"Hey there little brother!" a girl said

"Good lord…" Vincent said, losing his voice a little

This girl was quite tall, about 5'10" she had brown skin with long black hair and brown eyes. She wore a purple tank top and black pants, on her feet were brown boots and for some reason, she had an ugly looking wristband on her wrist.

"Hey Rachel, Vincent almost got away, but I got him." CJ said happily

"That's great CJ." Rachel said as she began tugging on Vincent's ears.

"Let…me….go…dammit!"

"It's good to see you two getting along."

"Hey Aaron!" said CJ

Aaron, Angie and Beat came up to the other three and Rachel finally let go of Vincent. Aaron stuck out like a sore thumb among Vincent and Rachel. He had short blond hair and blue eyes, he also wore a matching blue keikogi as well, Aaron was Vincent's adoptive brother, so the racial difference was ignored for the most part.

"As much as I enjoy lovely family moments, I'm going to put an end to this one."

Vincent and his siblings, along with Nana's Trio turned around and saw a pawn standing in front of them. Unlike the others, this one appeared to be fairly taller at 4'10" and a bit older than a lot of the others. (About 14 years old)

"Really now." Beat said, smiling. This guy obviously did not know who he was messing with; considering most mamodo knew and had grudging respect for Nana's Trio and took them seriously in battle.

Angie didn't say a word. She wasn't going to waste her time with this blowhard. "Beat, CJ, one of you take care of him."

"Aye aye captain." Beat said sarcastically

"I am the great Dino and I will be king!"

"Whatever makes you go to sleep at night, I guess." Beat said, looking at Rachel

"Human, read a spell!" Dino yelled, now looking at his partner as he held the glowing magenta spell book

"_Oru Bogan!"_

Dino lifted his hands as two long, thin wires shot out of his hands and into the air, two small blades extended from the thin wires, the wires bent and slammed towards Beat.

"_Bijura!"_

Beat opened his palm as sound waves echoed, shaking the wires and knocking Dino into the ground and dissipating the wires.

"This is an outrage! You think you can use your fancy spell to stop my attack! Stop this then!"

"_Ganjas Bogarga!"_

Dino lifted up his arms as six wires came out of both hands. On the ends of the wires were much longer and sharper blades. Dino moved his hands forward as the blades and wires flew at Beat. Beat stood his ground as Dino smiled a bloodthirsty grin.

"I see you're scared now. I don't blame you, I would be too."

"Beat…take off." Rachel said, not moving

Beat ran forward, much to Dino's surprise.

"You want to save yourself and leave the human wide open, I'm going to burn the book and kill the human and it will be your entire fault!"

Rachel however, ran away from the first wire and jumped over the second wire; she sidestepped the third and fourth wire and was grazed by the fifth wire, which resulted in a small cut on her shoulder, also demonstrating the sharpness of the wires. Rachel ducked as the sixth and final wire missed her head by only mere inches.

"Dammit!" Dino yelled as he looked and saw Beat standing in front of him, Beat had his palm opened and a smile on his face

"_Bijura." _Rachel said calmly

The sound waves echoed and blew Dino into his book owner, the magenta spell book burst into blue flames as Dino faded away.

"I only had to use my weakest spell on him. Go figure." Beat said as he saw that Dino's book was already halfway burnt

"Doesn't matter that I lost, The Chess Master will make me a duke when he becomes king and then, I'll have the power to get vengeance on you goons!"

Dino faded away. Beat looked disappointed, he wanted to have a more challenging fight, but alas, that would be for another day.

"Very nice."

Nana's trio turned their heads and saw Slash come out of a nearby alley. He was clapping his hands and had a smirk on his face. "That was too easy, but I expected that from Nana's Trio."

"What do you want?" Beat asked, still upset over his easy victory

"I just wanted to tell you to go to Downtown Tokyo, there's some business to take care of."

"And what would that be?" Vincent asked, he was fairly skeptical

"There's an attack being launched right now and the best way to drive out the attackers is to coordinate our counterstrike effectively and what better way of doing that, than meeting and conjuring at one center spot?"

Beat and CJ looked at each other as Angie and Aaron began making their way downtown.

"Angie, where are you going?" Beat called out to Angie

"Downtown."

"But why, you actually believe him?"

"Of course, Slash's credibility is to be trusted."

"And why is that?" Beat retorted

"I know Slash on a personal level, he sticks to his word."

"Ohh, is he one of your Exes?" CJ snickered

"Shut up." Angie said as she began walking faster, a small blush on her face was present

"Actually, she likes that bookkeeper of hers too much to have any interest in me now." Slash said

Angie didn't say a word, if most of her face wasn't covered, it would resemble a tomato, in response, she tossed a nearby mailbox at Slash's head, only for him to catch it with one hand at the last second. He knew not to make the mistake of teasing her about that anymore.

"Anyway, I'll see you guys' downtown." Slash said as he regained his composure and walked away

[In _East Tokyo Park...]_

"So Grace, do you think Vincent will like the surprise?"

"From what you told me about him Teal, he doesn't sound like the type to like surprises."

Grace and Teal happened to be sitting on a swing-set at the park. In spite of her appearance, Teal was quite the tomboy. Her short black hair with a single barrette worn in it, helped make her tomboy interior more deceiving than it already was, her emerald green eyes resembled grass ,however to enhance the onset of her subtle feminine side, she wore a green long sleeve t-shirt, jean shorts, and fingerless gloves. Most importantly, in her lap was a pink spell book.

"Yeah, but I think this will be different, we've known each other for years and, I've grown a lot."

"I see what's going on here now. You have feelings for Vincent!" Grace said excitingly

"I-I-I…yeah, that's it. I want to spend some time alone with him so I can tell him how I feel. Have you ever had your first love before Grace?" Teal asked, a blush seen across her face

Grace was taken aback by Teal's sudden question; she knew very well how Teal felt, but of course, she also knew the pain when something ends so terribly.

"You can say that…" Grace said, her voice trailing off

"Tell me more." Teal said, now really interested

"Well…he—"

Just then, Grace was cut off as she looked up and saw a girl standing in front of them, she wore a blue and white mage robe, the standard uniform for a pawn. She had long brown hair, reaching her shoulders and light blue eyes. Her bookkeeper appeared to be some guy who was wearing a McDonald's uniform and had a tangerine spell book in his hand.

"Um…can I help you?" Grace asked, knowing where this was going

The girl simply raised her hand without saying a word.

"_Amrusen!"_

The girl's arm stretched and tried to snatch the pink spell book from Teal, Grace pushed her off of the swing just in time for her to miss.

"She must be a pawn that you-know-who warned me about." Grace said looking towards Teal

Teal didn't know why Grace didn't say Slash, even though Teal never saw him before, Grace informed her that she did not want to mention that name or any sentence using the word slash as a verb. This was a mystery Teal wanted to find out, but first she had to get rid of this girl first.

"Teal, give me a spell!" Grace yelled, now running towards the girl's side

"_Agaru!" _

Grace's hands turned into axes as she sidestepped the girl towards another direction, she was trying to get a good angle on the book so she could end this with as little violence as possible.

"_Amrusen!"_

The girl stretched out her arm again; Grace hesitated a little, before moving out of the way.

"Grace, try to go in for the book!" Teal yelled

"I'm trying to but, I don't see a clear path yet!"

"Grace, hit the ground before Agaru wears off!" Teal screamed

Grace did as Teal said and sliced up the ground, sending chunks of dirt, grass and rock everywhere.

"Alright Grace, now while the debris is diverting their attention, go in close!"

While the girl was knocking the debris out of the way, Grace went in close and was ready to spring into action.

"_Agaru!"_

Grace's hands re-transformed into axes as she sliced upward, cutting the book in half and covering it in flames, the girl quickly faded away and the bookkeeper ran off and left the park.

"That could have been better."

Grace turned around and saw none other than Slash himself, however he wasn't alone, standing next to him was the little girl that was swinging in the park a few days ago. She was around 3 feet and 7 inches tall with short brown hair and her cheeks were a shade of dark pink. She was wearing lavender overalls with a white shirt underneath with purple flowers on them, on her feet were lavender shoes, in her tiny hands, was a cerulean blue spell book.

"This is Kiichiro, my human partner."

"I wasn't aware I needed your judgment on how I had to fight." Grace said, rolling her eyes

"Anyway, we need to go downtown; there are some matters that need to be attended to."

Grace did not really care to go downtown, especially with Slash out of all people. Nonetheless, she sighed and followed Slash.

"_It's amazing how things change…" _

_Flashback: Mamodo World, a year and a half prior to current battle….._

_Grace and Slash were walking down a hill overlooking the sea. Slash's pace was quickening as Grace kept up with him. _

"_Slash, you're going to get selected to fight in the battle, you're too good not to!"_

"_That doesn't mean anything! There have been multiple relatives in the battle on plenty of occasions, just because Chainz was chosen a few years early, doesn't mean you won't be picked."_

"_It's because of that damn Chainz we're even having this discussion in the first place. If I take him out in the battle, I will become heir of the Cobra Clan, but I'm not ready for the kingship. As of right now, my #1 priority is becoming king and getting rid of my father and brother."_

"_Slash…the battle for king is important and all, but it's not everything." Grace said, her smile fading a bit_

"_You're right, winning isn't everything…it's the only thing."_

_End Flashback_

"We're here." Slash said flatly as he and Kiichiro walked down the stairs into the subway. Grace looked and saw the massive skyscrapers and various shops as she was impressed by downtown's beauty. Snapping back into reality, Grace and Teal followed Slash and Kiichiro down the stairs, where they were met by Chainz, Jyan and Nana's Trio, along with their respective book keepers. Interestingly, the subway appeared to be abandoned, according to a nearby sign, the subway station was last operated about 8 years ago.

"All right, here's the deal. The mamodo that you have fought today, are indeed pawns of the chess master. Most of them are fairly weak, but they are led by Knights of the Chess Master. There is a knight named Zane that is the leader of this attack and once he is taken down, the attack will be over and the Chess Master himself will be a step closer to being defeated."

"Where would we find this Zane guy at anyway?" CJ asked, already impatient

"That's a good question." said a voice near the shadows

Slash and the others turned around and saw the boy from the other day appear out of the shadows. It was the knight Slash met with a few days ago. His thin silver armor covered his body; on his metal shield was a white knight chess piece. His long, silky black hair was complimented by the shadows as he stood there smiling.

"I am Zane, knight of the Chess Master and commander of this operation. It is my duty to eliminate the Iron Prince and his allies."

As soon as Zane said that, a grumble could be heard amongst Chainz and the others.

"He's not my ally."

"I got dragged into this."

"I just want to fight; I couldn't care less about the Chess Master ordeal."

"Some allies you got there." Zane said chuckling to himself

"I'm not even going to waste my time, pawns take care of them!" he snapped

Just then, six pawns appeared in front of Zane, they then formed a circle around Slash and the others. Slash picked up Kiichiro and put her in the leather pouch strapped to Slash's back.

"Hold on tight Kiichi-chan. You guys take care of the pawns; I'm going to take care of Zane."

"No fair." CJ whined

"What utter bullshit, what makes you so special that you get to do it?" Jyan snarled

Slash ignored them as he took off sprinting after Zane. Zane saw Slash gaining on him and leapt on top of the immobile subway train. Slash followed suit and jumped on top as he continued chasing him.

"Otosan, let's use a spell to stop him."

"Sounds good."

"The first spell, _Hokeigo!"_

Slash stopped and put his hand on the subway's roof as the spike ball and chain rose from the ground, tripping Zane in the process. Slash galloped across the subway as he finally caught up to Zane.

"All right, time for you to fight me like a man now." Slash said

"Alright, suit yourself." Zane said

Behind Zane, a ceiling roof slid open and out came a man in his mid-40-s, he was wearing a tan shirt with a black blazer and blue jeans with black leather shoes and in his hand was a dark gray spell book.

"This is Charles, my human partner." Zane said as he stared Slash down, ready to battle.

_A.N- Ha-ha, I decided to end this chapter on a cliff-hanger. I gotta keep you guys wanting more! Oh and pika331, submit your mamodos and their stats so I can put them in the story. Till next time! R&R!_

Stats-

Name- Carter

Element- Laser

Partner- Unnamed bookkeeper

Book burned by- Chainz and Ishimaru

Rank- 73rd out of 100

Book Color- Forest Green

Spells- Ekir- Carter fires a laser out of his palm.

Name- Sage

Element- Unknown

Partner- Unnamed Bookkeeper

Book burned by- Jyan and Josh Luther

Rank- 72nd out of 100

Book Color- Tan

Spells- Unknown

Name- Dino

Element- Wires

Book burned by- Beat and Rachel

Rank- 71st out of 100

Book Color- Magenta

Partner- Unnamed book keeper

Spells- Oru Bogan- Dino shoots two wires out of his hands with small blades connected to them.

Ganjas Bogarga- Dino shoots six sharp wires from both hands with even longer blades connected to them at the end and slices up the opponent.

Name- Unnamed Mamodo girl

Element- Her arms

Book burned by- Grace and Teal

Rank- 70th out of 100

Book Color- Tangerine

Partner- Unnamed Book Keeper

Spells- Amrusen- Mamodo girl stretches her arms.


	16. Battle on the Subway! Slash vs Zane

_A/N- Alright everybody, just sit back, relax and enjoy yet another chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution. Oh and thank you Windraider on the advice to use brackets, I edited the last chapter and inserted brackets in order to make the transition smoother._

Slash and Zane were circling each other on top of the non-running subway train. There was nowhere else to run, it was either fight or be defeated.

"Slash, even if you do beat me, there's still Cero to worry about. He's the other knight of the Chess Master and he is attacking the Osaka area tomorrow, and there's nothing you can do to stop it, because you won't get there in time. Our mission given to us by the Chess Master himself isn't meant to get in your way and take you guys out. No, we are also to eliminate ANY mamodo that's in the way. Our Chess Master wants these cities as bases, so that he will connect his empire and steamroll the remaining competitors so he will have a clear path to become king."

"I'm not one to really care much, but let's get real here. Do you HONESTLY think that the Chess Master would give you power and influence outside of bossing around a few weakling mamodo?" Slash asked, his face looking serious.

Zane appeared to be insulted but kept his composure. "The glorious Chess Master is very confident in my abilities, hence why he chose me to lead this attack because it is vital for his plans."

"You're only an item to him, and not even a valuable one at that." Mocked Slash

That pushed Zane over the edge, as he was now furious. "Charles, give me a spell."

"_Armoruk!"_

Zane grew to about 8 feet tall and his face turned black and his thin metal armor turned into thick armor made out of stone. His once long, jet black hair was now snow white, small horns grew from his forehead and his fangs stuck out of his mouth.

"My spells all revolve this transformation and you're about to see firsthand on how much of a terror I really am!"

"Oh how nice." Slash said sarcastically

Zane slammed his heavy fist down, only for Slash to jump out of the way and land on a neighboring subway train.

"I'm going to have to make this quick before he does some serious damage and makes this whole place collapse. Kiichiro-Chan, let's get it done."

"Right. _Hokeigo!"_

Slash opened his hand once more as the spike ball and chain fired out towards Zane. Zane swung his now beastly fist, knocking the spike ball upwards and causing it to go through the ceiling. Slash dissipated the spike ball as he jumped on top of the same train Zane was standing on.

"I don't think so!" Zane yelled as he lifted up the roof of the cart in front of him and tossed it at Slash. Slash smiled. "That's just what I wanted you to do. Kiichiro, now!"

"_Gigano Hokeigo!"_

Slash slammed his hand flat on the cart in front of him, as the giant spike ball rose from the ground in front of Zane. The giant spike ball and thick, massive chain slammed into Zane with the equivalent force of a car crash at 60 mph. Zane flew back and crashed into another non-moving train and toppled over the vehicle. Charles, Zane's bookkeeper, jumped down and ran over to his mamodo. Slash couldn't get a good shot at the book without killing him. It wasn't that he was against killing a mere human, it was just that he didn't want to kill one in front of his young bookkeeper. Charles reached Zane as he got up.

"_Giga Armoruk!"_

Zane got on all fours as stone spikes rose out of his back, he then charged at Slash head-on. Slash got down on a knee and put his fist on the ground as Zane got closer. "Kiichiro, you already know what to do."

"Right." She nodded

Zane was getting even closer to Slash and Kiichiro. "I'm going to make a mess. First I'll ram Slash with my spikes and then I'm going to swallow the little girl!" Zane snarled as he was about 25 feet away. Slash however said nothing as he was still on a knee, waiting.

"Wait for it…almost." Slash said

"Now Kiichiro."

"_Ganzu Gazoruk!"_

Right at that moment, a metallic film covered Slash's fists and small spikes extended from his knuckles as he began punching the ground in rapid succession. The ground began to tremble as massive Iron spikes rose from the ground. The spikes were only about 6 feet tall and about 2 feet thick. Zane was being stabbed and impaled by the spikes, but was still charging at Slash. He arose from the spikes and was standing in front of Slash and Kiichiro. His body had gashes and various spikes stuck out of his legs. Small pools of blood could be seen on the ground.

"Damn you…damn you!" Zane screamed as the blood kept dripping out.

"It's over." Slash said simply

"No. No it's not! Charles, read my strongest spell!"

"_Dioga Armoruk!"_

Zane roared as he grew metallic claws on his hands and the horns on his forehead got even longer, his white hair grew out to his shoulders; the armor on his back covered his entire legs. Metallic wings grew out of his back; his coal black skin re-grew and closed up his gashes with thin, new skin.

"You're finished." Zane said as Charles got onto his back and he flew into the air.

"I don't think so." Slash said as he looked up to see where Zane was flying.

[On the other side of the station…]

Chainz and the others were still surrounded by the six pawns that were under Zane's command. Nobody was making a move after about 15 minutes.

"Actually, the author just didn't mention what was going on because it's not really that important." Jyan said

PG: Ahem.

Jyan: It's a habit that my creator gave me. If it's anybody's fault it's his.

PG: …

Suddenly, the pawns turned to leave. Since none of their bookkeepers were present, there was no reason for them to stick around.

"Our only purpose was to promote a distraction, our job here is done." The pawn said as he tossed a smoke capsule. The capsule shot up smoke, covering their tracks. When it cleared, they were gone without a trace. Chainz broke the silence, "Let's go find Slash." The others nodded as they set off for the other side of the station.

They finally reached the abandoned tracks and the non-moving subway trains; they saw Slash looking up at Zane. Zane flew down and grabbed a whole sheet of subway rails and tossed it at Slash. Slash leapt into the air and jumped over the incoming rail. He then kneeled down to catch his breath for a second.

"Are you getting tired Iron Prince? I expected you to be a lot tougher than this." Zane said, now hovering over Slash.

Slash didn't say a word.

"I am going to decapitate you limb by limb and I will keep your head as a trophy and I will be king after I get the Chess Master out of the way."

"_Gazurogaruga!"_

Slash's spell book glowed a bright blue color as Zane quickly flew into the air; he suddenly jerked and fell back into the ground. As Zane struggled to get up, he saw Charles nursing a wound on his hand.

"Charles, how did you get that gash on your hand? Why do I feel so weak all of a sudden…?"

Zane looked down and to his horror; he saw blood oozing from his chest. Unlike earlier, this time it was slowly but steadily pouring and flowing. Zane was sure that some of his arteries were punctured, but wasn't sure.

"Charles, I need a spell! Charles? Charles? I need a spell!" Zane turned and saw that his book was covered in light blue flames and most notably, a lance was sticking out of the now burning book.

"This can't be? But…but…but how? When did you hit me?"

"My Gazurogaruga spell allows me to summon a 9-foot long iron lance. As soon as you heard Kiichiro chant the spell, you quickly flew into the air, thinking that you dodged my spell when as a matter of fact, you didn't. As you flew into the air, I only had the head of the lance summoned. I threw it upwards as soon as I saw you left your weak spot wide open…your chest. Even though your spells revolve around armor, none of it covers your chest, therefore providing a vulnerable point. When you suddenly jerked in the air, that's was you reacting to the lance piercing your chest. I was actually aiming for your book this whole time. You see, after it went through your chest, I was precise enough to use the lance to impale the book and possibly impale your human partner's hand. Considering if he would have even moved the book, I would have injured his hand, thus making it difficult for him to hold the book and read spells which would have gave you a handicap."

"This was a fluke! You are overrated Iron Prince Slash! You are overrated! The Bishops will crush you anyway and they are much stronger than I am!" Zane yelled as he was nearly gone

"As a matter of fact, I was fighting you with a handicap. I only used my fist couple of spells, considering that I already have eight of them. Second of all, I kept by human partner on my back this whole time. Normally when I fight, I hide her somewhere so she can read my spells in a safe place, plus it gives me more mobility. Now have fun back home." Slash said as Zane was now completely gone

Slash jumped off the subway cart and walked over to Chainz and the others.

"That was an awesome fight!" CJ exclaimed

"Heh, it was alright." Jyan said

"Excellent." Angie said, one word was all that needed to be said

"There's more trouble up ahead. We won this battle today, but this only the beginning. The next attack is planned in Osaka by another Knight of the Chess Master named Cero, Ishimaru; you should get a team together, and stop them." Slash said as he put the now sleeping Kiichiro and his cerulean blue into his leather pouch.

"Why should I do it?" Ishimaru asked, bewildered

"I have other things to take care of and because I have bigger things to attend to." Slash turned and walked away

"Ishimaru rubbed his chin as he began to think."

[_Back at Ishimaru's house, a few hours later…_]

"WHAT?" Haley exclaimed

Ishimaru had just finished explaining the whole situation and battles that day to Haley over Skype and she was in shock and disbelief.

"So that's why I want you guys to lead the attack."

Haley scratched her head a little. She knew Kai was lazy but brilliant; however she didn't know whether or not he could be a decent leader.

"Alright, even though I'm still a bit reluctant, me and Kai will put a team together within the next few days and take out Cero and his pawns."

"All right that's what I like to hear." Ishimaru said as he hung up

Haley closed her laptop and went into the living room, to see Kai asleep on the couch wearing nothing but his boxers with popcorn spilled over the floor and out of the bowl, he also had various can of juices and sodas everywhere as well.

"All right Kai, we're going to see how much of a leader you can be." Haley said as she went back into her room and closed the door.

_A/N- Alrighty that's the end of the chapter. My apologies if the fight between Slash and Zane was too graphic, but most of Slash's spells are going to be graphic (some a lot more than this or others) but, depending what your opinions are whether or not I should keep the gore at a minimum. R&R and tell me your thoughts! Till next time!_

Stats-

Name- Zane

Partner- Charles Johnson

Element- Armor

Book burned by- Slash and Kiichiro

Rank- 68th out of 100th

Book Color- Dark Gray

Spells- Armoruk- Zane transform into an 8-foot monster version of himself with stone armor.

Giga Armoruk- Zane gets on all fours as he grows spikes on his back and charges at the opponent

Dioga Armoruk- Zane's strongest spell; Zane gets an enhanced version of armor and grows metallic wings and gains the ability to fly into the air.


	17. Kai, Minister of Defense!

A/N- _All right, we're in the middle of the first arc. Thank you for all of the reviews and submissions! They mean a lot. Now here's another chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution!_

Haley was baffled. She had been up half the night, trying to figure out how she was going to be a leader, while Kai on the other hand, didn't lose a wink of sleep over the issue. Later on that morning, Haley woke Kai up as he got dressed and they began searching for a team to build. After looking and searching for about an hour and a half, they sat down on a nearby sidewalk. "Finding other mamodo is harder than I thought, we're probably better off by having them come to us." Kai said

'You're just trying to be lazy, which of course is no surprise." Haley said as she hopped up. Kai followed suit and they began theirs search again, as they walked a few more blocks, they herd some commotion in a nearby alley.

"Leave us alone! We surrender! No more! No more!"

These screams came from a pink haired boy with blue eyes, a black hoodie and blue jeans. He was with another boy with a white t-shirt and black basketball shorts and black sneakers on and most interestingly, in his hand was an olive green spell book.

"Kaz, there's nowhere else for us to run!" yelled the bookkeeper

"Michael, it looks like we will have to try to fight." Kaz said as he turned and faced his attackers

Haley and Kai were watching from a distance and were intrigued by what they saw; they continued watching in order to see where things were going.

As Kaz and Michael turned around, a ring of purple flames appeared as Hori and Meida materialized.

"I didn't know you could teleport!" exclaimed Kaz

"It's better than walking." Hori said as he began walking closer to the frightened Kaz and Michael.

"_Juroba!"_

Kaz opened his mouth and spat a sticky green substance at Hori. Hori quickly teleported and reappeared on top of a nearby trash can. He jumped off of the trash can and examined the substance. It contracted and retracted, as if it was breathing, Hori then watched it harden and tighten.

"This stuff must be some kind of slime." Hori said as he turned his attention back to Kaz and Michael

"L-Leave us alone! We don't want to fight anymore!" yelled Kaz

"You should have thought about that before you even challenged me to a battle! We are here in this world to fight, if you are going to surrender, then you don't even deserve to be in this battle!" Hori roared, his boots now making a crushing sound. The white-haired mamodo was standing in front of the now traumatized mamodo team. He was going to make them pay for their cowardice.

"Meida, you already know what to do." Hori said darkly, as a bloodthirsty grin appeared on his face

"_Nekoru."_

Hori's hand was covered by a purple flame, he shot it towards Michael as his shirt caught on fire, Michael screamed as the hot flames were burning up his shirt. Michael tried to put the flames on his shirt out by hitting it with the spell book. This was a costly move, as the flames simply spread and engulfed the book, covering in with the purple fire.

"Michael, what have you done?" screamed Kaz as he was now fading away

"I-I panicked!" Michael yelled

Hori was now in front of Kaz and Michael. He put his boot on Kaz's chest and grinned at Michael

"You're a monster." Kaz stammered,

"Oh am I? I could have sworn that I was just doing my job." Hori chuckled sadistically

Michael was still holding the burning spell book, he knew it was his fault that Kaz was fading away, it was his idea to attack Hori, and Kaz lost his shot at being king all because of him.

"_Juroba."_

Kaz spat the same green slime substance from earlier into Hori's face; it contracted and tightened on his face.

"Damn you! Meida give me another spell!"

"_Nekoruga!"  
><em>

Hori opened his palm and fired out a concentrated beam of purple flame, it destroyed the remains of the burning spell book, causing Michael's hands to burn a bit more and Kaz to completely and instantly disappear. Michael got up and ran away.

Kai and Haley watched the entire thing go down, and saw Hori's sadistic brutality.

"Kai, let's get out of here before they see us." Haley whispered

"No. I want him on our team." Kai said as he went into the alley to approach them

"Kai usually isn't the initiator to get things done, so he must mean business."

About ten minutes later, Kai walked out of the alley, with a sly grin on his face.

"No way…" Haley said

"Yes way." Kai said

"How? That guy is dangerous!" Haley said, still in complete awe

"This is how I did it…" Kai began to explain

_Flashback: 10 minutes ago_

"_You want some of this too?" Hori snarled as he saw Kai_

"_Get real. How would you like to join up with my team?"_

"_I don't do teams, I work solo." Hori said flatly_

"_Don't even think of it as a team, more of a partnership." _

"_Um…no." Hori said as he and Meida began to walk away_

_Kai knew he was risking his ass if he said this, but he knew he could hold his own and that it was better than regret._

"_I didn't know you were a chicken." _

_Hori stopped in his tracks instantly._

"_What did you say?" Hori growled _

_Kai walked up close to Hori, close enough to squat down and make eye contact with Hori._

"_I said…Chicken."_

_Hori growled at Kai, how dare he call him out of his name. For a minute, Kai thought Hori was going to sock him, but after he saw that that wasn't happening, he smiled._

"_I'm no damn chicken and I'll prove it by being on your stupid team!" Hori said as Kai and Meida exchanged contact information and they teleported away_

_End Flashback…._

"So…how did that take ten minutes?" Haley asked

"Beats me." said Kai

Kai and Haley went on their way. They still had to find a few others that would be willing to help out

[_Meanwhile, on the other side of Osaka…._]

"So this is where she's staying at?"

"Yeah Toshiro, according to mom and dad, Haley lives in this city now."

Toshiro and his human partner Leon had just arrived in Osaka. Toshiro had straight black hair that reached a little past his ears. Complimenting his hair was his cerulean eyes and slightly tanned skin. He stood around 5'9 and had a skinny, yet fairly toned figure. He wore an aqua t-shirt with a black jacket, black pants and blue and white sneakers.

Leon on the other hand, was about 6 feet tall. He had spiky red hair with a green headband with a red dragon on it. His emerald green eyes were similar to the color of Chainz's spell book. He wore a black jacket, black pants and grey shoes, he also carried Toshiro's sky blue spell book in his hand as well.

"So where do we look first?"

"Well, according to the address I have written down, we need to find Sukiomi Technical University. Then we look for one of the student apartments and we'll be golden."

"All right, let's get it done." Toshiro said as they continued on their quest.

_[Parking lot behind Osaka Cathedral…]_

"Azure, Adella, we have to practice our spells so we don't get rusty. I want you two to do a combination attack on me."

"B-But what if you get hurt?" Azure asked

"Don't worry, I won't. Rika, Rai, just go when you are ready!"

A blue light and a red light glowed as Sola prepared herself

"_Firano!"_

Adella shot out fire arrows and aimed them towards Sola's chest.

"_Runaega!" _

Azure formed a ring of large icicles, pointed towards Sola and shot them forward.

The flaming arrows and icicles were coming at Sola fast; she needed perfect timing in order to pull this off.

"Lily, now!"

"_Estarias!"_

Sols then leapt into the air as she went over the arrows and icicles. Azure and Adella quickly instructed their bookkeepers to close their spell books so that the spells will dissipate before they caused any property damage.

Kai happened to sense their presence and took Haley to the cathedral, as they looked on and watched their training.

Sola set up targets and dummies as the three mamodo used their spells to destroy targets. Kai saw enough.

"That was amazing."

Sola saw Kai and Haley and defensively stood in front of Adella and Azure

"What do you want?"

"I want you three to join my team."

"For what?"

"You guys have good teamwork and we can learn from that."

"No deal."

"There are mamodo that are going to attack any day now and we need to stop them, and help from you guys will be greatly appreciated."

"How do I know that this isn't a trap?"

"You care about those two don't you?" Kai said, pointing to Azure and Adella

"That's not any of your business." Sola replied

"Listen, when these mamodo called the pawns and knight of the Chess Master attack, wouldn't you protect your friends?"

"Of course."

"So, if you join up in a team, you will have back-up and even better protection for your friends and your bookkeeper."

Sola stopped and looked as though she was considering what Kai said to her. She looked towards Azure and Adella who quietly nodded; she then turned towards Lily, her bookkeeper who also nodded. Sola then looked back at Kai.

"Alright, we'll help, but only on the condition that this is a temporary alliance. Me, Azure and Adella have a good thing going."

"That's all I need to hear." Kai said as he and Haley went back to her apartment

Kai and Haley were going up the stairs in her apartment. Haley unlocked the door as her jaw literally almost hit the floor when she saw the guests who were sitting on your couch.

"Leo…but…but…h-how?"

Leo stood up and hugged his sister. It had been quite a while since the two had been together again. Haley looked at Toshiro and saw him petting Kai's head like a pet.

"Heyy, lil' bro." Toshiro said, snickering

"I see someone's not being on their serious side." Kai replied, a bit annoyed at the head rubbing

Haley then explained the situation with the Chess Master

"It's too dangerous!" Leo exclaimed

"I'll be fine; I don't need you breathing down my neck." Haley retorted, not wanting to be treated like a baby.

"Alright, I'll step aside ONLY on one condition.

"And what would that be?"

"I get to join your team."

Kai and Haley looked at each other, Kai nodded.

"All right, you can help out."

Kai and Haley were exhausted yet Kai felt accomplished at the same time. However, this was only the first step completed. The next step was setting up a strategy and getting this done right. He then had Haley call Ishimaru on Skype.

"Hey, Haley." Ishimaru greeted

"Heyy."

"Ishimaru, I have a question." Kai said

"Go ahead."

"How did the pawns attack you guys?"

Ishimaru then told Kai how the pawns split up and that they appeared in various parts of the city were different mamodo teams were. Kai nodded, thanked Ishimaru and left. Haley then turned to the screen.

"So, are you nervous?" Ishimaru asked

"A little…" Haley giggled

"Well don't worry; I think you'll do fine." Ishimaru said, smiling

"Thanks." Haley said, slightly blushing

"Who the hell is this?"

Haley turned around to see Leo standing right behind her, looking over her shoulder.

"Does it really matter?"

Leo didn't say a word, he simply reached over and looked at Ishimaru, who clearly looked annoyed and pressed the hang-up button.

"Why did you do that?"

"It's only for your safety."

Haley rolled her eyes as Leo left the room. Hopefully, he wouldn't be this overprotective in a mamodo battle

[_A few hours later…_]

Kai and the others were standing around; the Osaka sunset could be seen over the skyline of the city. Kai was explaining to everybody what their jobs were.

"Azure, Adella and Sola, you guys keep watch over South Osaka."

"Hori, you have the Eastern part of the city."

"I will take the Northern part and Toshiro will -"

"Actually, we will take the northern part of the city too."

Kai looked over at Leo and Toshiro and shook his head.

"No way, I already figured out how I'm going to do it."

"It's too dangerous for Haley out there, hence why I am also coming along to make sure that nothing bad happens."

Haley groaned as Kai face palmed.

"So who's going to take on the Western part of Osaka?"

"I called in a previous ally." Toshiro said

"Well, where are they?" demanded Kai

Kai turned around and saw a boy with short light blonde hair which is usually tousled and over his eyes were high-tech goggles. He wore a plaid shirt and some pants. There was also a girl standing next to him as well. His partner alongside him was holding a spell book and she appeared to be a small girl around seven years old.

"Kai, meet Chace." Toshiro said

"Hey dude. Alright, can you handle West Osaka on your own?"

Chace nodded as he took his partner by the hand.

"All right everybody, disperse!"

Kai and the others went their separate ways. Haley, Kai, Toshiro and Leo went back to Haley's apartment and Haley decided to go to sleep for the night, Kai and Toshiro stayed awake in order to keep watch for the pawns and Cero.

[_Meanwhile…._]

Cero and a few pawns were lined up. Cero turned around and addressed the pawns. He had short chestnut brown hair, like Zane, he had the appearance of a knight, however he wore chain mail on this torso, arms and legs and wore a blue tunic with a white knight chess piece patch sewn onto the tunic.

"All right men. We will overrun the city in a few hours; they won't know what hit them."

_A/N- Kai has his team together. However Cero is much tougher than Zane. Will he be able to pull this off? Find out in the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! Till Next Time! R&R!_


	18. Azure and Adella's fight to the finish!

_A/N- All right, in order to enhance this lovely story we have going here. I enlisted my irl (that mean's in real life, for those who don't know.) best friend Sufrir to co-write this story with me. Other than grammar editing, none of his work will come in until the 2__nd__ arc, which we are still developing right now and we already have a prototype outline and stuff written up. The 1__st__ arc is of course, written by me only. The 2__nd__ arc is going to be very big and I think you all are really going to enjoy it. _

Haley tossed and turned in her sleep that night. No matter what she did, to try and take her mind off of the upcoming battle, she couldn't bring herself to do so. The stress and risks of the battle were getting to her. There was also the possibility of losing Kai as well. As much as she scolded him for his laziness, he had really grown on her and things would not be the same if he was gone. Haley eventually drifted off but, it only seemed like it was a few seconds, because the sunlight and her blaring alarm said otherwise. She got up and got dressed and was wearing Suki Tech's uniform. On her way out of the door, she grabbed her briefcase and put Kai's spell book in it. She got on campus and her classes went along smoothly. Haley finally had an hour break as she sat down at a small table let out a heavy sigh.

"This is weird…I thought the attack would have started by now."

Haley was obviously talking to no one in particular. She decided to go check up on Kai and returned to her apartment. Like usual, Kai was asleep in front of the television, Leon was in Kai's room with a sleeping mask on his face. Toshiro was also asleep next to Leon, but his feet were near Leon's face and his head was towards the end of the bed. Haley turned and left, maybe something will be up sooner than she thought.

"Maybe the others are having better luck than we are."

[_Meanwhile….in South Osaka_]

"This is boring!" Adella said as she clung on to her brother's arm. Adella, Azure and Sola were observing South Osaka as they kept their eyes peeled for any pawns that may be lurking around.

"I'm sure they'll be coming soon." Sola said, although she was hoping they wouldn't and that this was simply a hoax.

Rika, Rai and Lily were also looking around as well. It was mostly overall a large silence. Rika and Rai, although brother and sister, had a strained relationship. It wasn't that they hated each other or anything, just that being separated for seven years made things more awkward than they normally would be. Lily however, was quite a chatterbox.

"I'm ready for those pawns, you guys won't be able to restrain me cause I'll be too busy kicking their asses!" Sola and the others disregarded Lily whenever she talked about combat and confrontation, because they knew Lily was all talk. Every time a fight broke out or a battle always ensued, Lily was the first to run away. Though from time to time, she sucked it up and fought anyway, trying to use that as proof that she isn't afraid of combat. This however, only caused Sola to have even more on her plate. Aside from protecting Azure and Adella, she had to look after her bookkeeper and keep watch over her master, Rika.

"Lily, you know it's not ladylike to curse." Sola said, turning back around

Before Lily could open her mouth to argue, they were interrupted by an attack.

"_Gazudon!"_

An orb of violet light almost hit Lily as Sola dragged her out of the way.

Sola looked up and saw three mamodo standing in front of them. All three were wearing the blue and white robes with the white pawn chess piece sewn onto them.

The mamodo that fired the ball of energy was about 4 feet tall with black hair and red eyes. The other two mamodo were two girls, both with blonde hair and amber eyes. They appeared to be holding hands; they looked exactly the same and even spoke in unison.

"**You won't be going any further! You are not interfering with our Chess Master's plans!" **they said in unison, their voice was monotone and lightly echoed

The black-haired mamodo finally spoke, "I'm a little upset that I missed. Oh well, my name is Connor and over there is Zappa and Zena. We are pawns of the Chess Master and our job is to make sure we have South Osaka under our control. I'm a nice guy, so you have two options, surrender your books and well burn them and send you guys off peacefully or we do this the violent way and possibly take your lives in the process."

"Shut up."

Sola almost had a heart attack when she turned and saw that Azure was the one who said that.

"Azure…"

"W-We love being here and, you're not going to make us split up!"

Sola was in awe, this was pretty out of character for Azure, who normally was a crybaby and never said much, was now standing in front of Adella, protecting her. He cared about his sister and Rika and being with all of the others there on Earth, there was no way that they were going to part was without a fight.

"You insolent brat! You're going to pay for that!" growled Connor

Azure quickly hid behind Adella. Even though there was a small glimpse of Azure standing strong, he still had a long way to go.

"_Gazudon!" _

Connor tossed another violet orb towards Sola and the others, causing them to jump out of the way and a large cloud of dust to kick up. Sola pulled out her elegant black feathered fan and blow the dust away, only to find Azure, Adella, Rika and Rai gone.

"Where'd they go?"

Sola turned around and saw Connor smiling. "No need for you to be concerned about them when you have me to worry about."

[_A few blocks away….]_

"We gotta keep going!"

Azure was running down an alleyway, grabbing Adella by the hand, who was trying to keep up. Rika and Rai weren't too much further behind. When Connor blew up the road, Zappa and Zena tried to attack them, but with Azure's quick thinking, he grabbed Adella and took off. Seeing a dead end up ahead, he came to a halt, knowing they had no choice but to fight. He observed his surroundings; it was a slender opening, about 15 feet wide. On both sides, were two brick apartment complexes, casting a large shadow over the alley. Behind them was a large blue dumpster and in front of them were Zappa and Zena along with their human reader.

"**There's nowhere else to run. You must fight us. Human, give us a spell!" **

The interesting thing about Zappa and Zena was that they were twins conjoined by the hand. (Zappa's Left and Zena's right) Therefore they only had one bookkeeper, a young blond girl who appeared to be in her teens.

"_Kiroro!"_

A machete appeared in both Zappa and Zena's hands as they pointed them towards Azure and Adella and began spinning until the resembled a tornado.

"_Lashield!"_

Azure quickly summoned an Ice Wall, blocking the sharp vortex as light began to shine from it, blinding their bookkeeper as she shielded her light brown eyes from the light and the chunks of ice being chipped from the wall. This provided a good opening for Adella as she went ahead and took advantage of this opportunity.

"_Firaga!"_

Adella summoned a javelin as she tossed it at the Ice wall, causing it to explode and sent ice chunks and most importantly, Zappa and Zena flying. They hit the ground and their spell was nullified.

"Azure…they want to make this a weapons fight…so let's make it a weapons fight."

Azure nodded in agreement as they ran forward towards their opponents.

"_Scythrias Icicalia!"_

"_Antrai Ignarias!"_

Azure raised his hands as a sphere of light came from his hands and floated above; the light grew and formed an Ice scythe. He spun the Ice scythe above his head and covered part of a nearby brick wall with ice.

A sphere of light appeared in Adella's hand and grew to form a dual blade. She rose up her hand as a blaze of fire erupted and covered her dual-blade. She and Azure looked at each other and nodded as they ran forward and attacked.

"**Fire and Ice, how cute, it doesn't matter, we will cut you two to pieces!"**

"_Giga Kiroro!"_

Zena and Zappa's machetes glowed a bright green light as they also ran forward to face the rivaling twins. Azure's scythe collided with Zappa's blade and Adella clashed with Zena. Adella slammed her dual-bade into Zena's. Sparks flew as the blade clanged. Neither side was giving in. Azure on the other hand, was giving Zappa all she could handle and more. He was trying to freeze her blades, but she kept parrying and staying in the fight.

"**This is child's play! This should be over by now"**

"_Ganzu Kiroro!"_

Zena and Zappa's machetes glowed a green light once more as they slammed their machetes on the ground, slicing the concrete and sending shockwaves everywhere. Azure and Adella flew back, coming close to colliding into the back wall.

"I got to do something quick!" yelled Rika as she looked down at the spell book and searched for a spell

"All right, found one! _Raian Hovaria!"_

Azure formed a frozen wave board and quickly got on top of it; he grabbed Adella's hand and pulled her on top of his back. He glided across the broken concrete and leapt over the crater left in the ground from Zappa and Zena's spell. Suddenly, Rai had an idea.

"Rika, the key to their teamwork and balance is the fact that they're conjoined, so how about we give them a surprise surgery!"

Rika flinched a little when she realized that Rai was speaking to her directly. Not only did Rai hardly ever talk, it was the first time in a while that he really talked to her since they reunited.

"Y-yeah." She stammered as she looked back over at the twins as they were coming at the enemy conjoined pawns fast.

"Azure, aim for their conjoined hand with the scythe!" she yelled

Azure, who still had Adella on his back, slid up the left brick wall and swung his scythe, sending the chilled ice waves towards Zena and Zappa,. The conjoined twins tried to swing at Azure and knock him and his sister off of the board and their hand froze in the process.

"**Damn it!" **

Azure slid across the wall and jumped back onto the ground. He and Adella got back onto the board and slid back towards the distraught Zena and Zappa, who were too busy worrying about their frozen conjoined hand. Adella stood behind Azure as she readied her dual-blade. Rai kept watch as he had the red-orange spell book opened and glowing a bright orange light.

"We only have one shot at this, so I have to get it just right." Adella said as she was anticipating the strike.

Zappa and Zena however, weren't taking this lightly.

"**You're not getting a chance to hit us, read our best spell human!"**

"_Go Kiroro!"_

The Machetes in Zena and Zappa's hands glowed green and rose from their hands, the two blades merged and formed a green shark spirit. The shark then went forward towards the fire and ice twins, opening its large jaws and bared its sharp teeth. Azure and Adella looked at each other. They knew that as long as they stood strong together, they had nothing to be afraid of. Staying together on Earth all depended on this moment.

With every ounce of willpower he had within him, Azure jumped off of the board and into the air, he slashed the shark spirit in half with the scythe, dissipating it instantly. Adella took her chance and ran forward, slicing the now shocked Zappa and Zena's frozen conjoined hand in half, separating them. Adella looked up at their bookkeeper and rose her dual-blade, slicing the spell book in half ad blanketed the book in blue embers. The book slammed onto the ground and the now de-conjoined twins faded away.

"We did it brother!" Adella said happily as she hugged Azure

"Yeah, but we shall pray their spirits have a safe return back to the Makai."

Rika and Rai ran up to their mamodo as they enjoyed their victory. However, it was short-lived as now they had to find Sola and reunite with her.

[_Meanwhile, a few blocks away]_

"Ready to give up?" Connor said smiling as a trail of smoke was leaving his hand; he and Sola were fighting on fairly even terms.

"Of course not. It is impolite to quit in a middle of a fight."

"Maybe you should rethink that."

"_Gigano Gazudon!"_

Connor opened up his palms as a large violet orb shot out of his hands, Sola had her elegant black feather fan opened and ready.

"_Lucarias!"_

Sola swung her fan as blades of wind ripped out and destroyed the concrete in front of her and collided with the ball and exploded. She waved away the smoke and dust in her direction and stood facing Connor.

"When I use my fan, my first and weakest spell is the equivalent of your Gigano spell."

"Don't get cocky! You still have to face my wrath!" spat Connor

"Cockiness is also quite unladylike." Sola said as Lily had the spell book opened and glowing a bluish light

"That's enough out of you! George, give me a spell!"

"_Ganzu Gazudon!" _

Connor opened his hands as many tiny violet orbs came out and shot them at Sola. Sola lifted her fan up as she swung it forward as Lily read the spell.

"_Lucazias!"_

Just then, wind blades were released from the fan as the tiny orbs hit Sola and sent her flying. The wind blades kept going towards Connor and sliced shreds of his robe off and a few of the blades impaled him as well. Blood could be seen leaking from his various lacerations. Connor was furious, not only was he not matching up to Sola, she sliced his beautiful robe up as well. Connor took the robe off, revealing black pants and stood there as his fairly toned and shirtless torso stood out in the light.

"I can't believe this! I couldn't possibly be losing! I just can't! There's no way I'm going to let you beat me!"

Sola sighed. She didn't feel like opening her mouth and having to get this guy to see reality. He was finished and he should accept it.

"I won't accept defeat! I'll just obliterate you with my strongest spell!"

"_Dioga Gazudon!"_

Connor laughed maniacally as a massive violet orb, the size of an oak tree, formed in his hands. He lifted up his arms as the orb expanded, he then tossed it forward, though it was moving slowly, Sola could tell that it contained a lot of power. Turning around, she saw that Lily had a look of fear on her face. Sola, knew that somehow she had to destroy the massive orb and defeat Connor or he was going to beat her with his strongest spell.

"Lily, use our fourth spell, it has enough power to at least weaken it, if not destroy it."

Lily hesitated a bit, but saw the incoming destruction of the giant orb and decided to act.

"_Lasarias Luczias!"_

Sola swung her fan as many threads of wind erupted. The large orb stopped in its tracks, expanded a little and exploded. Sola stood in front of lily and covered her face with the fan.

The debris cleared up as she and Connor stood there facing each other. He was on his knees and breathing hard. George used up all of his heart energy and couldn't spare anymore, as it had all gone into that final spell.

"Damn…it…I'm…done."

Sola didn't waste any time, she had to make sure Connor was down for the count, she ran forward as Lily quickly read the spell.

"_Lucarias!"_

Sola swung her fan as the wind blades knocked Connor over and the others collided into George and his violet book, slicing it to pieces and covering the pieces in flames.

Sola walked up closer to Connor. She felt a little bad for him, but he was an evil mamodo who separated her from her young master and his sister.

"Where is your leader?" Sola asked

"He…he…is in the Eastern part of the city. He's going to take control of this city. You won't be able to stop him."

"Who said I had any intention of doing so?" Sola asked rhetorically

"I figured Zappa and Zena were defeated because I don't sense their presence anymore. Doesn't matter, it's not like Cero will fail. Unlike Zane, Cero has no underlying motive, which is why our Chess Master sent him on a suicide mission, because he knew of the threat Zane had against him. We are all on a suicide mission, whenever our Chess Master is done using us; he disposes us by sending us on suicide missions. The other pawns have no desire to be king, so they will try anything to promote the Chess Master's goal, so you have been warned."

Connor faded away as Sola stood up. The Chess Master was shrouded in mystery, even though she didn't plan on actively going out to seek the Chess Master, she figured she could keep an eye out for anything related to it. Her train of thought however, was broken when she heard a voice calling her.

"Sola!"

Sola looked up to see Azure and Adella along with Rika and Rai coming towards her. They were unharmed and told Sola about their battle and how they defeated Zappa and Zena.

"I'm glad to see that you guys are safe." Lily said as she closed the silvery-blue spell book

Sola and the others were victorious, as they returned to the cathedral, Sola wondered how the others were doing…

[_In Eastern Osaka….]_

Hori looked around as he waited for an opportunity. He didn't care to follow Kai's orders. Hell, he was only in it just so he could fight. Hori didn't give a single damn about fighting a mere pawn. No, he wanted to take down Cero himself. As soon as he saw him, Hori was going to blast him with a strong spell and then take his sweet time beating him down. Hopefully, he would be a bit of a challenge and not a paper tiger. He saw a shadow move on a nearby building and sensed a mamodo presence.

"All right, it's go time." He said as he grabbed Meida and teleported

_A/N- That's the end of the chapter! (obviously) The Religious Trio (If I say that, then I'm referring to Azure, Adella and Sola) has defeated a few pawns and now Hori saw a shadow is on the move. Will he run into the Knight Cero? Find out in the next Chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R!_

Name- Zena

Partner- Unnamed Book reader

Element- Machetes

Ranking-68th out of 100

Book Color- Ash Gray

Book burned by- Azure and Rika

Spells- Kiroro- A Machete appears in Zena's hand as she and Zappa began spinning like a tornado at the opponent.

Giga Kiroro- Powers up the machete.

Ganzu Kiroro- Zena starts slicing her machete is a rapid motion and destroys anything in front of her.

Go Kiroro- Zena's strongest spell, her machete merges with Zappa's machete as a shark spirit is sent at the opponent.

Name- Zena and Zappa

Partner- Unnamed Book Reader

Element- Machetes

Ranking-68th out of 100

Book Color- Ash Gray

Book burned by- Adella and Rai

Spells- Kiroro- A Machete appears in Zappa's hand as she and Zena began spinning like a tornado at the opponent.

Giga Kiroro- Powers up the machete.

Ganzu Kiroro- Zappa starts slicing her machete is a rapid motion and destroys anything in front of her.

Go Kiroro- Zappa's strongest spell, her machete merges with Zena's machete as a shark spirit is sent at the opponent.

Name- Connor

Partner- George

Element- Ultraviolet orbs

Ranking-67th out of 100

Book Color- Violet

Book burned by- Sola and Lily

Spells- Gazudon- Connor shoots an orb at the opponent

Gigano Gazudon- Larger version of Gazudon

Ganzu Gazudon- Shoots mini versions of Gazudon at the opponent

Dioga Gazudon- Connor's strongest spell, sends a massive and powerful yet slow orb at the opponent.


	19. Epic Battle! Hori vs Kai!

_A/N- I want to wrap up the 1__st__ arc within the next 1-2 weeks, so I'm picking up the pace and I'm making chapters faster…Oh and thank you for all of the recent OC submissions. Just as a reminder, No newly submitted OC's will appear in the first arc. They will make their debuts in the 2__nd__ arc. Now enjoy the latest chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution!_

"All right, it's go time." Hori said as he grabbed Meida's hand and teleported. Hori was in hot pursuit, he was going to find out the owner of the shadow and nobody was going to get in his way and stop him. He re-appeared on a lightly busy crosswalk, where surprisingly nobody noticed him materializing out of thin air. He looked and saw the same shadowy figure from earlier and sensed the same demonic scent. He grabbed Meida's hand, running into an alley and teleporting once more. They arrive in the middle of an empty road leading into the outskirts of the city.

"Why did you teleport us here?" Meida asked, impatient with Hori's hastiness

Hori didn't answer her immediately. After a pause for a few moments he finally spoke, "I'm staying ahead of the mamodo I saw from earlier."

Meida sighed and shook her head, typical Hori response. Whenever he pursued a target, he always stayed ahead and pounced on his victim with a frontal assault. Just then, the shadowy figure appeared once more, coming into light to reveal none other than Cero himself.

"I knew you would come here." Hori growled, baring his sharp teeth

"As did I, which is why I decided to lead you here." Cero replied, smiling

"What do you mean!" Hori shouted, his teeth beginning to grit

"I knew you were following me, ever since I saw you standing on top of that skyscraper back in the city. I used a decent angle and used my shadow as a guide.

Hori heard enough, he wasn't going to have Cero or anyone for that matter, not even Meida make a fool out of him.

"Meida!"

"_Nekoru."_

Hori's hand was covered in purple flame as he tossed it at Cero. Cero however, dodged and jumped back, Hori wasn't finished just yet. He did a quick 360 degree spin and thrust his hand back.

"_Nekoru!"_

Hori's hand was once again covered in purple flame as he quickly thrusted his hand forward, directly into Cero's chest. To Hori's surprise, the look in Cero's face was not one of pain or agony, but a grin.

"_Waxaruk!"_

Cero's smile was still plastered on his face as Hori's flaming hand went through his chest. Hori looked and saw that Cero's body was soft, gooey and somewhat sticky. His arm was now through his torso as he knocked Cero's body over. Hori stood on a knee as sticky blue, silver and white material was melting through his hand.

"_Is this wax…?"_

Hori turned around to see Cero standing behind him and was met with a punch to the face. He rolled on the ground and jumped back up. "What the hell kind of freak are you?" Hori growled. He was sure that he killed Cero in one hit, but then again he knew that would have been too easy.

"Insults aren't very nice you know. Allow me to explain, my spells are wax-based. For example, my Waxaruk spell allows me to shed a wax coating off of my body and use it as a substitution so it'll be the scapegoat for enemy attacks.

"Like I give a shit." Hori said as he teleported and re-appeared in front of Cero. He began punching the slightly older mamodo repeatedly. His punches and kicks connected with Cero's, but the Knight of the Chess Master was holding his own.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!" Cero yelled as he grabbed Hori by the throat with his right hand.

"_Amu Waxar!"_

Cero's right arm became warm, soft and gooey as it melted into wax and extended forward, slamming Hori into a tree. Cero's arm detached from the sticky wax and returned to normal. Hori however, was stuck under a glob of wax. He felt the wax harden and tighten around his body; it felt as though he were trapped in a candle. He tried to teleport, but the grip of the wax was too strong. Meida ran over to his side and examined the wax.

"This wax is a lot thicker than it looks." She said, trying to break a piece off of the tree.

"The fact that you think you are able to beat me is a joke. If you weren't so useless and worthless, I would enlist your services as a pawn. You talk a big game, but you aren't as powerful as you proclaim yourself to be. I should burn your book, but the things Is, I don't burn a weak mamodo's book. It's beneath me to do so, you're not worthy of the privilege and honor." And with that being said, Cero and his bookkeeper left the scene.

"_Nekoruga!"_

Hori had calmed down a bit and blasted a concentrated beam of dark flame through the hard wax glob and melted a large hole, the heat began spreading to the rest of the wax, which melted into liquid and freed the white-haired mamodo. Hori fell to ground, breathing heavily. Meida observed the liquid state the wax was in when Hori overheated and melted the wax, giving her a few ideas she was going to do research in.

"Meida…I…will…get him…even…if…it's…the last…thing…I'll do."

"And I'll help you get him back." Meida said as the Indigo spell book began glowing, revealing a new spell

"_The sixth spell…Aagasu Nekoru." _Thought Meida as she looked down at the spell book

Hori finally stood up as he and Meida went to her Osaka condo, one of the many places in Japan her family owned.

[_North Osaka…_]

Haley was finished with her classes for the day. "It's 2:30 and still no attacks…weird." She said as she opened her apartment door and saw Kai still asleep on the couch. Leon and Toshiro on the other hand, were wide awake and sitting around doing nothing.

"It's about time you get here." Leon said as he got up and came to the door

"There haven't been any attacks here yet." Haley said, putting her briefcase down

"We should go on Recon to see." Leon said, holding Toshiro's powder blue spell book

Haley nodded in agreement as she pulled Kai's silver spell book out and tapped the sleeping mamodo on the head with it.

"Why'd you throw a piece of paper at me?" Kai demanded

"_Damn…how hard is that head of his?" Haley thought as she looked down at the spell book _

"Anyway, we need to go and find out if we see Cero or any of his pawns." Haley said as they made their way outside of the apartment complex

Haley, Kai, Toshiro and Leon looked up and down, left and right across the north-side of the city and not a single enemy in sight. Just as they began walking up the street on the way back to the apartment complex, a ring of purple flames appeared and a familiar white-haired mamodo with his partner.

"It's Hori and his human partner Meida." Haley stated

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Hori grunted

"Anyway, what do you want?" Kai asked

Hori glared at Kai for what seemed like a few minutes, he turned back towards Meida and slammed his fist into the ground, making a few cracks on the sidewalk pavement. "Dammit!" he growled

"W-What's wrong with him?" Haley stammered, she was afraid to see a mamodo like Hori get distraught

"He found Cero." Meida said bluntly

At the mention of his name, Haley and the others were wide-eyed in disbelief

"He fought him and lost." Meida said looking over at her now angry mamodo partner

"I'm just here to tell you that I saw him and that only I get to fight him. Not you, not anybody else." Hori growled pointing in Kai's direction

"Go ahead; I don't really care to fight him anyway." Kai said, shrugging

Haley on the other hand felt differently about Hori's words.

"Who the hell do you think you are? We can fight whoever we want and no brat is going to tell me otherwise!"

"Is that so?" Hori asked calmly

"Yeah that's so!"

"Those are fighting words you know."

"I don't care how good or how dangerous you are, if they are fighting words then so be it." Haley shot back

"_Nekoruga."_

Hori fired purple flame from his hand as he aimed it towards Haley and Kai's direction. Without hesitation, Haley had her spell book opened and ready.

"_Chisokumera!"_

Kai grabbed Haley as he quickly moved out of they and the flame beam missed him. He sat Haley down and quickly sprinted towards Hori.

"_Nekoru."_

Hori's hand covered itself in purple flame as he thrusted his palm forward towards Kai's face. Kai ducked and low kicked Hori. As he fell downwards, Hori teleported and reappeared in mid-air, punching Kai in the face. Kai rubbed his burn mark as he noticed the spell wearing off.

"It's time to get serious." Hori said

"I was waiting for you to say that." Kai said as he cracked his neck and stood there facing Hori

Leon had the powder blue spell book opened but was waved off by Haley

"Stay out of this." She said flatly

"That guy is dangerous, you'll get hurt if I don't do something!" exclaimed Leon

Haley ignored him and turned back towards her mamodo. Toshiro closed the spell book in Leon's hands. "Let her fight this one out, I think they got this one." He said, smiling

"All right Kai, blast him! _Kazedron!"_

Kai opened his palm as a large blast of wind shot out towards Hori.

"_Nekoruga."_

Hori opened his hand as another beam of purple flame came out. The flames and wind blast collided into each other, canceling each out. "I had enough of this, Meida I want to beat him down with my fists!"

"_Nekoruku."_

Haley was amazed at how Meida could read the book so calmly and with so little emotion. She wondered why she didn't put her whole heart into it. Whenever Haley fought alongside Kai, she was into the battle as if she were fighting to be King (or Queen in her case) she wanted this more than Kai did and it obviously showed. Here she was, putting her heart and soul into the spells as Kai and Hori were fighting evenly. Haley was afraid of how strong Hori would really be if Meida truly cared about the battle and put as much emotion into the book as she did.

Hori's body was covered in purple flames as his eyes glowed a white color. The flames calmed down and Hori looked towards Kai. He smiled at Kai with a bloodthirsty grin. However, Kai and Haley were not fazed by him.

"Two can play at this game, _Maxchisoku!" _

Kai felt an aura wind at his feet as he also looked up at Hori. Suddenly, they both seemed to disappear. They suddenly reappeared with their fists hitting each other across their jaws. They disappeared once more and to Haley, Meida or anybody standing around, it appeared as though two blurs were colliding into each other. Kai however, stopped clashing with Hori and began to run around in circles, forming a vortex. The small tornado sucked Hori in like a vacuum, sending him to the top. Kai jumped into the small tornado he made and let it take him all the way to the top as well. As the tornado cleared up, he grabbed Hori by the legs and power bombed him into the ground, making a large crater in the middle of the street. Haley was relieved to see that the shockwaves from Kai slamming Hori into the ground, disrupted the signals of the traffic light cameras, thus keeping them from being identified and sued for collateral damage.

Hori teleported and reappeared in front of Kai. His Nekoruku spell wore off and he was breathing hard. Kai knocked the wind out of him, (no pun intended) and he couldn't speak for a moment. He couldn't believe that Kai was a lot stronger than he came off as. However, this also satisfied Hori as well, he liked a challenge.

"Enough of this…one final clash." Hori said, still breathing heavily

Haley put the rest of her remaining heart energy into the spell book as it glowed a really bright silver light. The indigo spell book glowed just as bright.

"Here we go Kai, _Giga Kazemaron!"_

"_Dragonos Nekorudon!"_

Both Kai and Hori raised their hands as two powerful spells were forming. Kai shot a silvery light from his hands as a giant sword formed and was levitating. Hori formed a massive flaming dragon. It was a medieval dragon. It reminded Haley of the dragon she saw in Eragon. Hori shot the dragon forward as it let out a large roar. It opened its jaws as it prepared to bite down and devour Kai. Kai on the other hand, wasn't afraid.

"Now Kai!" Haley yelled

Kai tossed the giant sword forward as it clashed with the dragon. The powerful spells caused an explosion, sending smoke and debris everywhere. When the smoke cleared, Kai's sword was still left standing and went forward towards Hori. Just as the sword slammed down on him, he quickly teleported and reappeared in front of Kai. He collapsed on his right knee and saw the aftershocks from the sword, gashed his ankle, preventing him from standing up. Hori didn't want to accept defeat. No…not from Kai, not from Cero, not from anybody.

"Damn…I will not lose…I will not get sent back."

Hori weakly held up his palm and motioned for Meida to read a spell. Kai's shirt was ripped, his scarf was burnt to ashes and his arms and chest had 1st and 2nd degree burns all over. He ripped the remains of his shirt off, revealing his fairly-toned body. This called Haley to blush a little; she had to admit that Kai looked good without a shirt on. She quickly shook these thoughts out of her head and looked back over at Hori.

"I am going to be king! I rather go to my grave than go back to the Makai as a loser! Meida give me a spell!"

"_Nekoru."_

Hori, who was still on a knee, covered his hand with a purple flame and tossed it at Kai. Kai, who still had a bit of energy left, knocked the small fire bolt away. The stray bolt collided into a gas pump at a nearby abandoned gas station, causing the pump to catch on fire and explode. The explosion spread towards Kai's direction as he pushed Haley out of the way as he crossed his arms and was engulfed in the flames of the explosion. When the smoke cleared, Kai was on the ground. Blood trickled down his face, burns all over his body, if he was a human, he would have been dead. Haley ran over to him, crouching down.

Hori also collapsed as well. He pushed himself to his limit, Meida picked up the fallen boy, she walked over to Haley and a collapsed Kai and bowed.

"That was the toughest battle we've fought so far. I think Hori grew a lot from this…I even grew a little as well." Haley nodded as Meida turned and walked away

Haley crouched down by Kai and Toshiro picked him up, and put him on his back.

"That was a good fight little brother."

[_About 6 hours later…_]

Kai sat up on the couch, stretched and yawned. He had Haley order 15 large pizzas from Pizza Hut. Kai devoured all of them within 10 minutes. He got laid on the couch with a large burp. Haley was amazed at how quickly mamodo healed.

"This wasn't much really." Kai said, shrugging it off

"You were almost dead! How is that not much!" Haley exclaimed

"At the Mamodo School, we go through worse." Kai said, not turning away from the TV

"I guess so..." Haley said

Haley went in her room and called Ishimaru on Skype. She saw the familiar brown-haired teen. More noticeably behind him, Chainz and Jyan were trying to glue open Ishimaru's window. Haley told Ishimaru about Kai's battle with Hori and how Hori was defeated by Cero.

"If this Hori guy is as powerful as you say he is, and he was defeated by Cero then that says a lot."

"Kai outmatched him, but technically Hori won by sheer luck. Just like Chainz." Haley said, smiling

"Yeah, I know—hey wait a minute!"

Haley laughed as she suddenly heard the hang-up sound. She turned and saw Leon standing there with his arms crossed.

"No boys."

Haley rolled her eyes as she kicked Leon out of the room. What was she going to do with him?

[_Meida's condo…_]

"Damn it!" Hori yelled, throwing a La-Z-Boy out of the window

"What's up with you? Technically, you won."

"Technically? Technically? DO I LOOK LIKE SOMEBODY THAT WANTS TO WIN BATTLES BY TECHNICALITY?" he shouted

"Okay. You wanna train?" Meida asked, smirking

"Yeah. I'll get my grudge match with Cero and then I'll get my re-match with Kai." Hori said as Meida pressed a button, revealing a training room.

_A/N- Nice twist? Anyway, the winner between the Kai and Hori fight is up to the reader's imagination. There's evidence to show that either one of them one. So, tell me in your reviews who you think won. Till next time! R&R!_


	20. A ghostly experience!

_A/N- It feels good to be back! I had an unexpected case of severe Writer's Block after getting off to a very strong start. Don't worry, I'm picking up the pace and I'll try to upload a new chapter every other day. The first arc is going to come to its climax in a few chapters, so stay tuned! _

"_Nekoru."_

Hori's palm glowed with purple flame as he slammed his fist into the aluminum target, smashing it into flaming pieces. Hori had demolished every target in front of him so far. Meida had put the training room on it its most difficult setting, she needed an upgrade. She looked around the room and saw that every target was smashed; all of the dummies were destroyed and useless. "All right, I think that'll be enough for now." Meida said as she opened up the wall with the press of a button and walked out. Hori followed behind her and pushed the button on a nearby bookshelf, closing it. As soon as Hori turned around, he was hit in the face by the bright sun. To his surprise, they had been in the training room all night long.

"I lost to Cero because I underestimated him…it won't happen again."

[_Meanwhile at Haley's apartment…]_

Lucky for Haley, she did not have any classes today, so she woke a bit later than usual. She slipped on a t-shirt and some jogging pants and saw Kai sitting on the couch, flipping the TV channels.

"Kai, we gotta get up and get going!" Haley said as she reached for the remote

"Why should we go find trouble when trouble usually finds us?"

"We need to launch a pre-emptive strike and beat the knight Cero and ultimately end this assault."

"I rather not."

Leo, who overheard Haley and Kai's dialogue, came into the living room. Toshiro was still sound asleep in the bed and was now under the covers. Haley and Kai immediately stopped and looked at Leo.

"Leo, what do you think?"

"I think it's too dangerous for you to even be involved in this mamodo battle in general, but it's a little too late for that." Leo said, clearing his throat

"No! I'm talking about tracking down and fighting Cero."

"Once again, Cero is a tough mamodo, you almost got hurt yesterday when Kai fought Hori and had to save you from the explosion."

"Ugh. I don't need you trying to be overprotective! Mom and Dad aren't overprotective, so you have no reason to be!"

"I'm only looking out for your safety!" Leo exclaimed

"All right you two, that's enough for now at least." Kai said, standing between the brother and sister

"Anyway, what happened to your friend that you had patrol the west side of the city?" Haley asked

"Who?" Leo asked, tilting his head a little

Haley and Kai fell over anime-style. How could Leo not know who she was talking about?

"You must mean Chace."

Haley, Kai and Leo turned and saw that the owner of the voice was none other than Toshiro who was obviously awake and standing in the doorway. He walked over to the others and stretched once more.

"He's still on the West side of the city. Let's make our way over there and round him up."

[_Meanwhile…in West Osaka]_

Chace looked around and still didn't sense any mamodo as he stood on top of a building. The occasional beeping from his high-tech goggles stirred the calm serenity of the area, but it didn't throw him off. Olive, his bookkeeper was by his side, also appearing to look around, but her attention was on the dozens of birds sitting on the edges of buildings.

"I haven't sensed any enemies within the last 2 days. I may have gotten the sour end of the deal."

"Chace, let's go play!" Olive whined as she pulled on Chace's pants leg. Chace didn't respond to her, instead, he listened as he heard a loud screech. Chace grabbed Olive and placed the small girl on his back as he ran forward and leapt onto the next building over. He ran and jumped again, this time landing on another building. Olive held onto him tightly as he jumped on top of another building. Chace landed and looked up at his surroundings. Up ahead was a small playground and a sidewalk. Chace made sure Olive was still holding onto him tightly as he ran and jumped towards the ground, landing on his feet. He stood up and stretched.

"Nice jump." said a voice behind him

Chace turned and saw the voice's owner through his now beeping goggles. It was a boy about 4 feet, 7 inches tall and around 10 years old. He had shaggy black hair, and pale white skin, dark blue eyes. He wore a brown bomber jacket with cream colored fur on the hood. He wore a black t-shirt underneath with black jeans and black boots. Right next to him, was a teenage girl around 15 years old with long black hair tied back into pigtails, she wore a navy blue and white plaid schoolgirl uniform and in her hand was a sea foam green spell book.

"My name is Hugo and as my name implies, I've been following you around for days."

Chace stood in front of Olive protectively, his goggles were beeping frantically.

"This is my partner, Mashi. I like to stalk my prey before I devour them." He said, flashing his sharp teeth

"What do you mean devour?" Chace asked, not liking where this was heading

"I'm going to eat the little girl and devour your soul!"

"You sound like something out of a cheesy horror flick." Chace retorted

"I'll teach you not to mock me! Mashi!" yelled Hugo

"_Ryusu!"_

"_Wooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

Hugo opened his mouth and released a ghostly wail. Large green sound waves erupted from his mouth as it knocked Chace and Olive back.

"Damn…I'm going to have to make sure I get out of this with as little damage possible…" Chace looked back at Olive and made sure he could face Hugo without him getting to her.

"I'm fine Chace. Let's show them an attack of our own! _Diona!"_

Chace's palm sparked and cackled as a meek blast of electricity shot from his hand towards Hugo. Chase dodged the small blast and the ground vibrated a little. Hugo began laughing manically.

"What's so funny?"

"You actually thought that weak spell would hurt me. I'm quite insulted; I know you're smarter than that! Mashi! Read me a spell!"

"_Giga Ryuga!"_

Hugo opened his mouth as a ghost covered in blue flames emerged and rose above Chace and looked at Olive, who appeared to be quite frightened.

"Olive! Protect you!" yelled Chace

At first, it didn't seem like Olive heard her mamodo partner, the little girl was frightened by the ghostly figure before them. The flaming ghostly figure went above Chace and straight towards Olive.

"OLIVE!" Chace yelled

Suddenly, as if her body was on auto-pilot, Olive opened the scarlet spell book. _"Dionshield!"_

Sparks of electricity cackled around Olive's feet as a barrier of electricity formed around the young girl. The flaming ghost touched the barrier, sending a blue spark upwards and dissipated it. A small smile formed on Chace's face. He turned back towards Hugo, who now had his arms crossed.

"Instead of looking around all day, you should be fighting me anyway. I'm a little impressed that you used a spell to protect the little girl. This is going to make my meal more worthwhile when I eat it! Enough playing around, I'm dying to eat you!" Hugo said, his eyes glowing a pale ice blue, his voice becoming deep, raspy and demonic.

"_Raja Ryuga_!"

Hugo's opened his mouth as his teeth morphed into 42 razor sharp canines. Then, dozens of pale blue will-o-wisps emerged from his mouth. They resembled tine light blue clouds as they began floating around Chace and Olive in a circle. "The temperature is about 35 degrees Fahrenheit, -4 degrees Celsius." Chace said, shivering.

"That must mean it's really c-c-cold!" Olive said, also shivering

The will-o-wisps surrounded them as the environment continued to chill. "My Raja Ryuga spell allows me to surround you with will-o-wisps and therefore alter the temperature, which in turn power up my ghost spells!"

"_Damn it…I don't know how I'm going to find a way out. This guy is tough!" Chace thought as he felt Olive cower behind him in fear and more so to keep warm._

"Give it up, you're done for!" Hugo yelled as he slowly walked towards Chace and Olive. "Mashiiiiiiiii!"

"_Gigano Ryuga!"_

Hugo opened his mouth as he spat out a large white orb of floating spirits and shot it forward at Chace and Olive. Chace was frozen with fear and couldn't move. The chilling air made movement more difficult and Olive being afraid wasn't helping much either. "I need to focus my willpower and get out of the way. My chance to become king depends on it." With all the strength he could muster, Chace jumped away from the ghostly orb as it collided and destroyed a nearby parked car. Chace looked back at Olive and saw the small girl still clutched to his back as she finally let go and rested her hand against a light pole, only to be stung by a crackle. "Owww!"

"That's it! Good thinking Olive!" Chace exclaimed

"What are you talking about?" she asked

"Here's what we're gonna do..." Chace said, looking up at the surrounding will-o-wisps

"Give it up. I'm tired of playing with my food. Let's get this over with." Hugo said, yawning

"All right, fine then." Chace said as he sprinted towards Hugo's direction

"Go Chace go!" yelled Olive as she kept the scarlet spell book opened and glowing

"Are you insane? You can't foolishly run head-first like that! Have you forgotten that I powered up my spells by dropping the temperature?"

"Not at all, now Olive!"

"_Dioshinon!"_

Chace formed a ball of electricity and tossed it towards Hugo. Hugo simply moved out of the way. "You didn't think you were going to hit me with that?" Hugo sneered

"Don't worry, I wasn't aiming for you." Chace replied cunningly

Hugo turned around and saw the ball curve and head straight for Mashi

"Mashi, get out of the way!" barked Hugo

Mashi moved out of the way as the ball curved once more and followed her again, this time she wasn't so lucky as the ball exploded on her back leg, causing it to be covered in smoke. Mashi rubbed the back of her leg in slight pain; a few sparks could be seen around her body.

"I'm getting sick of you and I'm very hungry! Mashiiiiiiiii read my strongest spell!"

"_Dioga Ryugaruga!"_

Hugo opened his mouth as a massive white ghost emerged; it opened its ghostly mouth as the air got even colder and came towards Chace and Olive. Chace backed up a little. "Chace, we can knock that thing down with our ace." "We don't need it Olive; just give me a weaker spell." Chace said, holding his hand up into the air.

"_Dioneon!"_

Chace fired a beam of electricity from his hand as it went into the ghost's mouth. The ghost expanded and dissipated almost instantly. "_Diona!" _

Chace quickly jumped to his right and tossed the small ball of electricity at the light pole, causing it to send spark everywhere. "I can't believe you destroyed my strongest spell, but I'm just going to kill both of you with or without spells! Mashi come on!" yelled Hugo as both he and Mashi ran forward towards them.

Not long after they started sprinting, Mashi quickly opened her book, which not only shocked her fingers, but also lit the book on fire. She quickly dropped the sea foam green book as it was covered in blue flames.

"How in the hell did you burn my book? Impossible!"

"Two words, static electricity." Chace said with a smile

"Damn it! Why didn't I see this before?"

"First of all, static electricity increases with friction to build up a charge, plus real electricity is also pretty bad. Second of all, you dropped the temperature down, it may have powered up your spells, but what you didn't realize however, was that you powered up mine too as well. Since cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air, static electricity is much easier to build and since you went to the extreme, as did static electricity, hence why your Dioga spell was defeated by my middle-tier spell. Also, my Dioshinon spell isn't necessarily an attack spell. Your partner like to open her spell book and flip pages very quickly, which of course builds up static electricity, therefore me hitting her with a virtually harmless ball of electricity, allowed me to increase the static in her body, and considering that you made the air really cold, it only multiplied the impact."

"You son of a bitch!" yelled Hugo as he slammed his fist in the ground

"In other words, you lost as soon as you used your spell to make it cold."

Hugo was completely gone and Mashi had run away. "We did it, Olive!" Chace exclaimed a she picked her up and twirled her around

"Hey Chace!"

Chace turned as he saw Haley, Leon, Toshiro and Kai.

"Hey guys." Chace said, adjusting his glasses

"I hope you aren't too tired out, we think we know were Cero is at." Kai said looking up

"Oh no, I'm fine. I haven't done much today anyway." Chace said winking at Olive

"All right then! Let's move out!" Kai said as they went on their way

_A/N- Yeah, I know there's been a HUGE delay with this story, but with sophomore year of university starting soon, I'm going to have less time to work on this. (But, I'll still upload 1-3 chapters every week if possible) Anyway, R&R and I'll pick up the pace. Till next time!_

_Name- Hugo_

_Partner- Mashi Miyuzaki_

_Element- Ghosts_

_Ranking-65th out of 100_

_Book Color- Sea foam green_

_Book burned by- Chace and Olive_

_Spells- _

_Ryusu- Hugo releases a long ghostly wail_

_Giga Ryuga- Hugo spits out large flaming ghost at the opponent_

_Raja Ryuga- Hugo summons will-o-wisps which alters the temperature and powers up his ghost spells_

_Gigano Ryuga- Spits out a giant orb of spirits_

_Dioga Ryugaruga- Hugo's strongest spell, spits out a giant ghost at the opponent_


	21. Rooftop Showdown! Hori vs Cero!

_A/N- Wassup guys? Alright, here comes the moment you all have been waiting for! I didn't reach my goal of finish this story by the end of the summer, mainly because of my own laziness, but I won't quit this story I'm going to finish this and go on to what I have planned! I hope that you all continue to read and hopefully gain some new followers as well. So enjoy a brand, spankin' new chapter!_

"_Kai, how much do we have left?"_

"_Only a few meters Haley." _Kai said as he suddenly stopped in front of a tall skyscraper. It appeared to be an ordinary skyscraper with its metallic exterior and its' many blue-tinted windows.

"I sense a strong demonic presence coming from this building." Kai said as he hurried his way inside the building. Haley, her brother and Toshiro also nodded and made their way inside. As they looked around in the lobby, it appeared to be empty, the front desk and chairs seemed to be normal, as if nobody was there. Haley went over to the elevator and pressed the button, sliding the metallic doors open and held it open until the others caught up and went inside. Haley turned to the buttons and pressed the button to the 30th floor.

"_Now destined for thirtieth floor." _Said the female automated voice

Kai cracked his knuckles and stretched out his shoulders. This is the first fight he anticipated since he's been in the Human World. He looked at the electronic floor number as it kept changing; suddenly it came to a halt at the 26th floor.

"_Now stopping at twenty-sixth floor."_

"Why is it stopping?" Haley asked looking around

"Somebody must've pushed the button and is trying to get on." Toshiro said

Without hesitation, Haley and Leo opened the spell books and had them glowing and ready. The door slid open and no one was there. Haley shrugged her shoulders and pressed the button to close the elevator and continue up to the top of the building. However, the door would not close; it was as if the elevator was stuck. "It looks like we're going to have to use the stairs." Kai said as he walked out of the elevator. Haley and the others followed suit and looked around the floor. Like the lobby, there was a front desk and various offices going down the hallway. There were a few snack machines and a water cooler in the corner nearby. Suddenly, the elevator closed and a snap could be heard as the elevator fell all the way to the bottom and echoed a loud boom when it hit the bottom, causing the building to shake.

"If we would have stayed on the elevator a little longer, we would have been killed." Haley said in awe

"YOU would have been killed, but Kai and I would have just burned each other's books before we hit the ground." Toshiro said with a smirk

"That's just cold man…" Leon said

Their moment however, was short-lived as Kai said, "Enough joking around! I found a stairway, let's go!"

As they ran up the stairs, Kai took the lead, determined to face off with Cero.

[_Meanwhile…]_

Hori was at the door to the 30th floor already. "I'm ready for my redemption Meida, cast spells, go all-out, I want to beat him down with my power."

Hori kicked the door down as he walked inside. He was a large iron door with a spinning door knob in front, similar to the door on a submarine or a large safe. Hori pulled at the heavy door and it opened it as easily as a regular wooden door. Behind the door was a large office, similar to that of a CEO. Hori looked around the room and saw a yellow sticky note on the desk in front of the window. He snatched it off the desk and read the note out loud.

"You lose again…"

"What the hell does that me-?"

Hori never finished that sentence. He was punched in the jaw and fell on the floor was knocked unconscious. When he came to, he got up and saw the room was covered in wax. Meida was stuck the wall, a white band of wax strapped to her mouth and her body encased in a wax cocoon. He began making his way towards Meida as he suddenly found himself stuck in the wax. The wax felt like quicksand and was tightening its' grip around Hori's ankles. He had to react and fast. Hori attempted to teleport, but as soon as he re-appeared outside of the wax, it simply pulled him back in, as if it had a min of its own.

"Damn it. Cero must be controlling this stuff, but where is the weak point of the wax…wait a minute that's it!"

Hori teleported and reappeared on top of the wax cocoon Meida was trapped in. With one powerful tug, he ripped the strip of wax covering Meida's mouth, causing her to yelp in pain and a few heavy sighs of breathing. He then proceeded to rip open the wax cocoon, freeing Meida as he grabbed onto her torso then teleported off the wall and onto the top of the desk.

"When did Cero attack us?"

"As soon as you turned your back to look around the room, he grabbed me and his bookkeeper chanted the spell in the hallway and filled the room with wax. That's when I was pasted to the wall."

Hori shook his head, If he ambushed you, then surely he took the book."

"Actually…"

Meida reached under her shirt and revealed the indigo spell book. Hori was fairly shocked. "H-how did you manage to keep the book?"

"Well he said that he didn't need to resort to such tactics with a weak mamodo, as if he's playing with you like a toy."

This made Hori angrier than usually, nobody screws with him like this. He hated being disrespected by his opponents. However, he did not throw a tantrum, instead he simply said, "We need to clear a path. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Meida nodded and held the spell book open as the indigo light shined throughout the room. "_Nekoruga!"_

Hori opened his palm as a concentrated beam of dark flame shot out; he moved his palm around the room and liquefied most of the wax, making it ineffective. They ran out of the room and saw a door that had the word "Roof" printed on it. Hori kicked open the door and ran up the stairs, his bookkeeper following behind. As they reached the rooftop, the door was already opened. As Hori and Meida came outside, they saw Cero and his bookkeeper standing on the rooftop.

"I see you figured out how to get out of my pit of wax. I guess you're not as weak as I thought."

"Cut the crap and let's fight." Hori snapped

"Very well then. If you two are offering your lives, I guess I'm obliged to take them." Cero said as his bookkeeper opened the book and prepared to battle

[_On the 30__th__ floor]_

"We're finally here!" Haley and the others finally reached the top of the stairs on the 30th floor. It appeared to be empty. Haley went around peeking into various doors and suddenly discovered the CEO office; we remnants of wax and burnt carpet were to be seen.

"Hey guys, come look!" Haley called as they came running to her

"It appears as there was a fight here." Toshiro said, examining a sample of burnt carpet. Leon was pulling on a chunk of wax. "Only heat at high temperatures could melt a durable wax like this. So it definitely was a mamodo here."

"I figured as much considering I sense a very pungent demonic scent nearby." Kai said, crinkling his nose a little

"Let's find a few more clues as to what went on around here." Haley said as she began looking through drawers.

[_On the rooftop….]_

"_Nekoru."_

Hori's hand glowed with purple flame as he tossed a small fireball at Cero. He deflected it with his fist and began laughing, "If you want to seriously fight me, you're gonna have to use better spells than that! I'll show you a real spell, Milo! You know what to do!"

"_Amu Waxar!"_

Cero's arm became warm, soft and gooey as it extended forward and hit Hori directly, knocking him into the ground and smothering him.

"Just as I thought, weak as hell." Cero said yawning as his arm returned to normal. However he spoke to soon as he was melt with an elbow to the back by Hori, causing him to fall on the ground.

"What? How…how can this be? I-I hit you with my spell!"

"True. You did hit me with your spell, but as soon as the wax hit me, I teleported before it dried. Your wax takes a few seconds to fully harden and get its grip; therefore it gives me a little time to teleport away before it has any effect on me. I am going to expose all of your weak points."

_[Flashback to yesterday…]_

"_Hori, you need some variety in your battling style. As we get deeper and deeper into the fight, the opponents are going to be, much stronger and much craftier, so should we. You're not always going to be able to sadistically dominate your opponent by aggressively confronting them and that was your first mistake when you fought Cero." Meida said as she began explaining what she saw to Hori_

"_However, Cero is pretty beatable and we have the advantage, here's how…_

_[End Flashback]_

"I'm ending you now!"

"_Ganzu Waxar!"_

Cero stretched his torso and long white barbs stuck out and began rapidly firing upon Hori. He teleported and re-appeared face to face to Cero and punched him across the face repeatedly. Hori crouched down low and used his boot to sweep in Cero's feet. Causing him to hit the ground with a thud.

"For a knight, I thought you would be a lot stronger than this. You're pretty overrated." Hori said yawning

_[30__th__ floor….]_

Haley looked through papers and found nothing of any interest; she saw Kai, Toshiro and Leon in front a door. "What's this?" she asked

"It's a door leading to the rooftop, which is where the strong demonic presence is coming from." Kai said, going up the stairs

Haley and the others followed Kai up the stairs as they made it outside and saw Hori and Cero facing off.

"Stay out of this, I got this one." Hori said glaring at Kai

"Hey, we want to help too! Besides, why do you have the right to reserve enemies?"

"Calm down Haley, let him have this one." Kai said calmly

"Weren't you just pumped up to fight not too long ago?" Toshiro asked, looking at his younger brother

"Yeah…but I figured that it was too much work and it's good to have someone else do it."

Everybody fell over anime-style. "Typical Kai…" Haley said grudgingly

"Enough messing around! I am going to kill you and go after your little fanclub next!" Cero yelled

"_Gigano Waxar!"_

Cero opened his hands as a large blast of white wax shot out. Hori had never seen this spell before, this wax looked stickier than the wax from the previous spell. However, he simply stood there as the wax hit him head-on, covering him in the sticky substance, forming a white lump.

"The wax from my Gigano Waxar spell is very similar to the wax I used in the wax pit earlier. In a matter of minutes, you will crushed completely by the wax, resulting in your death and automatic elimination from this battle for king. Meida looked at the now wax-covered Hori as the wax kept expanding and contracting, almost as if it was breathing. She continued looking at it, without saying a word.

"So, you're going to let your mamodo get crushed or are you going to do something about it, remember time is running out!" Cero said, giving a bloodthirsty grin.

Haley and the others looked on. "We should do something to help." Kai and Toshiro however shook their heads. "This is Hori and Meida's battle, so let them figure something out. Besides, he insisted on not wanting our help, so whether he dies or not, it was his choice and we should respect it."

"The wax is depriving him of his last breaths of air. It's over!" Cero exclaimed it was as if he was giddy with excitement like a kid in a candy store.

"All right I heard enough of your talking, _Nekoruku."_

Just then, the wax lump glowed purple as it began forming bubbles on the surface. It continued to bubble as it began dripping and soon enough, the wax spilled all over the ground as it was a gooey white liquid. Hori stood there, glowing in a bright purple aura of flames. The heat coming from his body was harsh yet inviting and cozy.

"You lost before the battle even started." Hori said darkly as he began walking closer and closer to Cero

[_Flashback yesterday…]_

"_All right Hori, wax is a compound which is physically broken down by heat above 45 degrees Celsius or 113 degrees Fahrenheit. And since your element is dark fire, this gives us a major advantage. All we need to do is overheat the wax and we win."_

_[End flashback]_

"No….No….NO! I still have one more trick up my sleeve, this spell never fails me, it always come through, Milo READ IT WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART ENERGY AND LET'S END THIS!"

"_Dioga Waxaruk!"_

Cero continued laughing maniacally as his body melted completely into a puddle of wax and formed into a large wax dragon. Cero opened his mouth, revealing sharp wax fangs and in one swoop, devoured Hori and swallowing him.

"Oh no!" Haley yelled

"Wow…." Leon said, still staring

However, Meida, Kai and Toshiro didn't say a word. Meida's expression didn't change, it was as if she was waiting and expected something to happen.

"Now, to take care of the rest of—"

Cero suddenly feel on his face as a blast of purple flame shot through his back, turning him back to normal and Hori reappearing, and crawling out of his back.

"The spell is wearing off, so I'll need to finish this." He turned and blew a stream of purple fire out of his mouth onto Cero's spell book, covering it with a large amount of fire. Cero began fading away, his life was also in danger as well, due to the internal damage Hori caused him while still in his dragon form.

"You also made another fatal mistake. (A/N: no pun intended) Normally, you would have beaten most mamodo as soon as you ate them; however, because you were made of wax and I was still using Nekoruku, I was able to melt my way through you from the inside out. I am going to be the king. I can adjust and overcome any adversity. I have no desire to be a happy and jolly king nor do I desire to be an evil king. I want to be an all-powerful king, a king that will be widely feared and respected. That's it. I don't give a damn about making a better world, but I also don't care to make the world worse than already is. I'm going to keep fighting whoever challenges me. Unlike you, I don't look down on an opponent, because you never know when it will be your last."

"Now have fun back in Hell." Hori said as Cero was gone; however a small slate tablet was left behind. Milo, Cero's bookkeeper, jumped off of the building, whether he died or not is not known, nor is it relevant. Hori picked up the tablet and read it.

"_AMOR VINCIT OMNIA"_

Hori handed the tablet to Meida who looked at it and came towards Haley and the others. "This appears to be in Latin. I have no idea what it's about, but it doesn't interest me. We have other things to attend to for now, so farewell until we meet again." Meida gave the tablet to Haley and walked over to Hori who raised his arm surrounded themselves with a ring of purple flames and teleported.

[_Back at Haley's apartment…]_

"I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I'll rush it over to you." Haley said to Ishimaru over Skype

"Alrighty, I'll be looking for it tomorrow in the mail." Ishimaru said stretching his arms

"My brother's coming so I'll talk to you later." Haley said hanging up on Skype

Ishimaru turned around in his rolling chair and saw Chainz and Jyan standing there.

Jyan: Man, it's been awhile, I haven't been in this story in like 6 chapters other than that cameo in Chapter 19.

PG: Stop your whining you'll be back in full swing in the next chapter.

Jyan: Yeah, yeah.

"Jyan, who are you talking to?" asked Chainz, scratching his head

"The author of course."

Chainz shook his head at Jyan, he couldn't figure out why Jyan kept referring to things as if it were a story. Nonetheless, he sat back and turned to Praying Mantis Joe on TV, which of course got Jyan's attention.

[On the Ryukyu Islands….]

Chase was sitting on a rock as the high tide waves were crashing in front of him, getting him a little wet. He appeared to be meditating with his eyes closed, he suddenly opened them up. "Every time an onion's layer is peeled, the next layer smells even worse." He stood up and began walking up the beach.

"Looks like it's time for me to head to Tokyo."

_A/N- All right, we have reached the conclusion to another chapter in Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! Why is Chase heading to Tokyo? What could the tablet have to do with anything? Now that all of the pawns and knights are gone, could there possibly be higher ranking chess pieces lurking around the corner? Will there be another chapter soon? All of those questions could be answered in the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R! Please! Til Next time!_

Name- Cero

Partner- Milo Johnson

Element- Wax

Ranking-63rd out of 100

Book Color- Sky Blue

Book burned by- Hori and Meida

Spells-

Waxaruk- changes body into wax and can negate attacks

Amu Waxar- Turns arm into wax and attacks an opponent or deflects a spell

Gigano Waxar- fires a giant blast of wax

Ganzu Waxar- Fires wax needles

Dioga Waxaruk- Morphs into a wax dragon and devours the opponent


	22. A revelation is revealed!

_A/N- I'm not getting as many reviews as I normally get, most likely due to my previous hiatus. Nonetheless, I'm going to still continue the story anyway. Please review and leave your thoughts and criticisms. (I gotta stop writing at 2-3 am half-asleep or at least double-check spelling and grammar.) Enough talking, here's the next chapter._

_Disclaimer: Due to religious content, viewer discretion is advised._

Ishimaru was a free man for the weekend. The team had a bye week and therefore only had light practice. Ishimaru didn't have any homework or any exams to study for, he was just free. "I AM FREEEEEEE!" Ishimaru shouted throughout his empty house. Chainz was at the park with Jyan and his mother away on yet another business trip, Ishimaru continued to bask in his freedom. His moment however, was ruined when he heard a ring from the doorbell. He got up and saw that a delivery man was at the door with a small parcel in his hand.

"Kamikatsu Ishimaru?"

"Yeah."

"Sign here, here, here and there."

Ishimaru signed all of the documents as the delivery man handed over the small package; Ishimaru began to close the door as the man suddenly turned back around.

"Hey, can you um…sign my kid's soccer ball?"

"Um, sure."

Ishimaru signed the soccer ball, surprisingly nobody really asked for his autograph that much. Usually it was a diehard East Tokyo fan, an "investor" who was planning on holding onto the soccer ball and selling it whenever Ishimaru went pro or a little kid who wanted to play soccer when they got in high school.

Ishimaru once again began to close the door, when the delivery man came back up.

"My kid isn't going to believe this; can I get a picture with you?"

"Sure…"

Ishimaru stood next to him as he already had his cell phone camera out. After snapping a pic, he looked at it and said, "Wait, that wasn't a good one, let's do it again."

"Okay…"

The delivery man snapped another photo as Ishimaru went back inside his house; he quickly closed and locked his door before the delivery man could get him to take more photos. Ishimaru quickly unwrapped the package and saw that it was the small stone tablet that Haley told him about.

"Amor Vincit Omnia…yeah that's definitely Latin but what does that even mean?" Ishimaru said as he examined it once more. He then turned to his laptop and typed it into a search engine. Ishimaru looked over the results before him.

"So it means love defeats everything…there must be something else to it, but what exactly?"

[_At East Tokyo park…]_

"You've definitely gotten faster, Chainz!" Jyan exclaimed

"So have you."

Jyan and Chainz were sparring for the last hour. They were keeping each other in-check just in case they came across the Chess Master. They had physically improved and even though Chainz finally master his Hokeigo spell, he only had three while Jyan had four.

"I like our progress and all, but we should have more spells than what we already have." Chainz said, stretching

"It doesn't matter; it just means that my current spells are just going to get stronger."

"Ha, I guess."

"You two are pathetic." Jyan and Chainz turned to see that Slash was the owner of the voice. "What do you want?" Chainz asked, immediately aggravated

"Where's your human at?"

"What do you want with him?" Chainz retorted

"You'll find out when I talk to him." Slash said as he began making his way out of the park

"Where are you going?" Chainz yelled

"To the human's house, I remember where it's at."

Chainz and Jyan followed Slash as they came upon Ishimaru's house. Without hesitating, Slash jumped into a nearby tree and then into Ishimaru's window. Chain and Jyan simply opened the door and ran up the stairs.

"What is it Slash?" Ishimaru asked calmly

"It's about The Chess Master, even though the knights and pawns are gone, that isn't the end of your troubles."

"Well of course not, there's still the Chess Master to deal with!" Chainz yelled, standing in the doorway

Slash met Chainz's face with a quick glare. He then turned back towards Ishimaru. "Anyway, there are the Bishops to worry about."

"Bishops?" Ishimaru asked

"The Bishops of the Chess Master are two of the more powerful mamodos that work for the Chess Master. Their strength exceeds that of a Knight or pawn."

"I see. So, we just need to get stronger and outmatch them!" Ishimaru said enthusiastically

"Dealing with and finding them is not that black and white, but since the Chess Master knows that we have been taking out his forces, we're bound to confront them sometime in the near future."

"Thanks Slash, oh and one more thing, are any of you familiar with this?" Ishimaru then pulled out the small stone tablet that in his desk. Chainz and Jyan looked at the tablet and at each other. "Nope." Said Chainz

"Never seen it before." Said Jyan

Slash however, was silent. He couldn't take his eyes off of the tablet.

"_Amor Vincit Omnia…that's Latin but why can I not take my eyes off if it?"_

"It means that Love defeats everything." Ishimaru said, a little concerned about Slash staring

"_Love defeats everything…Love defeats everything…that's a bunch of bullshit. When has love ever helped me win a battle? Oh that's right, never. Nonetheless, I feel a bit obligated to look more into this small tablet…"_

"Human, if you don't mind, I think I should hold on to that tablet."

"Sure, go ahead." Ishimaru said shrugging a bit as he handed it to Slash

Slash looked over the tablet once more as he turned and left.

[_East China Sea…..]_

Chase was sitting on the edge of a ship, looking as it skated through the waters. A few feet away, was a short girl with short red hair that stopped around her ears. Her bangs almost cover up her clear blue eyes. She wore a white t-shirt with a pink vest over it and puffy black shorts with mid-length white socks and pink boots with a matching pink belt. Most importantly however, in her hand was an olive green spell book.

Also nearby, was Myth and her human partner as well. Chase continued staring at the water; he turned to the short red-haired girl and finally broke his silence.

"Reira, it seems that the Iron Prince and others have eliminated all of my knights and pawns. I am the Chess Master, and therefore cannot allow that to happen. When we get to Japan, I have to consult with my Bishops, I figured that this would happen and like they say, if you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself."

Chase went on the second floor of the ship and found a bed to crawl into, drifting off to sleep.

[_Tokyo, Japan_]

Inside of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral, two teenagers around six feet tall stood there. Both of whom wore long, blue gowns with a white cross in the middle, a silver bishop chess piece necklace were hanging from their necks. They both wore blue mitres with a white bishop chess piece sewn onto it as well. The first bishop had short blonde hair with blue eyes and pale skin. The second bishop had dark brown hair, green eyes and tanned skin. The darker bishop placed a scroll on the altar and unrolled it.

"Augustus, this is a scroll from the Makai that dear Chess Master entrusted to us. We are to decipher the meaning and figure out how it can impact the battle for king and report our results back to him."

Augustus nodded and looked at the scroll. It appeared to be written in strange characters, however Augustus and Salil, the darker skinned bishop put their hands over the scroll and their hands began to glow a faint blue color, the characters on the scroll also began to glow as they took shape into what appeared to be in Latin, which didn't seem to bother the bishops.

"It seems that the most modern Language the scroll will allow us to convert is in Latin, and even then, it's still fairly hard to read." Augustus said, peering closer to the scroll

"_There are many paths to Enlightenment. That being said, there are also many paths to become the one true king. The true king must travel one of the virtuous paths to the kingship. Love, Faith, Knowledge, Friendship, Compassion, Hope and Courage are among the few. There are also the paths of Deceit, Hatred, Melancholy, Vanity, Destruction, Fear, and Arrogance which can also lead to the kingship but with a disastrous toll being paid. Only the true kings who walk the virtuous paths can find and activate the revelation gems which are dispersed and hidden among the holy lands."_

He two bishops looked at each other and frowned a little. "I don't think dear Chess Master will like this." Augustus said, rolling up the scroll. "I agree with you, but we have to present to him what we read. Besides, we need to get back to collecting the tablets of the seven virtuous paths. With these tablets, we can access the location and powers of the revelation gems." Salil said, turning towards another small stone tablet sitting on a nearby table. He picked up the tablet and read it, "AMICUS OPTIMA VITAE POSSESIO. This of course means, a friend is the greatest treasure in life."

"All right, so how are we going to find the others?" Augustus asked

"The tablets emit an alluring aura, fairly different from that of a mamodo scent. However, most mamodo that can sense it, disregard it, which of course weeds out a good chunk of the competition. Cero was to deliver another tablet to us, I am not sure what is taking him so long, but if he doesn't get a move-on, we'll need to track him down ourselves." Salil said, adjusting his gown a little.

_[Meanwhile….]_

Slash placed the small tablet in the brown bag on his back. He occasionally glanced up at Kiichiro, who was happily playing on the monkey bars. As he looked back up into the sky, the proverb on the tablet continued to resonate in his head. After a few more hours at the park and being close to sunset, Slash got up and place Kiichiro on top of his shoulders, as he was ready to get some quick dinner and call it a day. 

"What are hungry for Kiichi-Chan?"

"Chicken tempura!" she exclaimed

"Consider it done." Slash nodded as they continued on their way into downtown East Tokyo. Soon enough, they were walking past the Holy Resurrection Cathedral. Little did they know, the Bishops of the Chess Master were soon to be hot on their trail.

Inside of the cathedral, Augustus and Salil were reading some manuscripts in Latin when they slowly looked at each other and nodded. "Go round up our bookkeepers. I'll follow the scent and prepare the ambush." Salil said as he began to follow Slash and Kiichiro in the shadows

Meanwhile, Slash and Kiichiro finished off their chicken tempura and left the restaurant. (Slash had 17 large bowls and the manager refused to let him have more due to the shortage of chickens)They were heading up the street and getting ready to get to their hotel room and get to an early sleep. Interestingly enough, Slash didn't go to their hotel, in fact, he walked past the hotel and into an abandoned parking lot.

"I know you're following me, so stop hiding and show that pretty face of yours" Slash said with a small grin on his face

Salil was bewildered, "How did you know I was hiding in the shadows? I was quiet, I was unnoticeable!"

"Yes you were quiet, but I'm not considered a major contender to be king for nothing!" Slash said, now looking directly at Salil

"Of course, that's to be expected from the Iron Prince, son of the Iron Maiden Kiyoko." Salil said, trying to act unfazed

"How nice, you know of my mother. Anyway, what do you want from me?"

"You have the tablet. That freak of nature Cero must have fallen, he was supposed to deliver a small stone tablet to us and judging by the scent, you have it!"

"And if I don't?" Slash dared

"Don't play dumb with me!" Salil snarled, his anger rising

"As much as I enjoy small talk, I really have other things I would like to be doing, so…are you going to entertain me and fight or just talk all day?" Slash said, yawning

"Why you—"

"Salil!"

Salil turned around to see Augustus standing there with two other people. One of them was a man in his mid-20s at about 5 feet, 8 inches tall with black hair, tan skin, brown eyes and wearing a green suit with a black dress shirt and a black and green tie and in his hand was a maroon spell book. The other person was a woman, also in her mid-20s, with brown hair tied into a bun, thick-rimmed black glasses and a green businesswoman suit with a knee-length green skirt, she was also holding a spell book but this one was goldenrod.

"Hah, so you guys are gonna team up on me, I'm quite flattered." Slash said, smiling

"The faster you're destroyed, the better!" Augustus yelled

"Don't be selfish! Split the fun around!"

Slash and the bishops turned and saw Angie and Aaron standing there.

"You're late." Slash said

"Don't blame me. Blame Aaron he wanted to get something to eat, plus he had to go to the bathroom, but alas. Anyway, looks like we have two of Chase's lapdogs on hand."

"Lapdogs…Who are you calling a lapdog?" barked Salil (no pun intended)

"Tell us where your buddy Chase is at?" Angie said, beginning to unsheathe her katana

"We're not telling you a thing." Augustus said coldly

"Well then, you leave us no choice." Slash said as Kiichiro opened the cerulean spell book

_A/N: All right, that's the end of the chapter! Chase is revealed to be the Chess Master, Angie shows up unexpectedly…or did she really? Will Angie and Slash destroy the Bishops or are they much tougher than they are perceived to be? Find out on the next Chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R PLEASE! Till next time!_


	23. A cool kid and an idiot!

_A/N- I'm in a great mood at the moment and in a mood for writing. Many thanks to Lazy Rain Dancer, Thatguy and Iostorm for your reviews. I also thank LRD and thatguy for giving me reviews for pretty much every chapter. I also thank Iostorm, Vstriker and DeathySophia/Verylazypeople for being loyal readers throughout the years. (Doesn't even feel like it's been that long.) I also thank everybody who has EVER reviewed any of my stories, I also thank all of whom read my story and don't give reviews. (Though I highly encourage it.) You are all the shit! That's enough of my ranting…for now at least, enjoy another great chapter!_

_Disclaimer: Due to religious content, viewer discretion is advised._

"You leave us no choice." Slash said as Kiichiro opened the now glowing spell book

"Bring it." Augustus said smiling as he and Salil took off their bishop robes, revealing shirtless, fairly-toned bodies and blue pants.

"The first spell, _Hokeigo_!"

Slash opened his hand as the spike ball and chain shot out and his Augustus in the stomach, sending him flying. "That was too easy." Kiichiro said, starting to close the book

However, she spoke too soon as Augustus looked up and smiled. He began to take a running start shouting, "It's just beginning, Ryuga…give me a spell!"

"_Holyruk!"_

Augustus continued laughing as his body began to undergo a transformation. A silver helmet, similar to a roman centurion's appeared on his head, his blonde hair flowing out of the back of the helmet. Next, white lines appeared on his back as large white-feathered wings stretched out and appeared. He flew into the air overlooking the battlefield.

"You think a small spell like that was going to finish me off? Well think again, because we're about to dance."

Slash scowled as Angie looked over at her opponent Salil. "I don't think I really need a spell to beat you." She said, unsheathing her katana.

"If you continue to think that way then you are about to be in for a rude awakening." Salil replied

Without saying anything else, Angie disappeared and reappeared with the katana resting on Salil's throat. "One slice and you're dead. Can you handle that?"

"_Grounruk!"_

Salil smiled as his body melted into mud and spilled all over the ground, he then reformed and appeared behind Angie.

"_Grouncrag!"_

Salil punched the ground and sent a sharp boulder towards Angie, who sliced it in half with her katana as if it was butter. "You can do better than that!" she yelled

"_Grounrana!"_

Salil opened his mouth as a blast of mud shot out in a focused jet spray. Angie held her katana sideways and blocked most of the spray. She then disappeared and reappeared as she swung the katana towards Salil's neck again, this time however, he was ready and he used the mud to slide out of the way.

"_Ganzu Grounrana!" _

Salil raised his hands as the mud on the pavement rose and formed into dart-like projectiles and fired upon Angie. The darts exploded on impact, causing smoke to appear. When the smoke cleared, Angie was face to face with Salil as she sliced upward, causing Salil's body to split in half. However, the two halves turned into mud and reformed into Salil's body.

"My Grounruk spell stays in effect throughout the battle therefore, I cannot take damage from direct physical attacks and since you don't seem willing to use spells, I assume that you can't beat me!"

"Damn you." Angie said as she knew that she would have to think of something else, just then Aaron her bookkeeper and Vincent's adoptive brother broke his silence. "I'm not sure if there's an exact method to beat this guy, other than getting to his human partner, but I think it's going to be more complicated than it seems."

"Nonetheless, I can still win." Angie said

Meanwhile, Augustus was flying around Slash in circles. "We have you beat Iron Prince, you cannot overcome my holy wrath!" he exclaimed, now coming to a halt in midair

"_Holyruga!"_

Augustus opened his wings as feathers rained down upon Slash. The feathers felt similar to hail, but sharper and heavier. "Kiichiro, give me a spell, hurry!" Slash yelled as he crossed his arms over his head, the feathers striking his body repeatedly.

"_Gigano Hokeiron!"_

Slash placed his hand on the ground as a large iron warrior rose to the surface. It had the appearance of a hoplite from ancient Greece with its long flowing hair and spear. It n charged forward towards Augustus as he tried to destroy it.

"Damn it." He said as the iron warrior struck him with his left arm, knocking him to the ground.

"We'll fight again in the future." Augustus said as he left the ground and flew over towards Salil and he and their respective bookkeepers clung on to him as he flew off into the nighttime sky.

"That…was a bit of a close call." Slash said as he looked over at the now panting Kiichiro

"You haven't had to put that much heart energy within a spell before. You're going to have to become stronger in order to be able to withstand tougher battles." Slash said as he picked the little girl up in his arms. Turning towards Angie, he saw that she and Aaron were already walking away. "Angie, don't let your damn pride get in the way at the cost of losing a battle."

"I don't have a pride issue. I just don't care to waste spells on a weak opponent."

"Heh, judging how you were barely keeping him at bay, he doesn't seem to be that weak apparently, or are you no longer the strongest member of Nana's Trio?"

Angie held her katana in Slash's face. "Watch your mouth…it sounds like you wanna fight. Let's go ahead and get this over with now."

Slash smirked, but didn't have a chance to respond as he was interrupted by a girl's whiny voice, (Think of Steve Urkel from Family Matter s but not as squeaky) screaming, "TIME TO KICK SOME AS-AHHHHH!" Slash looked and saw a fairly tall teenage boy running, tripping over his shoelaces and falling on his face. He appeared to be 5'11 with messy red hair. He obviously didn't have any sense of fashion as he was wearing a faded green polo shirt covered in lint with the sales tag still on it, but Slash could tell that the boy had that shirt for a while. He looked down and saw that his pants were high-waters. They were navy blue slacks that stopped above his bellybutton, causing his basketball socks to show, and to make things worse. His cheap shoes were more ripped than Arnold Schwarzenegger in his prime.

"Um….are you ok?" Slash asked

The boy is about to answer but footsteps are heard, the once shadowy figure is revealed to be a boy around 6 foot 1 with brown hair and blue eyes. He wore a black and white fedora, a black vest with a long-sleeved white dress shirt with a loosened black and gray necktie, rolled up to his elbows underneath, he had a small coyfish tattoo wrapped around the left side of his neck . He wore earrings in both ears, there was a small lip piercing on the side of his mouth. He wore a silver watch with a black face. On his hands were silver rings and he wore a silver choker on his neck and rocker necklaces, looking down, one could see his black belt and amazing silver buckle and his dressy casual black shoes. Most notably, he carried a guitar on back.

"Get up Ignoramus, they're not a threat." He said coolly

"JONNY THE FIGHT'S OVERR…WE MISSED IT!" Ignoramus whined

Slash looked towards Jonny, who said "So you were attacked by the bishops too?"

"Yeah…" Slash nodded, lowering his defenses a bit

"Allow us to introduce ourselves, my name in Jonny Greenburg and this Ignoramus—"

"LEMME TELL THEM!" Ignoramus whined

Jonny rolled his eyes and Ignoramus went on to say "My name is Ignoramus Eugene Savall III" holding up four fingers

Slash turned his head, Ignoring Ignoramus and asking Jonny, "What do you want with us?"

"We're recruiting a team, details tomorrow at Mario's café, bring others if you want." Jonny turned and began walking away

"Just, who are you anyway?" Slash demanded

Jonny stopped for a few seconds turned and kept walking, not saying a word; Ignoramus was running behind him in his wake, tripping over his shoelaces

"That son of a—" Slash was cut off as a small card flew into his hand, it resembled a playing card but it had what appeared to be a golden jester with a little PIN number on it. Slash pocketed the card and carried Kiichiro back to the hotel room.

"Oh wow, just ignore us right?" Aaron exclaimed loudly

"Whatever. Let's get going, we have to inform CJ and Beat on our next move." Angie said as they also made their way home

_[Ishimaru's Room]_

The next morning, Ishimaru and Chainz were working out with Jyan and Josh; they had skipped school for the day and were wearing under armor and soccer shorts. Chainz and Jyan were simply wearing white t-shirts and blue shorts. "That was a pretty intense workout." Josh said running his fingers through his sweaty hair

"It was alright." Jyan said, looking at the time

"Let's hit up the park." Chainz suggested as they were already halfway down the street.

The boys continued walking towards the park, the calm morning was interrupted by a boy they saw running and crying. "GIMME MY WATCH BACK! GIVE IT BAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKK!" he sobbed, tears leaving his green eyes.

"He looks kinda old." Jyan said, frowning a little

"We should help him." Ishimaru said, Josh nodding in agreement

They finally caught up to the boy who was none other than Ignoramus, the boy Slash met the night before!

"What's wrong with you?" Chainz asked, crossing his arms

Ignoramus rubbed his eyes and looked up at the boys. "I-I-I w-was walking and I tripped into the mud, and when I went to the fountain to wash it off, a b-bird took my waaaaatchh!" Ignoramus wailed, now crying on Jyan's shoulder.

Jyan: Since when was I the shoulder to cry on…literally?

PG: Zip it…

Ignoramus: How y'all like me so far?

PG: Who are you talking to?

Ignoramus: Not your punk ass.

PG: *Feels punked out and continues on with the story…*

Jyan pushed Ignoramus off of him, "Dude, it's just a watch."

"BUUTTT IT WAS MY FAAAAVORIIIITTEE!" Ignoramus whined

"Okay, okay. Enough with the waterworks, if we see your watch, we'll get it back."

"T-Thanks, I'm glad there are nice mamodo who can help me."

Jyan and Chainz stopped in their tracks. "Did you just call us mamodo?"

"Y-Yeah…I'm one too."

Chainz shook his head. There was no way this puss could be a mamodo. Nonetheless, he shrugged and spoke, "My name is Chainz and this is Jyan, Ishimaru and Josh over there are our bookkeepers." "Nice to meet you guys. My name is Ignoramus Eugene Savall III"

After hearing that his name was Ignoramus, Chainz and Jyan couldn't really hold in their snickers as they began to laugh out loud. "Is that seriously your name?" Chainz said, trying not to choke on his laughter

"MY NAME IS PURRRFEECTLLLY NOOOORRRRMALLLL!" Ignoramus said, his face beaming with pride

"By the way, I want to invite you guys to Mario's café sometime this afternoon. I'll be waiting for you guys!" with that being said, Ignoramus ran outside the park, tripping on his shoelaces again and landing in an ant pile.

"OHHHH NOOOO!" he screamed, dusting off ants as he ran down the middle of the street screaming, causing minor car accidents. Chainz and Jyan witnessed the whole charade of Ignoramus going crazy over the ants and his hysteria regarding his watch.

"What a puss…" Chainz said

"Yeah…I agree, anyway do you really wanna go to that café place?" Jyan said, scratching his head a little

"May as well, I bet we're going to get a free meal or something. Let's go tell Josh and Ishimaru what's going on!"

"MARIO'S CAFÉ?" Ishimaru exclaimed

"Yeah...what's the problem?" Chainz asked, a little annoyed

"That place costs an arm and a leg…literally. This one guy couldn't afford to pay, so they took one of his arms and legs as payment."

"That's just an urban legend." Josh said, shaking his head

"Anyway, I think it's his treat since he invited us, and even if it isn't we can always fight our way out or something." Jyan said

Ishimaru took a deep breath and sighed, what were they going to do with these crazy mamodo kids? Nonetheless, Ishimaru and Josh agreed to go, also hoping they can eat a fancy meal without having to pay for it.

_A/N- All right, that's the end of the chapter! Sufrir, my irl best friend who is going to be the co-author in the 2__nd__ arc, those are his characters. I think that much comic relief is going to be needed in the 2__nd__ arc, because the light-heartedness of the 1__st__ arc is going to come to an end soon. So, enjoy it while you can. ;) Till next time! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! I WILL BE FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER GRATEFUL!_


	24. Jonny's test of approval!

_A/N- Surprisingly enough, I don't have anything to say. Here's the next chapter…Oh and Sufrir is co-authoring from this chapter onward. Oh and he's 98% Mexican and 2% black. (You happy now? You big baby…)_

_Disclaimer- Due to religious content, viewer discretion is advised._

Ishimaru looked himself over in the mirror. He wore a black polo shirt with a red stripe going across the middle, some nice dark blue jeans and some black and white basketball shoes. He gelled his brown and black hair then he tousled it a bit. He grabbed the green spell book and placed it in a messenger bag he put over his shoulder. He went downstairs and saw that Chainz was wearing his usual biker outfit.

"Couldn't you at least TRY to wear something different for once?" he asked

"Nope."

Ishimaru rolled his eyes as they met up with Josh and Jyan. Like Ishimaru, josh was also wearing a polo and jeans except that his shirt forest green and his jeans were a lighter shade of blue and Jyan was also wearing his usual attire. They finally came to Mario's café where they went inside and saw Ignoramus sitting at a table towards the corner of the restaurant.

"HEY GUYS, OVER HEERRRRRRREEEEEEE!" Ignoramus waved

Jyan and Chainz snickered a little as they came to the table. When they got closer, they saw that Ignoramus was sitting in a booster seat,

"Isn't he like 6 feet tall or something?" Chainz said, giving the booster seat a disapproving look

"I'M FIVE ELEVUNNNN THANK YOU!" Ignoramus snapped

Chainz ignored him

"Anyway, what do you want to—?" Josh never finished his sentence, as Slash and Kiichiro suddenly walked in and was on their way to the table.

"You can't be serious…" Chainz began to say before his voice trailed off

Slash sat down at the table as he put Kiichiro in a booster seat. He gave Ignoramus a funny look when he realized that he was sitting in a booster seat like Kiichiro. Slash shook his head and looked at the other humans and mamodo sitting before him.

"So…" he began to say

"Um…" everybody but Chainz responded

Slash looked at Kiichiro who was scribbling away with a few crayons she had taken from Ignoramus, who began whining, but was mostly ignored.

"Excuse my tardiness."

Ignoramus's whining subsided and everybody was now looking at Jonny, who was fashionably late. He had on white skinny cargo shorts, looking down; one could see a black belt with a silver buckle. He also wore a sky blue polo shirt, there were Louis Vuitton shades on his shirt collar and a white and gray plaid fedora on his head and gray and white plaid Vans on his feet.

"Here's what I ask of you. I am assembling a team to fight the Chess Master and I only recruit the elite, which is why I asked _**Slash**___to come." He said, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Ignoramus. "Ignoramus told me that you two would also be useful as well but…I already excluded you." He said now looking towards Chainz, Jyan and their partners.

"What do you have to offer?" Slash said flatly, reclining in his chair with his arms crossed and his eyes closed

"We already have a team, thank you." Josh snapped as he began ordering some appetizers

Josh continued fussing at Jonny but he ignored him and looked at Ignoramus who nodded and turned back to Slash. "I have two other mamodo who are assisting me with the bishops and we are planning to attack them tonight. Nonetheless, I'll let you in on one of my discoveries. The Bishops have a base in The Holy Resurrection Cathedral."

"Holy Resurrection Cathedral?" Josh asked

"It's normally called the Nikolai-do; it's the main cathedral of the Japanese Orthodox Church. It's in the Surugadai Kanda district over in the Chiyoda suburb about 30 minutes away via subway." Ishimaru said

"You Japs and your details…" Jonny remarked harshly, now reclining in his chair cross-legged with his right arm hanging on the back rest. Earning a glare from Ishimaru.

"You know of the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1923?" Jonny asked Ishimaru as if he was mocking him

"You could at least bother to learn my name…"

Jonny ignored Ishimaru's statement as he continued on,

"Well, when the bell tower fell and caused major damage to the cathedral, Archbishop Sergius had to rebuild it."

"I learned all of this in history class…what does this have to do with the mamodo battle?" Ishimaru said who was getting pretty impatient.

"Well, during the rebuilding, mamodo clergymen were sent to the human world entrusted to hide the revelation gems and tablets in order to keep such things out of the wrong hands and that they would be found and used for good when the next mamodo battle comes. So when the cathedral was rebuilt, the mamodo clergymen built a labyrinth under the cathedral and according to the estimates I made, the bishops are trying to bring the tablets together in order to access the power of the revelation points and we're going to infiltrate the labyrinth in order to stop them."

"HEYYYY, I HELPED TOOOO!" Ignoramus whined, now kicking the table

"Good luck with that." Chainz said. It was unknown whether or not he said that out of sarcasm due to his mouth being full of baked lizards.

"Slash; meet us at the abandoned steel mill in the next district over in order to prove yourself worthy for my team. Ignoramus, let's go!"

"OKAYY JONNY…" Ignoramus said, giving the rest of his crayons to Kiichiro

"Get back here! We're not finished talking to you!" Ishimaru yelled after Jonny

"You shouldn't speak to Jonny unless spoken to." Ignoramus said as he was waking goofily out of the door. This only pissed off Ishimaru and Josh even more.

"We're outta here." Ishimaru said as he and Josh got up and left, dragging Chainz and Jyan away as they continued to grab food off of their plates.

"Wait a minute…who's going to pay for this—"Jyan was cut off by Josh who quickly grabbed him as they left the restaurant and dodged the bill

"Yeah…I'm going to take off too." Slash said quietly as he picked up a now yawning Kiichiro and left the restaurant as well.

[_Ishimaru's House…_]

Ishimaru called Haley on Skype and told her everything he found out about the tablets and the bishops. Haley asked Ishimaru to excuse her for a second as she went to inform Kai and the others about what's going on. After doing so, she returned.

"So, what do you propose that we do?" she asked

"We storm the labyrinth and take 'em down ourselves." Ishimaru said, smiling and clutching his fist

"Alright, sounds good. Hopefully, we'll be in Tokyo by tonight." Haley said as she hung up

Ishimaru got off of the computer and turned to Josh and the others. "I don't know why…but I am a bit concerned about Slash and his involvement with Jonny."

"I'll admit that it was a little weird. Normally, Slash always gives a direct yes or no answer to a question. This makes things more interesting…" Chainz said rubbing his chin

Later on that night in the next district over, Slash arrived at the abandoned steel mill. He found out where Jonny and the other two mamodo were standing. "All right Jonny, how will I prove myself worthy?" Slash asked, gritting his teeth a bit because he didn't like the idea of proving himself to a human.

"Attack!" Jonny yelled

Just then, Alice and Alice (The two mamodo girls from Chapter 14) appeared in front of Slash. Alice on the left, also known as "Wild Cub" was about three feet tall with silver hair all over head and gray eyes. She had a brown jacket with bear ears on her hood; on the top of her head were two silver buns, which put further emphasis on the bear theme. In her arm was a teddy bear.

Alice on the right had very pale blond hair worn in two thin pigtails and equally pale blue eyes. She wore a pink dress with a white collar adorned with a pink ribbon as well, on her feet were brown shoes and interestingly a star pendant was around her neck. However, something was a bit strange about them as they looked tired and as if their wills had been broken, similar to slaves.

"_Something's not right with them…but I'll have to worry about that later." _Slash thought as he faced them

"_Akur!"_

Alice shot a blast of water from her palm at Slash.

"_Kironu!"_

Wild Cub shot a spiraling blast of silver energy at Slash.

Slash however, took the water and silver energy head-on, only doing minimal damage. Nonetheless, he opened his hand and jump back, bracing himself for the impact of the next spell coming.

"_Gigano Hokeigo!"_

A giant spike ball and chain shot out of Slash's hand as it went barreling towards the girls. However, they dodged the attack and broke the chain, causing it to dissipate.

"A Gigano spell to start the battle with? A bit unorthodox, but I approve." Jonny said as he continued watching

"If those small spells are all you got, then I'm going to have to finish you off quickly." Slash said, cracking his knuckles

"_Kageru!"_

Alice opened her mouth as a water ball began to form and shot off at Slash.

"_Kiroru!"_

Wild Cub opened her hand as a medium sized silver ball, resembling an atom formed in her hand as she tossed it.

The spheres circled each other as they were headed for Slash. He stopped and got on a knee, a sign for Kiichiro to call out another spell.

"_Ganzu Gazoruk!"_

Right at that moment, a metallic film covered Slash's fist and small spikes extended from his knuckles as he punched the ground. The ground began to tremble as a row of iron spikes about 6 feet tall and 7 inches thick, rose from the ground and dissipating the spheres.

"I thought you said you only recruit the elite." Slash said tauntingly Jonny

Jonny stopped smiling and said, "Playtime's over."

"_Mizu Shibara!"_

Alice opened her hands as a large ball of water formed in her hands as she tossed it towards Slash. Slash had no choice but to take the ball head on, getting trapped in the water. Slash felt the effects of being trapped inside. He felt the wet pressure on his face, as if somebody had pushed him inside of a pool and held his face down at the bottom. Slash refused to find his way to a watery grave, he refused to continue to allow the water to invade his nostrils, he closed his eyes and focused. He hoped and prayed that Kiichiro would call a spell before he drowned and they attack her. His prayers would soon be answered as he opened his hands and shot out a small spike ball and chain and was pulled out of the ball, dissipating it immediately. Slash coughed a little and savored the fresh air. He looked up and saw Kiichiro standing before him.

"Are you all right?" she asked

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's give them an ass-kicking they deserve!"

"Mhm."

Slash and Kiichiro stood tall and faced Wild Cub and Alice.

"All right Slash, give 'em hell! The sixth spell, _Egdris Gazuron_!"

Slash put his hands forward as two giant axe blades rose from the ground and crossed each other, forming an X. The axe blades began spinning, forming an X-shaped drill and shot forward, destroying most of the concrete on the ground.

"Heh, who woulda thought he could use a destructive spell like that." Ignoramus said, looking at Jonny, who was looking at Slash with a bloodthirsty look. Jonny however, did not answer because he was waiting to see what the opposing mamodo were going to do.

Wild Cub and Alice looked at each other and nodded. Derrick, Wild Cub's bookkeeper and Drew, Alice's bookkeeper had both spell books glowing brightly at this time and were putting more energy into the books.

"_Kiroshield!"_

Wild Cub opened her hands as a spiraling silver shield came out and held back the X-shaped drill.

"_Kageru!"_

Alice ran inside of the spiraling shield and fired the water ball towards the middle, causing it to hit the drill in its center, dissipating it.

"Doesn't matter because now I can do this!" Slash yelled as he ran forward and punched the ground, sending chunks of concrete and gravel everywhere

"_Ashield!"_

Alice formed a water shield and protected Wild Cub, Derrick and her partner from the flying debris

"I wonder what that was supposed to do…" Ignoramus said as Jonny still didn't answer and still had the bloodthirsty look on his face

"_Gazurogaruga!"_

Slash summoned the 9-foot iron lance from the ground and tossed it into the sky. He was pumped and eager to keep fighting. Jonny however saw enough and wanted to put Slash to his final test.

"It's time for the grand finale." Jonny said as he continued watching from the top of the warehouse building

"_Giganto Kiroru!"_

Wild Cub formed a giant silver ball which had the appearance of an atom and tossed it at Slash.

"_Razen Jo!"_

A giant spiral appeared in front of Alice's hand as the large torrent of water began forming; she held it up and swung it at Slash.

"Two big spells…Kiichiro, we have no choice but to use our strongest spell and get through this!"

"Alright! The seventh spell! _Gigano Hokeiron!"_

Slash placed his hand on the ground as a large iron warrior rose to the surface. It had the appearance of a hoplite from ancient Greece with its long flowing hair and a spear. The iron warrior went forward and clashed with the vortex and silver energy ball and exploded on impact. The smoke and dust kicked up ad after it cleared; Slash and Kiichiro were standing in front of the now fallen Alice and Wild Cub. Just then he raised his arm up and the lance fell out of the sky, into his hand. He pointed it at the defeated mamodo and looked towards Jonny. Jonny did not respond immediately but a soft clap was heard. Slash turned around and was standing face-to-face with Jonny and Ignoramus.

"That was…entertaining to say the least." Jonny said

"Heh." Slash grunted

"Anyway, me mentioning the cathedral earlier to your teammates earlier was just bait because I know that they would want to go to the cathedral and show us up. We need a distraction anyway."

"Go on…" Slash said, now starting to listen

"This is what we're going to do…" Jonny began

[_Ishimaru's house…_]

Haley, Kai, Leon and Toshiro made it to Tokyo and were at Ishimaru's house and drawing up plans with him and Josh for tomorrow's assault. They had drawn up the strategy map and were double-checking it for any mistakes.

"So it's settled. We barge in and force our way underground and assault the labyrinth."

Everybody nodded in agreement. However Kai, who was lying on the stairs, overheard and shook his head. "This really isn't the best strategy, a more discreet plan would be the better way to go, but humans will be humans I guess." Kai then got up and climbed on Ishimaru's living room couch and drifted off to sleep.

[_Inside warehouse at abandoned steel mill…_]

"So let me get this straight, you want to infiltrate the underground cathedral using back ways and short cuts?"

"That will be correct. There should also be a control room overlooking the labyrinth. I know that over the years, the labyrinth has been watched over by traps and surveillance cameras. Therefore, we find it, and shut the traps off." Jonny said, combing his hair

"All right." Slash said as they finished going over their plan

The next morning, Slash and Jonny were a few blocks outside of the cathedral, waiting for Ishimaru and friends waiting to arrive. They were sitting at a bus stop wearing shades and pretending to read newspapers. (Ignoramus was looking at the pictures from the comics)

Then, Ishimaru and the others appeared out of the subway stations and suddenly ran into the cathedral. Slash and Jonny nodded as they put down their newspapers and then went inside as well. When they go inside, they see panicked clergymen running around in circles, scrambling to sound off the alarms in order to deal with the threat.

Slash, Jonny, and Ignoramus hurry into the hallway as they find a dressing room. Slash kept the sleeping Kiichiro in his leather pouch as he slipped on a clergyman robe and a mitre. Jonny and Ignoramus also followed suit. Slash fixed his clergyman robe to make it appear as if he were a hunchback because of Kiichiro and in order to hide her. As they continued down the corridors, they saw Ishimaru and the others go inside of the underground labyrinth. They continued their trek as they kept on with their search of a control room.

"What happened to Wild Cub and Alice?" Slash asked, not that he really cared or anything, just out of sheer curiosity

"I sent them to tail those other guys, in case they need backup." Jonny said as he continued looking through various doors.

Slash and Jonny kept walking down the hall until they suddenly bumped into a clergyman.

"Oh, you guys must be the on-duty security." He said hastily

"Why yes we are. We are looking for the control room, where was it again?" Slash said as his eyes darted around a bit

"Make left up ahead, make two rights and it'll be the 4th door on the left." The clergyman said as he scattered away

Slash, Jonny and Ignoramus continued on their way to the control room.

_A/N- Well there you go! Ishimaru and the others are confronting the bishops and beginning their assault on the underground labyrinth. The climax of the 2__nd__ arc will be here in a few chapters! Stay tuned for another epic chapter in Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! PLEASE PLEASE give me some delicious reviews! Till next time!_


	25. Traps in the hazardous labyrinth!

_A/N-I'm on a roll! Let's get it done!_

_Disclaimer: Due to religious content, viewer discretion is advised. _

Jonny, Slash and Ignoramus followed the directions given to them by the first clergyman, leading to a door. "This is the first checkpoint and it needs a card key. Let's go back and see if any of the clergymen have one on them." Jonny said, as he turned and hurried up the corridor. Slash and Ignoramus followed suit and saw him standing on a corner. Jonny looked as he saw the clergyman pacing back and forth.

"What's up?" Jonny asked

"I'm keeping an eye out for suspicious activity because there were a few intruders that went underground this morning, so I have to keep an eye out for any persons of interest." He said as he turned around and looked at them, but suddenly began staring at Slash

"What?" Slash demanded, now a little concerned that the clergyman was getting suspicious.

"That hump…" he began to say as his head was quickly slammed against the wall by Ignoramus

"OOPS. GUESS I DON'T KNOW MAH OWN STRENGTH! HYUCK!" Ignoramus said sheepishly

Jonny squatted down and searched the clergyman's robes, grabbing the card key. "Get rid of him." He said, pointing to a nearby room. Slash stood there waiting for the body to be dragged away, but after a few moments of nothing happening, Slash realized that Jonny was talking to him. Just as Slash was about to say something, he saw that Jonny was already down the hall getting the card key to go through. "All right…I got it!" he exclaimed, sliding the card through

"Access Granted." Said the automated voice as the door slid open.

[_Underground Labyrinth…._]

Team Ishimaru looked around the elegant maze they were going through. The floor was made out of jade tiles; golden angels were painted all over the ceiling, the walls made out of limestone. "Remember everybody, watch your step." Ishimaru said as he carefully treaded down the path.

"Forget this slow walking; I'm making a run for it!" Chainz yelled as he took off sprinting, Jyan also followed suit

"The author is making me do thiiiiisssssssssssssssss!" Jyan bellowed as he and Chainz made it to the end of the hallway

"Don't do that you idiots!" Ishimaru yelled, hitting the wall with his fist. This was a big mistake however, as a nearby wall slid open and a large limestone boulder rolled out and towards them.

"I hate irony!" Kai yelled as he and everybody else took off running. However, this wasn't enough as the boulder began picking up speed.

"We're not going to make it!" Leon yelled

"Oh yes we will!" Haley yelled as she pulled out Kai's glowing spell book

"_Chisokumera!_"

Just then, Kai felt the wind on his feet as Leon and Toshiro grabbed him by the arm and he grabbed Haley by the waist and she grabbed Ishimaru by the arm and sped to where Chain and Jyan were, just in time to avoid the heavy boulder.

[_Main Floor, Cathedral Hallways]_

Jonny and the others found the next door and examined it. "This is the second checkpoint and instead of a card key, it requires a retina scan." With that being said, they looked down the corridor and saw a clergyman standing there. "HEY! DOES THIS DOOR NEED A RETINA SCAN IN ORDER FOR IT TO OPEN?" he yelled

"YEAH." The clergyman replied "WHO ARE YOU?"

The clergyman never received an answer; Ignoramus suddenly fell to the ground with his mouth wide open, beginning to tremble. Suddenly, Ignoramus was shaking and foaming at the mouth, as if he was having an epileptic seizure. Ignoramus sprang up, looked at the clergyman, then at the ceiling. Without warning or explanation he lifted his arms in the air, still staring at the ceiling and charged at the clergyman, arms in air, head tilted back and feet in front of him.

"BUM ! He screamed as he tackled the clergyman

Jonny and Slash's eyes were was wide as saucers. "What the hell was that?" Slash asked "Beats me." (No pun intended) Jonny said as they made their way over to Ignoramus and the now unconscious clergyman

"AHH! AHH! AHH! AHHHHHHHH!" Ignoramus continued to yell as he continued punching the clergyman's chest; he then got up and picked up the unconscious body as he met his teammates halfway down the hallway.

"Shall we proceed gentlemen?" he said in a strange British accent

Ignoramus opened the clergyman's eyelid and completed the retina scan, opening the door to the next hallway. After a few moments of silence, it was broken. "Slash; let's get something straight here, whenever there's an unconscious body, you hide it. It's that simple." Jonny said as he turned back around and continued walking. Slash was getting pissed. He did not appreciate taking orders from anybody, _especially _a human…at all. He planned on smashing his head in if he got out of line one more time. "Strike two." He said as he cursed under his breath and hid the body as he caught up with Jonny and Ignoramus.

[_Underground Labyrinth…_]

Team Ishimaru did not set off any traps for a while, but knowing them, that luck was going to run out soon. They came upon a thinner hallway with rough brick walls, there were small silver holes all over both walls, but they appeared to be covered by small silver disks. It smelled similar to a barbecue pit and a low buzz could be heard if one was to listen carefully. Up ahead, was a horizontal dark green laser. "Too easy." Ishimaru said confidently

"Oh really now." Kai said, rolling his eyes

"I came prepared for something like this." Ishimaru said as he pulled out a small aerosol can and sprayed the air in front of them. After the aerosol mist cleared, no extra lasers could be seen. "Odd, but oh well, what a weak defense." Ishimaru said as he and the others hopped over the laser. Suddenly the silver disks covering the holes all slid up as hundreds of hornets began to fly out. "RUNNN!" yelled Toshiro as they tried to outrun the angry insects

"I could've sworn you sprayed the air to check for lasers!" Haley yelled

"I did!" Ishimaru said back, now panting from the running

Ishimaru looked at the can as it said, "Novelty laser uncloaking spray." He then turned it to the back, "Not meant for actual use."

Everybody fell over anime style.

[_Main Floor, cathedral hallways]_

Here's the third checkpoint." Slash said as he saw that the door needed another card key. They immediately turned around and quickly found an alcove leading into a small room.

"That's a clergywoman; I bet she has a key." Slash said, carefully looking into the next room where a female clergyman was standing guard.

"I'll handle this one." Jonny said as he went into the room and closed the door behind him.

Slash and Ignoramus backed away a few feet and waited for Jonny. After about fifteen minutes, Jonny emerged with the card key in hand.

Slash wrinkled his nose a little and looked at Jonny. "What happened in there?"

"I took care of it." He said with a wink and adjusting his belt buckle a little, holding out the card key.

"I'm not touching that." Slash said, backing away

[_Underground Labyrinth…_]

Ishimaru and the others applied cream to various stings on their arms and legs. "At Least I packed the right something." Ishimaru said, rubbing some cream on his forearm. They continued on and came across a large room. This room however, was different from the others due to the vast array of colored floor tiles. "I'm sure that stepping on a certain color will activate a trap." Ishimaru said

"Or for all we know, all of the tiles contain traps." Kai said

"You could be right, but let's step on the jade tiles." Ishimaru suggested

"I'm not listening to you this time." Chainz said flatly

"Yeah, I think you've done enough." Josh agreed

"Oh come on, I'm right this time." Ishimaru said

Unfortunately, no one listened as they began walking on separate tiles, only for tranquilizer darts to activate and shoot out; the jade tiles however, began glowing a bright green, leading to the path to the next part of the labyrinth.

"We got to make a run for it!" Ishimaru yelled as they were pelted with darts

Ishimaru's body began to feel heavy as he and the others continued on. "I guess we can take a little nap here…"

[_Main floor cathedral hallways…_]

"The control room is up ahead, just past those last two clergymen, which of course we can take out easily." Jonny said as they came upon the last door. "All right now, if we can just—"

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I GET IT NOW!" Ignoramus yelled, destroying all chances of a sneak attack

Ignoramus: I didn't know this story was adult-oriented

PG: Neither did I….

*Ignoramus and PG look at Jonny…*

Soon enough, a dozen and a half clergymen plus the two they tried to sneak up on were all coming at them, yelling and babbling about criminal charges. Slash, Jonny and Ignoramus cracked their knuckles and got to work.

[_Five minutes later…_]

"And that's that." Slash said as he moved the final unconscious body in a room and closed the door. Jonny opened the door of the control room and looked around. There were a few cushioned, rolling chairs and dozens of cameras along with many buttons. Jonny played with a few controls and lit up the cameras. Slash locked and latched the doors and took off his clergyman robe and mitre, putting the surprisingly still sleeping Kiichiro down and laying her on the couch against the wall. He took his seat and rolled over towards Jonny, who also took his robe and mitre off.

"So, what's the plan now?" he asked

"Alright, according to this camera over here, those other guys are going to be fighting the bishops. While they are fighting, we will go into the next room over and swipe the few tablets that they are in possession of, then we'll make our getaway, leaving them to deal with the consequences once all of the people we knocked out wake up."

"Sounds good." Slash said

Amidst their conversation, Ignoramus was fascinated by all of the buttons and was getting a little too trigger happy.

"OOOHHH! WHAT DOES THIS BUTTON DO? HMMM….DANGER, DO NOT PRESS…IT MUST BE A SURPRISE! PRESSS! PRESS! PRESSSSS!" he said as he rapidly pushed the buttons

What was fun for Ignoramus wasn't fun for Team Ishimaru as the buttons he was pressing activated various traps throughout the labyrinth. Ishimaru and co, who recovered from the darts, were running from spears, more darts, poison gas, collapsing ceilings and sticky oils. Surprisingly coming out mostly unharmed. Just down the hall appeared to be a wide open space.

"All right this is the final stretch!" Ishimaru exclaimed as they jogged towards the area

Ignoramus continued looking at them on camera. "Gee, I hope they make it." He said, putting his palm on his cheek, however, his elbow hit a switch with a green handle on it.

As Team Ishimaru was still on their way to the end, a large stream of flames spewed all over the walls, providing a fiery blockade to the exit.

"Damn…so what now?" asked Chainz

"Good question." Said Ishimaru

Meanwhile, back in the control room, Ignoramus continued staring at the screen when Slash and Jonny took notice. "Ignoramus, what the hell are you doing?" Slash exclaimed as he pulled him off of the controls

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ignoramus whined, his feet wildly kicking in the air, hitting yet another switch.

Suddenly, a large sandbag dropped over the flames, extinguishing it completely. "That was convenient." Ishimaru said as they advanced forward making their way down the stairs and into the opened space. Looking around, it was about twenty-five feet wide and the ceiling about thirty feet high. It appeared to be deeper underground than the rest of the labyrinth. Looking ahead, Augustus, Salil and their respective book owners appeared.

"Is that right, you finally made it." Augustus said smiling

"You come here, alert our clergymen, invade our labyrinth and challenge us…unforgivable! However, we will teach a lesson you won't ever forget." Salil said smiling

Ishimaru pulled out the green spell book and stepped forward, "I haven't fought in a while, this should be fun." Chainz said, cracking his knuckles and stretching his arms.

"You…have his face." Augustus said looking at Chainz

"Excuse me?" Chainz asked

"His face….his face! You have the Iron Prince's face. In spite of your small size, I must take you seriously."

"Small size?" yelled Chainz

"Prepare to die, brother of the Iron Prince!" Augustus yelled

"Oh great, another loon who fought Slash, well it looks like I'm going to have to knock some sense into you." Chainz said

"Prepare to have your hands full, Iron Prince's brother as you have me to deal with as well." Salil said also prepared to fight

Kai and Haley were about to confront Salil but were stopped by Leon and Toshiro

"Step down little sister. It's our turn to fight, you had your fun." Leon said

"Whatever." Haley said, crossing her arms

"Actually, you have us to deal with." Toshiro said, pointing to Salil

"Is that so, guess I'll have to eliminate you from this battle too." Salil taunted

Chainz and Toshiro stood in front of the bishops as a big fight was about to go down.

_A/N- All right! We everybody reached their destinations after overcoming various trials. Toshiro finally takes off the gloves and is going to get down to business. Will Chain be rusty due to not fighting for a while? Find out in the next chapter of Chainz Reaction: Iron Revolution! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE Review! Till next time!_


	26. The fourth spell and Toshiro's triumph!

_A/N- There's a few more chapters left and we'll be done with the first arc. Sufrir and I will start advertising so there will be more publicity and more reviews. Sit back and enjoy!_

_Co-A/N: Hey everyone I'm Prince Gray's IRL bestie, ;) my name is Sufrir. You may refer to me as Lord, Sire, Master, fuehrer, father, or Sir it's up to you. Now that we're taking on this project together there are going to be more drastic yet immersive changes to the story. I'm currently drawing the main_

_characters to give you more of a general idea on how everyone looks, of course I won't draw EVERYONE'S characters because that will take up too much time. I hope you like Ignoramus; he's the funniest character I've made so far! xD here's my first project, ISHIMARU & CHAINZ! _

sufrir|.deviantart|.com/art/Ishimaru-and-Chainz-260561608 (remove the | on sufrir and deviantart)

_A/N 2- Oh and we're also working on a promotional video for the __**first**__ arc of this story, so I need all of those who submitted a __**main**__ character for the first arc, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, send me or Sufrir FULL details so drawings of them can be placed into our promo. (And yes, you your names will be in the credits! __J__ )_

_And if your character was not in the main cast this arc, don't feel bad because chances are, they may join the main cast in the 2__nd__ arc, and we MIGHT go ahead and do another video with everybody's characters. _

_Due to Religious content, viewer discretion is advised._

"We are honored that you came all this way to die." Augustus said, removing his robe

Augustus and Salil were facing Chainz and Toshiro, the room was quiet and the air was tense as things got underway. The bishops removed their robes and were ready to begin. Chainz felt a little anxious, he knew that all eyes were on him and that he had to perform to his best ability.

"The first spell, _Kai Lei!"_

Chainz opened his mouth as a laser formed and shot out. Augustus immediately dodged it and ran towards his left, as if he was trying to separate himself from Salil.

"_What the hell is he doing?" _Chainz thought

"_Holyruk!"_

Augustus began cackling as he got down on a knee. White lines appeared on his back as long, white feathered wings expanded and a silver centurion helmet appeared on his head, his blond hair flowing out of the back of it. He flew up in the air and levitated above Chainz.

"Damn." Chainz growled as he looked up at the mamodo flying above him

"_Kai Lei!" _

Chainz opened his mouth and shot the laser at Augustus. He took the hit head-on and a small explosion kicked up upon him. When the smoke cleared, Augustus was still flying above Chainz.

"How do you light a match without setting it on fire?" Augustus said, darkly chuckling

"Damn You!" Chainz shouted

"Chainz, get a hold of yourself, he's trying to screw with you!" Ishimaru said, however Ishimaru's advice fell on deaf ears. Chainz was enraged and wanted to tear Augustus apart limb by limb. He sprinted forward, attempting to confront him head-on.

"_Doru Holyruga!"_

Augustus stretched his wings out and began spinning. The wind around his body forming a drill-like aura. Ishimaru however, had to figure out how to slow him down; a full-on direct hit would be devastating.

"The second spell, _Hokkado!"_

Chainz quickly put his hands in front of him as a giant gear rose from the ground, effectively blocking Augustus. However, as the gear spun, so did Augustus. Augustus continued spinning and shattered the gear shield, colliding into Chainz, sending him crashing into ground.

"Chainz!" yelled Ishimaru

Meanwhile, Toshiro and Salil were still staring each other down, and without a word, they clashed with each other. Toshiro's punches connecting with Salil's wrists.

"_Grounruk!"_

Toshiro went in for an uppercut as Salil's body busted open and drops of mud came raining down. However, the mud came together and reformed Salil's body.

"You can punch and kick me all you want. No matter what you do, I will always regenerate." He said as he enjoyed the angry look on Toshiro and his partner's face

"We'll see about that, _Mizuteron!"_

Toshiro opened his palm as a blast of water quickly shot out of it.

"_Grouncrag!"_

Salil slammed his fist on the ground as it cracked and a large boulder flew and collided with the blast of water, shattering it into pieces.

"We're just getting started. _Mizugen!" _yelled Leon, now fired up

Toshiro raised his hand as dozens of geysers suddenly shot out of the ground, sending Salil in the air. "I can't get up!" Salil yelled as he collided into the ceiling. Toshiro then ran forward and leapt into the air, catching the falling Salil by the legs. Toshiro held the bishop's legs together as they fell to the ground at full speed. Toshiro lifted up Salil's legs a little more and slammed his into the ground, shaking everything on impact.

"_Did I break his neck?" _Toshiro wondered

"I think he broke his neck." Kai said to Haley, Josh and Jyan

Salil was motionless, but soon brown liquid could be seen on his face. His face and neck continued dripping until their texture became gooey. Right in Toshiro's hands, the once solid mamodo had melted into mud, going right through his hands!

Salil's reformed as he stood up and popped his neck. "You thought this was over…this battle has just begun!"

"_Grounrana!"_

Salil opened his mouth as a large blast of mud shot out. The large stream of mud was very quick and struck Toshiro before he could do anything. Toshiro crashed into the ground but got back up.

"Damn…something's…gotta….give." He said between breaths

Meanwhile, in the vents of the cathedral, Slash and Ignoramus were crawling into the next room over from the battle, where the tablets hid. "I believe this is the place." Slash said, removing a ceiling tile. Slash tapped the headset on his ear and spoke, "Mastermind, this is Dirty Work. We have located the babies. Tell sleepy head to chant the spell and I will lower Ignoramus into the room so he will retrieve the babies."

"_Hokeigo!"_

Slash opened his hand as the spike ball and chain wrapped around Ignoramus's legs. He then lowered him into the room as he reached down to grab the tablets. They were on an altar covered with golden velvet. There were four tablets laying there as Ignoramus was almost within reach.

"I ALMOST GOT EM' JUS A BIT MORE!" Ignoramus said as Slash lowered him a bit more. Ignoramus then grabbed the four tablets and brought them back up. "Wow, you actually did something without screwing it up." Slash said mildly impressed

However, he spoke too soon as Ignoramus moved his hand up for a high-five, he dropped one of the tablets and it was about to hit the ground. Slash quickly kicked ignoramus down the ceiling as he caught it and Slash pulled him back up.

"OOPSIE…" Ignoramus said sheepishly

Back in the other room over, the battle with the Bishops of the Chess Master continued.

"Chainz, you have to listen to me! Don't let him get you all fired up like that!" Ishimaru yelled

"Damn him. I am going to smash his head in!" Chainz yelled

"My my, what a short temper you have my dear." Augustus said as he began to fly in circles around Chainz, causing him to get even angrier.

"_Holyruga!"_

Feathers rained from Augustus's wings as Chainz was pelted with very hard feathers, causing him to fall on the ground. The barrage continued as Chainz was rendered helpless against the fury of Augustus's feathers.

"What a pity. I had hoped that being the Iron Maiden's other son and the Iron Prince's brother; you would be more of a challenge. Guess I was wrong. Give me another spell so I can finish him off!"

"_Giga la Holyruga!"_

Augustus's wings shined as iron feathers rained on Chainz. Chainz got up and tried to run, but the feathers got to him, stinging his body like bullets. Chainz suddenly tumbled on the ground and laid still. Augustus came upon his motionless body.

"I must admit, I'm disappointed, I was hoping for a much better fight then what I gotten." He said as he simply hovered a few feet from Chainz's body."

"Nonetheless, may the lord have mercy on your soul." Augustus said as he stretched out his wings

"_Hokeigo!_"

Chainz quickly opened his palm in Augustus's face. "Talk to the hand." He said as the spike ball and chain shot out and wrapped around his neck. Chainz then stood up and lifted his arm up, sending Augustus into the air. He then fiercely and violently slammed Augustus into the ground with a powerful thud. However Augustus was not out, as he flapped his wings and got back into the air.

"Prepare for a fiery hell storm!"

"_Emuru Holyruga!"_

Flames covered Augustus' wings similar to a phoenix as flaming feathers fell upon the punk biker mamodo. The feathers burning his skin and hot cinders floating in the air.

"_I pushed myself to my limit. I used all that I had within me to get to this point. The fact that I kept a much stronger at bay to this point is great…but not enough. I'm the heir to the Cobra Clan, I should be better than this. All of the hours of special training, all of the preparation, all of the private lessons at the mamodo School…I didn't come this far to lose here. I need to stand tall! I have the emblem of the clan on my back! If I don't face my opponent, then I don't deserve to wear this emblem!"_

"I…will…not…lose…IT ISN"T AN OPTION!" Chainz screamed, now fully standing albeit shaking. There were 1st and 2nd degree burns on his skin, his ankle was sprained and he was bruised, but he had to keep going.

"My my, you are stubborn. Looks like I have no choice but to vaporize you with my strongest spell."

"No matter what you blast me with…I will STILL overcome anything you dish out." Chainz said as his spell book began glowing a blinding green light

"It…it's a new spell!" Ishimaru exclaimed, his hands skimming over the now green words on the pages.

"You can barely stand; therefore this battle is over for you!"

"_Dioga Holyruga!"_

Augustus's silver helmet glowed as a blinding ray of light fired out towards Chainz. Chainz, however, didn't budge. He stood tall, ready for his opponent's attack. "You can't break me, I have a goal I plan on achieving, and that's being King! Now Ishimaru!"

Ishimaru held the brightly glowing green spell book opened as he focused all of his heart energy into the book. "TIME FOR THE FOURTH SPELL! _LEI HOKAISHO!_"

Chainz's body glowed with a white aura as he opened his mouth and a large white laser shot towards the ceiling, it formed into a giant white laser cobra, with long sharp fangs and glowing red eyes. It let out an ear shattering hiss. The cobra opened his mouth and made its way towards Augustus. The light ray he shot out was ineffective against the cobra as it dissipated and the cobra kept going at him. The cobra bit down upon Augustus, engulfing him in the energy.

"Such power…" were the only words that came out of his mouth as a massive explosion kicked up.

Augustus's feathers and wings disintegrated and his helmet destroyed, he fell to the ground. As the smoke fully cleared, his partner was unconscious and his spell book was on the ground, blanketed in white flames.

"Such power…that…was…the Cobra Clan's…t-true power…" he faded away as his book became ashes

"Not as strong as me, but nice job." Jyan said crossing his arms

"Chainz is better than I gave him credit for." Kai admitted

"Good job you two." Haley said, smiling

"I did it…I really did it." Chainz said as he fell over.

"Chainz…Thank you." Ishimaru said, picking up the young mamodo

[_Control Room…_]

Slash scoffed when he saw Chainz use his Lei Hokaisho spell. Jonny, caught that out of the corner of his eye and turned his chair around towards Slash. "That was some spell, don't you think so Slash?"

"I've seen better." Slash grunted

On the other side of the room, Toshiro was still going at it with Salil. "It doesn't matter if that fool Augustus got eliminated; you still have me to deal with!"

"_Ganzu Grounrana!"_

Salil lifted his hands as the puddles of mud on the ground from previous spells lifted up and formed dart-like projectiles.

Thinking fast, Leon flipped a few pages in the spell book and yelled, "_Mizurudo!"_

Toshiro formed a dome barrier out of water and covered himself and Leon, just in time as the projectiles exploded over the barrier.

"Good…but not good enough!" Salil yelled as he opened his mouth, preparing for the next spell.

"_Gigano Grounrana!"_

Salil fired a giant blast of mud from his mouth at Toshiro, the mud sloshed onto Toshiro; he had to act fast before the pressure crushed him.

"We got this, _Gigano Mizumaron!"_

The mud quickly washed off Toshiro's body as a large tidal was summoned and sent forth, cutting through the mud and hitting Salil directly, knocking him off balance. Toshiro couldn't let the momentum shift away from him, however Salil had other plans.

"I haven't had to really use this spell, but it's one of my aces in the hole!"

"_Teor Grounbython!"_

"_Giga Mizuaisu!"_

Salil formed a mud and rock python as it opened its mouth and swallowed Toshiro whole.

"Oh no…" Haley said

Kai however, stood there without saying a word. He knew his brother all too well. Toshiro, as good-natured as he was, was one of the fiercest fighters Kai knew. The python stopped as water droplets appeared out of the python as it was soon encased in ice. Next, the python shattered into pieces as Toshiro emerged unharmed.

"My Giga Mizuaisu spell allows me to shoot water which freezes and opponent or spell and since your spell swallow me, I was able to freeze the spell from the inside out . "

"Remember how I said that was my ace…well actually, I have two!"

"_Dioga Grounrana!"_

Salil raised his arms as a river of mud appeared and dragged Toshiro under. He felt the pressure hold a tight grip upon him and was unable to move his legs.

"If I don't do something fast, Toshiro is going to be crushed. Leon said as he flipped the pages in the book

"Looks like we have to use the one spell that has bailed us out multiple times, the seventh spell, _Gigano Misuryu!"_

Toshiro felt his body slip through the mud as his body glowed a faint blue aura, he raised his arms in the air as he continued levitating. A large dragon made of ice and water formed and was sent forward towards Salil.

"That thing won't make it past my mudslide!" Salil yelled as the mud attempted to slow down the dragon. However, the dragon kept going as it collided into Salil, causing a misty explosion. As the mist cleared, Salil and his bookkeeper were frozen solid. Toshiro and Leon walked over to their fallen opponents. "I think I'll be taking this." He said as he pried the frozen spell book out of the bookkeeper's hands. Toshiro turned towards Salil, he placed his fist close to his frozen face and with one swift tap, he shattered the ice, freeing his head.

"The ice from my strongest spell froze you solid. When frozen, mud is useless and since your earlier spell turned your body into mud, even your internal organs aren't much use to you either."

"Shut up. You're merely a step closer to the Chess Master. If you had this long of a fight with me, he'll have your ass on a platter."

Toshiro did not say a single word in response to the bishop's remarks; instead he simply snapped the frozen book in half over his kneecap, causing the book to burn. Salil quickly faded away and Toshiro met with the rest of Team Ishimaru at the center of the room.

"That was amazing." Haley said, very impressed with Toshiro pulling out the win

"Heh." Kai said with his arms crossed

"I quite enjoyed myself." Josh said

"It was alright." Jyan said coolly

"Anyway, we should explore the rest of the labyrinth and look for an exit." Ishimaru said as everybody nodded in agreement

As they ran into the next room, they come across the altar where the tablets once were, only marks and residue were left. Ishimaru looked at the powder and Kai examined the marks.

"It appears to be made from the same material as the tablet." Ishimaru said

"That must mean that there are more." Kai said turning towards Haley

"I wonder who could have taken them." Ishimaru said, rubbing his chin

Meanwhile, Slash, Jonny and the others escaped the cathedral, with the tablets in hand. "What do we do with these?" Slash asked, looking at Jonny

"Take them to headquarters. The Tetashi Country Club in Tokyo Heights. Just scan this card and you'll get in. You'll get your own in a bit." Jonny said as he looked back at the cathedral

"And what are you going to do?"

"Me and Ignoramus are going back inside to make sure Alice and Wild Cub are okay and assist those other guys in case they need it."

"Well, all right." Slash said as he and Kiichiro set off fort the Tokyo Heights district

[_Tokyo Harbor…_]

"I'm finally here." Chase said as he got off of the boat. He looked around, apparently trying to figure out where he was going. Chase began walking up Main Street and looked around some more.

[_Outside Cathedral…_]

Team Ishimaru finally found an exit and made it out of the labyrinth. Even though they didn't find any tablets, the bishops were defeated and they were one step closer to taking on the Chess Master himself. "This calls for a celebration; let's go get something to eat. Josh's treat!" Jyan announced

"Sounds good." Chainz agreed among a few agreeing others

"What the hell? I'm not paying for anything!" yelled Josh

As they were arguing and making commotion going up and down the streets, by the time they got to Main Street, people were staring at them. Chase overheard the chatter and looked over, giving a slight smile as he approached them.

"I hate to interrupt this lovely commotion, but are some you guys mamodo?" Chase asked

"Who wants to know?" Chainz asked, crossing his arms

"Well, I know where the Chess master's base is at."

"How do you even know that we're even fighting the Chess Master?" Josh asked, also suspicious

"Back on Ryukyu, I heard a few pawns mention the Iron Prince and considering that the Iron Prince is a Cobra Clan member, I assume by looking at your friend over here, that he is a Cobra Clan member."

"Yeah, I'm a member, but I'm not the Iron Prince." Chainz said, gritting his teeth

"Very well, but I will go ahead and tell you anyway. The Chess Master's base is on the main island. It's a large black castle made of brick. I'm not much of a fighter, but I've snuck into the castle a few times and almost got caught by the rooks. "

"The rooks?" Chainz asked

"The rooks are the strongest minions of the Chess Masters, they're defensive specialists….I know that because I saw a team go in and they were crushed badly. If you guys do decide to come, I will be waiting on shore." With that, Chase walked away, disappearing in the crowd and vanishing as quickly as he came.

"So, what do you think we should do?" Ishimaru asked the others

"We don't have anything to lose, so let's go for it." Haley suggested

"Yeah, I agree." Josh and Leon said

"So it's settled. We shall go…but we'll need a plane or boat." Ishimaru said, laughing a little

"I think I have an idea." Haley said, smiling a little

[_Ishimaru's house…_]

"All right fine, I supposed I am convinced." Rika said as she hung on Skype.

Haley contacted the church in Osaka and convinced the Religious Trio to come along to the Ryukyu Islands and use the church's helicopter in order to get there and back.

"Surprisingly, that was a good idea." Leon complimented

"Anyway, we need to get packing, let's go finish this up, once and for all!" Ishimaru exclaimed as the final stretch was up ahead.

_A/N- Oh look, the chapter is over. Hope you liked all of what's happened so far! The arc will be coming to a close in a few chapters, so stay tuned for the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! Till next time! _

Stats-

Name- Augustus

Partner- Ryuga Gishimani

Book color- Maroon

Rank- 61st out of 100

Element- Wings

Book burned by- Chainz and Ishimaru

Spells-

Holyruk- Augustus transforms into a winged formed with a silver helmet

Holyruga- Augustus shoots feathers upon the opponent and the feathers feel like hail

Giga la Holyruga- Augustus shoots iron feathers upon the opponent

Emuru Holyruga- Augustus shoots flaming feathers upon the opponent

Doru Holyruga- Augustus stretches his wings and spins rapidly, forming a drill like aura and charges at the opponent.

Dioga Holyruga- Augustus's strongest spell, his helmet lights up and fires a light ray at the opponent.

Name- Salil

Partner- Stephanie Jackson

Book color- Goldenrod

Rank- 60th out of 100

Element- Ground/Mud

Book burned by- Toshiro and Leon

Spells-

Grounruk- Salil's body turns into mud

Grouncrag- Salil punches the ground and sends a boulder at the opponent

Grounrana- Fires mud from his mouth

Ganzu Grounrana- Salil fires dart-like mud projectiles at the opponent

Gigano Grounrana- A larger version of Grounrana

Teor Grounbython- Salil summons a mud python at the opponent

Dioga Grounrana- Salil's strongest spell, he forces a mudslide upon the opponent


	27. Chainz's dream and a dark castle!

_A/N- Here's another chapter, let's get it done!_

CoA/N- _Say yawl' wass uber gud? Ima put all yawl in check by clicking on these here links to see Jonny and Ignoramus_

_http:/sufrir|deviantart|com/art/Jonny-and-Ignoramus-260845743_

_And Josh and Jyan_

_http:/sufrir|deviantart|com/art/Jyan-and-Josh-261278478 (replace the_

_(take out the | put .)_

_Any questions or ideas you may have or any type of concerns please_

_direct them the my lower extremities lol jk (maybe) xD_

_Ps. If you want in on the upcoming promo vid then pm me._

_PPs. I'm thinking about VOICING some characters, pm if you have good_

_aptitude for voicing._

_PPPs. And ideas or suggestions for character development pm me._

_PPPPs spread the link to Chain Reaction Iron Revolution._

_PPPPPs attention K-mart shoppers.. That is all._

"All right, that's another extra shirt packed." Ishimaru said as he checked off his list

Ishimaru and the others were getting ready to head to Ryukyu so they can confront the Chess Master head-on. It took a lot of work to get to this point, but it was well worth it. Even though he was done, Josh and most definitely Haley was going to need more time to prepare. "I guess I could go to the soccer fields for a bit." Ishimaru said as he changed into some soccer clothes and dashed outside the door with his ball, almost knocking Chainz over. Chainz shook his head; he didn't understand the eagerness of humans or anybody in general. Seeing nothing else to do and Ishimaru gone, he made his way upstairs and into Ishimaru's room and bed. Tired and bored, he quickly drifted off to sleep.

_[Chainz's dream/flashback 6 years ago…]_

_Chainz fixed his hair as he looked over himself in the mirror. He had short dark gray hair, large happy dark eyes, he wore a black t-shirt with a white cobra on the front and dark blue jean shorts with black and white sneakers. He dashed out of his room and down the stairs. He saw various servants scurrying around the house, mulling about daily chores and tasks. Chainz skipped into the kitchen and saw Cesar, the head chef humming about._

"_Hey there young'un." _

"_Hi Cesar! Guess what day it is?"_

"_Hmmm…not sure. Care to tell me?"_

"_Of course! Today's the day Father makes his announcement, he said it was something very important. I bet he's going to announce Slash as his successor and the representative in the next battle for king!" _

"_You may be right, or you may be more surprised than you think."_

"_I'm not sure about that, but I do like surprises!" Chainz said as he ran out of the kitchen_

_Chainz went outside and looked back up at the house. It was actually the main house on the Cobra Clan's manor. It was about 4 stories high with dozens of bedrooms, bathrooms and many other rooms. Behind the main house, was a ranch scattered with many smaller houses. There was also a training ground east of the main house, a large building west of the main house, which was only used for special occasions; Chainz figured that out because it was being used for his father's big announcement today. He never had been inside before, so Chainz was definitely excited. He had to find a way to occupy himself until then._

_Chainz continued running into grasses behind the main house until he came across Satomi, the daughter of the head ranch hand and his wife, one of the maids in the main house. She was about the same age as Chainz, with nice blond hair and promising blue eyes and tan skin. She wore an orange dress and white sandals. _

"_Hi Satomi!" Chainz said, running up to her_

"_Chansu!" she yelled as she tackled him and they rolled down the hill_

"_You gotta stop calling me that." Chainz said, rubbing his head_

"_But I like calling you that." She said giggling_

"_Anyway, do you have any idea what father's big announcement is?" Chainz asked_

"_Nope!" Satomi said as she leapt up_

"_Are you sure?" Chainz asked, tilting his head a little_

"_I already told you that I didn't." Satomi said, grabbing Chainz's hand_

"_All right, let's go play."_

_After a few hours of playing, Chainz was on his way back to the Main House. Just as he got there, servants immediately grabbed him._

"_Where are you taking me?" Chainz demanded_

"_We need to get you cleaned up; your father will be making his announcement shortly."_

_After being scrubbed, zapped and thrown into hot water, Chainz was cleaned and dressed into a black t-shirt with a white cobra on the front but with soft black shorts instead. As he was primly groomed and pampered, Chainz was brought to the large building he wondered about for a long time. It was simply designed yet very elegant at the same time. It appeared to be a typical ballroom with green velvet carpet, solid white walls and many tables. However, there was a large diamond chandelier hanging from the ceiling with a silver chain connecting it. Up ahead were two throne-like seats where Chainz's parents were sitting. _

"_Father is in his humanoid form…" Chainz trailed off saying_

_Lord Galeno's humanoid form was a man around 6 feet 6 inches tall with messy green hair and yellow eyes with green slits. He had pale white skin and wore a white tuxedo with a cane. _

_Chainz stood there as clan members, servants and other guests poured in and sat at their respective tables. Chainz looked around and saw a table towards the back and sat down. Just then, things got underway. _

_Slash walked in, surrounded by servants. Chainz looked over at his older brother. He had very long gray hair, reaching down to the middle of his back in a ponytail with a sleeveless black t-shirt with a white cobra on the front and white jean shorts with black sneakers. He stopped in front of his parents and took a knee. Just then, Lord Galeno, their father and head of the clan, stood up._

"_I Lord Galeno, head of the Cobra Clan,is honored that you all are here today for this special event."_

_A moderate applause could be heard throughout the building_

"_Today is the day my heir and representative of the Cobra Clan in the next battle for king which is set to occur in 6 years is announced."_

_Chainz clapped at the news, he figured that this is what was going on. He knew that his brother was going to represent the clan well. Chainz knew that there was no way he could be chosen for the next battle, not only because Slash was older and stronger, but because he still had some trouble with his spells. However, Chainz also realized that it still wasn't impossible for him to participate because of the wild card spots that he could clinch if he worked his ass off. Chainz's thought process was interrupted as Lord Galeno continued._

"_It is with great honor and regard that I announce my son Chainz as the next leader and representative in the upcoming battle."_

_Chainz fainted upon hearing that sentence; he came to and saw everybody staring at him, in just as much, if not more shock than he was._

"_As a matter of fact, where is he?" Lord Galeno demanded_

_Chainz stood up and shakily walked to the isle of the room, feeling dozens and dozens of eyes upon him as he made his way up front. Chainz looked over to console Slash, but Slash's face couldn't be seen, due to his hair covering the sides of his face and casting an odd shadow over his eyes. _

"_M-me? W-why me?" Chainz asked_

"_Chainz, you have the potential to use both the elements of laser energy and metal, therefore with special elite training, you will be a versatile fighter and therefore have a better chance at victory."_

"_Special elite training?" Chainz asked, curious _

"_You'll see soon enough." Lord Galeno said with a dark smile_

"_I am very proud of you my son." Lady Kiyoko said_

_Lady Kiyoko, Chainz and Slash's mother was known as The Iron Maiden or Iron Maiden Kiyoko when she fought in the battle to become king back during ancient times, However, she finished 15__th__ out of 100. Even though she only finished in the Top 15, she raised hell for many mamodo and the mamodo who defeated her didn't even know how he did it. She was about 5 foot 5 inches with whitish grey hair that reached to her thighs. She wore a long black gown and had faded grey eyes. Chainz and Slash took after her as far appearance goes. (Especially Slash) _

"_Thank you mother." Chainz said, bowing. Chainz turned around and saw Slash standing up, his head still lowered, he then saw all of the guests in the room, stand up from their tables and got on a knee before him. _

"_Slash bow down to your brother." Lord Galeno demanded_

"_Never…" Slash uttered_

"_Slash I'm not going to ask you again…do as your told and bow down to him!" Lord Galeno yelled_

"_No." Slash spat_

"_So be it. You are hereby banned from the Cobra Clan's main house. You are to stay in a shack on the edge of the estate and you also relinquish your name in my will and any chance to represent the cobra clan in the next battle."_

"_Slash…" Chainz began to say but Slash stopped him_

"_Next time we cross paths, I'll kill you." Slash said as he walked out_

_Chainz didn't know how to feel, but he felt a mix of sadness and fear. He turned around and continued to hear what his father had to say._

"_Now, you need to prove that you're worth giving a damn about." He said as he snapped his fingers_

_Next, a trap door slid open as a girl who resembled Satomi emerged. However, she was different, as she had iron rods going through her body and various wires were also hooked up in her back. She mechanically raised her head and opened her eyes, looking at Chainz, those large blue eyes, now cold and dim._

"_No…no…NO!" Chainz screamed_

"_I want you to take her down. She will be trying to kill you, if you want to survive, destroy her…destroy her before she destroys you."_

"_No…Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"_

_End Dream…._

"AHHHHHHHH!" Chainz screamed

"Chainz! Relax, it was just a dream." Ishimaru said as he came into the room

"What…what?" Chainz said groggily as he looked around. Chainz saw that he was still in Ishimaru's bed and the sun was still bright and shining

"_What Ishimaru doesn't know, is that wasn't just a dream..." Chainz thought _

"I was only asleep for a few minutes?"

"No! You slept in my bed for 18 hours straight!" Ishimaru boomed

"Wow…" Chainz said

"Anyway, get cleaned up, everybody is waiting downstairs." He said as he walked out

Chainz got cleaned up and made his way downstairs where Haley, Josh, Leon and the others were waiting for him. Ishimaru's neighborhood became deafening as they went outside. The helicopter was hovering outside above Ishimaru's house as the rope ladder was dropped down. Ishimaru climbed up as the others followed. When he got on, he saw Sola, Azure and Adella, also known as the Religious Trio. He looked and saw Rai, Rika and Lily, their respective bookkeepers as well. Ishimaru gave them a half-wave greeting as he found his seat. After everybody else was settled, the helicopter took off.

"Where are the peanuts?" Jyan asked looking around

"This is a helicopter ride, not a commercial airline." Josh retorted

Jyan crossed his arms and cursed under his breath. He then made his way over to Chainz, who had a checkerboard out. After a couple of hours, the helicopter was approaching the main island

"Next stop Ryukyu!" announced the pilot

Ishimaru snapped awake and saw that they were indeed almost on the island. The helicopter landed on the heliport as they all got out. They waved goodbye to the pilot as Rika gave him the thumbs up to take off when he wanted to. After walking for about half a mile, they saw Chase up ahead with Reira, the red-haired girl form earlier. "Greetings, this is Reira, my partner. Allow me to lead you all to the castle on the other side of the island." With that being said, Chase turned and the others followed.

Rika, Azure's human partner looked at Ishimaru. "Um…how long have you known that guy?"

"Like a day." Ishimaru replied

"WHAT? YOU ONLY KNOWN THIS GUY FOR A DAY AND YOU GO TO A STRANGE ISLAND AND FOLLOW HIM TO A DARK PLACE? ARE YOU TRYING TO GET KILLED?" she shouted

Ishimaru and the others were a bit scared at her sudden change of tone. He was at a loss of words on how to even respond at such a volatile change, "Um…you j-just met me and you don't seem to feel so threatened." Ishimaru said nervously

"Well that's because you're friends with Haley, whom I've become fairly acquainted with." Rika responded

"Anyway, there's no need to worry about anything." Chase said assuringly as they stopped in front of a large black brick castle. It appeared to be similar to a defense castle, with two castle chess pieces connected by a long brick wall. "Alright, before we go in, does anybody want to turn back?" Chase asked, looking directly at Azure.

Azure frowned at the way Chase looked at him. He was indeed very frightened, but nonetheless wasn't going anywhere. _"I don't like him…and besides, if I leave, who's going to protect Adella…?"_

"Sister…stay close to me. That kid is bad, very bad." Azure said quietly as he grabbed on to her arm.

"Well, since nobody wants to turn away, we're going in." Chase said as they entered the castle.

The first floor of the castle was empty and quiet. It appeared to be a large brick room with nothing in it. "I remember most of the way." Chase said as they continued down the halls and up flights of stairs. They were on the middle of the second floor when a loud thumping could be heard. "This way." Chase whispered as they followed the thumping. Chase opened a door which led to a large cold dungeon. "There's a door down there which leads to a hidden stairway that leads to the throne room where the Chess Master will be." Chase and the others quickly dashed down the stairs, as they made their way to the door, they were halted by a voice.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Just to their luck, were two mamodo were standing there. One was a large boy around 7 feet tall and very muscular. He had wild green hair and light blue skin. He had block-like shoulder armor on his shoulders and large biceps. He wore black jeans and no shoes. Around his neck was a silver chain with a silver castle necklace piece. His partner was a Russian gentleman in his mid-40s and a peculiar mustache.

The other mamodo was a boy around 5 feet 9. He had short brown hair and a blue and white robe on, similar to the pawns. He also wore a sliver rook necklace and had a white castle (A/N: White Castle is delicious) stitched onto his robes. His bookkeeper was a man who appeared to be a construction worker, not much else was known about his appearance, due to the yellow helmet covering his face.

"We are the Rooks of the Chess Master, and seeing as that you got this far and the fact that nobody has been seen for a while, It can be assumed that you defeated the others." The larger one said

"Damn, looks like we're going to fight." Ishimaru said as he opened the green spell book

"Ishimaru, save your energy, you guys go on ahead, Jyan and I will hold them off." Josh said, revealing the blue spell book

"All right, meet back up with us." Ishimaru replied

"Will do." Josh said as he and Jyan faced the rooks

"We're helping too."

Everybody turned and looked at Haley. "No way, it's too dangerous, these are tough mamodo." Leon said, shaking his head.

"You need to stop interfering, we can handle this." Haley said sternly as she and Kai waved Leon away

Ishimaru and the others made their way to the door and went on ahead. Chase however stopped and gave the rooks one last look and nodded as he also left through the door, closing it behind him,

"Well waddya know, we have a 2-on0-2 match here. I normally don't like going up against smaller opponents, but I won't complain, I haven't had any bloodshed in a while." The larger blue one said

"Carlos, don't complain." The smaller and thinner mamodo said

"Oh come on Paschal, I just said wasn't going to complain!" Carlos shouted, crossing his muscular blue arms.

"Anyway, enough talking, let's get rid of them." Paschal said as his bookkeeper opened up a mustard yellow spell book

"It's crushing time!" roared Carlos as his bookkeeper opened up a slate gray spell book

Kai and Jyan looked at each before facing their opponents once more, this was the first time they fought together and hopefully, it would go well.

_A/N- Jyan and Kai take on the rooks! Will they do well? Find out on the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! PLEASE review! Till net time!_


	28. Jyan, the little mamodo that could!

_CO A/N: this chapter has been written by me only, I let Prince gray take a break so that I can introduce you to more of my "style" of writing, I did my best to keep ppls OC's in character but with a tasty twist of my own. ;)_

_I'm currently drawing the major characters of this Arc only, because I will soon be releasing a promo video with all the first arc OC's._

_also I plan to voice SOME characters for a more immerse dramatic affect, if you have anything you want to contribute PM me and we'll discuss what I can work out._

_http:/sufrir*deviantart*com/ (replace * with .)_

_If you have not seen the latest artwork on some of the OC's, go to my DA account and see for yourself how they will end up looking like, I try my best to keep them in the Zatch bell illustration style that the original creator made._

_http:/www*fanfiction*net/u/2471292/Sufrir (replace * with .)_

_Keep in mind that I have a life that is actually really awesome and this IS a lot of work so I'll quote myself now, "I'LL GET TO IT, WHEN I GET TO IT" - Sufrir_

_make sure that if you plan on submitting anything, you at least have two paragraphs of VALID information I can use._

_remember that (parentheses) means that a character is THINKING._

_Ok here we go READ! ***_

Jyan and Kai gazed at each other, contemplating on whether who is to have the incentive attack.

"alright I go first-" Kai is interrupted by the robed mamodo commanding his partner to cast the first spell. "Ganzu Claydar!" Paschal spits out a tremendous amount of gooey clay substance that forms into a massive tower fortress raising him and his and Carlo's book reader high into the air completely shielding them from all sides. The new found castle casts a shadow on the ground where the hulk like mamodo stands.

"you're not getting one over us!" says Jyan as he begins sprinting towards the green haired muscular mamodo "Josh read the fifth spell!" flipping through the pages, Josh begins to read and cast the spell. The small boy then points his head aiming at the center of the big blue mamodo.

"Chikelga!" Jyan's mouth begins to glow as aura fire accumulates and concentrates bursting out as a huge beam of blue aurora fires heading straight for the angry muscular mamodo.

Paschal's book reader reacts quickly reading the second spell in anticipation of the oncoming beam. "Ganzu Claydar" paschal spits gooey clay right in front of Carlos forming into a makeshift wall that hardens at an incredible rate in enough time to shield him from the massive blast. a huge explosion knocks dirt and dust into the air making an impenetrable cloud, the mist of dust and small debris of the kicked up force makes it hard to make out the enemy outlines across the other side.

"CARLOS NOW YOU IDIOT!" paschal orders him as the cloud disperses. the Russian gentleman yells out the first spell, as Carlos takes a mighty fighting stance resembling that of a huge iron wrestler getting ready for a savage match.

"Deruk!" Carlos's body begins to bulks up, muscles begin to pop out as if they themselves had a form of life of their own, his veins ripple and palpitate the blood that is being rushed through them like a mad torrent of water carving intricate paths on a mountainous basin. as a blue aura engulfs his ever increasing body, his new size begins increasing his strength, endurance, and defense significantly within a few seconds.

"CHARGE!" Carlos yells as he begins running towards Jyan, he tramples the ground like a stampeding wild buffalo running frantically on a grassy mountain range. The small boy sits there completely dumbfounded by the two enemy mamodo's reaction time and synchronization.

"Jyan look out!" ~Haley

Haley then begins flipping through her book locating the fourth spell just in time.

"Kazerudo"

Kai jumps high in the air, the oxygen particles around him begin to concentrate as he positions himself with great steadiness, he aims and sweeps his leg with enough force to create a massive wall of wind that surrounds Jyan just in time as the hulk like mamodo slams into it like a bulldozer trying to demolish an old abandoned building.

"you idiot, what were you thinking?" menacingly scolding Jyan for his abrasiveness.

"I can handle these guys easily! they just surprised me that's all" Jyan says with a shameful look on his face as he continues to get reprimanded by Kai.

"you little twerp! We need to analyze our opponents first before we attack! We can't afford to be rash and give them any openings!" ~ Kai

As Jyan and Kai bicker back and forth with each other trying to settle their dispute, the rooks decide to take the opportunity and attack once more. the construction worker readies the mustard yellow spell book and reads the fifth and strongest spell.

"my most powerful attack yet! you will not survive this! we're not fooling around, here's where you die!" ~Paschal

"Claydar Braja!" ~construction worker

"I..

Summon

You..

Death..

Ray..

Of..

Destruction!"

~Paschal *chanting*

The ground begins to quake and tremble as a seventy foot shadowy outline of a manta ray appears on the earthy ground, its sheer size takes up most of the floor as the ground itself seems to dance with the rubble from the mammoth force.

"Seismic death!" ~Paschal

Dark red eyes appear at the base of the outline, pure evil can be sensed radiating from them as if they contained thousands of tortured entrapped souls within, the gargantuan monster rips apart the ground as its massive wing-like fins tare the earth itself, as they ascend the mighty force sporadically sends chunks of rocks and boulders in all directions.. it furiously rises and takes flight into the air.

"Carlos attack from below!" ~Paschal

Carlos laughs maniacally as he orders his human partner to read his second spell.

"SECOND SPELL!" ~Carlos

"Ma Deruk!" ~Russian gentleman

Carlos feels an ardor of energy flow through his veins, a surge so strong it literally feels as if his muscles rip apart. every single nerve ending is SCREAMING out in pain only to give him pure enticing pleasure as he becomes engulfed in power!

"HOOOOO YEEEEAAAHH!"

"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!"

"this is AMAZING!"

"I can feel it!"

"ROOOOAR!"

The automaton runs madly towards Jyan as if a berserk longhorn bull readies to gore its defenseless target.

YOU'RE DEAD KID! ~Carlos

For the first time in his life Jyan feels true fear, the kind of fear that entrances a mouse as a menacing rattler prepares to strike. his bones reverberate in slow motion with every step the giant muscle powered mamodo takes, the only thing he can hear is his heart beat thumping in unison with the brute mamodo's ferocious stomps... THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! the feeling of the despair and hopelessness paralyzes him.. he's completely lost in fear... his brain orders his body to react, but the pitch black shadow being cast upon him by the gargantuan Monster Ray from up above freezes him in even more despair he opens his mouth to scream just then, he realizes.. he can't speak.

JYAAAN! (No.. not like this...) Josh's hands begin to sweat as he hurries desperately to turn the pages, hoping to read ANY spell on time, as he glances up with the fourth spell ready, he is shocked as realizes he s way too late a massive force slams into Jyan right before his very eyes, he turns his head feeling completely powerless to have helped his small friend on time. the impact from the tremendous force echoes through the massive room as a child like scream is heard writhing in pain.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" ~Jyan

"no, no, no, NO! NO! NO! NOOOO! JYAAAN!" Josh screams with all his might as he waits for the cloud of dust to clear, waiting in anticipation and worry for any sign of his friend. (we didn't even have a chance to fight at our best..)

"get out of the way Carlos! Now my sweet Death Ray, ATTACK!" ~Paschal

The smoke from the collision hasn't yet cleared as the monstrous beast swings its mighty tail, RIPPING, TEARING, CRACKING the earth asunder, it's massive tail strikes with so much force that rocks and chunks of the floor snap as they crack from the tremendous pressure. tremors can be felt all over the floor shaking the very foundation of the room, the seismic waves cause small pebbles dance on the cold floor, like a perfectly choreographed ballet.

Silence . Nothing can be heard .. Nothing can be seen the eerie echoes of the scream from before haunt Josh, the shock is so overwhelming he cannot muster the strength to call out to Jyan in a sheer instant, he feels a tear fall from his cheek (why am I crying?) He stares down as his hair casts a shadow over his eyes (YOU STUPID FOOL!) in his anger, he manages to open his mouth and scream.

"Jyaaaan! Jyan! ...pauses... JYAAAN ANSWER ME!" ~Josh

"Bwahahahahahah...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" - the robed mamodo laughs uncontrollably, dancing and jumping at his new found joy of the small boy's demise..

"DEAD! DEAD! DEAD! this life is NOT for the weak! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"WE OBLITERATED HIM!" ~Carlos

"We're not here to play games, did you think we would start with our weakest spell? This isn't a game anymore!" ~Paschal

The robed mamodo looks at Kai with his piercing eyes, challenging him as if to mock him for being insignificant. "YOU DIE NEXT!"

"Hmph, you rooks aren't as bright as I thought" ~Kai

"Huh?" Carlos gestures completely dumbfounded at Kai's remark

"Hey Josh look down at your hands." ~Haley

Josh is locked in a trance, he has completely tuned out everything around him, he doesn't even realize where he is, (I'm useless ) tears roll down his face as he grieves for his beloved friend, (YOU ANNOYING LITTLE BASTARD!) anger is only cloaked by the sense sadness in his face. (You've been a pain since you came into my life . But you ..) he can't hold back anymore, he emotes his pain into an enraged scream.

"YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND!"

"aggh " he let's out a painful sigh that does nothing to console his misery.

"we've lost him ." ~Haley

"quick read the second spell!" ~Kai

Haley flips the book's pages eagerly with vengeful intent, (it's just me and Kai now.. Damn ) "Chisokumera!"

Wind kicks up swirling around Kai's feet making his clothes flutter as the surging gust reaches his hair making it sway like ocean waves. In an instant, Kai takes off, the ground in where he stood seems clawed up as if a rocket just launched, he sprints with all his might as he calls out to his partner. "The third spell!" Haley flips a couple pages and begins casting. "Kasesaimon!" the wind around Kai's arms begins to spin at an incredible rate like swift razors swimming swiftly through the air like sakura pedals. (the dust from the blast before hasn't dissipated, that blue freak won't see this coming!)

"ARRRHH! Dragon Gale Claws!" ~Kai

Kai swings his arms in the direction of the huge clueless oath, he sends mighty gale force wind blades aiming straight for his head.

"Carlos get out of the way you fool!" ~Paschal

The mighty wind blades slam right into the huge muscular mamodo cutting like razors on a powerful chainsaw. Carlos let's out an ear splitting grunt as he feels the full effect of the collision.. "ARRRRRRRGGGH" blood is splattered all over the floor where the brute mamodo stood.

"HA! Surprise, surprise" Kai says as he licks his lips smirking, gazing at the robed mamodo who now seemed completely distraught as if HE was insignificant.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" ~Paschal

Without a moment of hesitation Haley casts the third spell once more. "Kazesaimon!" Kai cooly cracks his knuckles as wind swirls around his arms giving Paschal a menacing look.

"DRAAAAAAGON GAAAAAALE CLAWS!" ~Kai

Kai places both hands on the ground as if his fingers were tiger claws ready to shred his next victim, he then rips the earth from beneath his fingertips as he raises his arms with ridiculous strength, "RAISE OF THE DRAGON" huge claw like blades of wind form from the end of his fingers as he motions them up towards the fortress tower of clay, they begin to tear asunder the massive tower as they travel, breaking apart it's foundations. Completely awed in surprised to Kai's attack the robed mamodo turns and commands both of the book keepers.

The gale slashes run up the tower wall destroying it completely, they collide with the ceiling making huge impressions as if huge beast made an uppercut high with massive force leaving gashes through the roof.

"Jump! Jump out NOW!"

As they fall through the air the robed mamodo smiles as he sees what about to occur next, they all land hard on their feet, he commands his book reader to recast the second spell. "Ganzu claydar" Paschal spits out a gooey clay substance that constructs a hardened dome shielding them from the mass of falling debris he then orders the OTHER bookkeeper to cast the third spell.

"Threes Deruk!" ~Russian Gentleman

Kai maneuvers swiftly through the falling debris as if he we're dancing, he moves with elegance on every step, leaving an impressed Haley in awe.

Out of nowhere Kai is tackled with MASSIVE FORCE!

"what the-" Kai is taken completely by surprise as the great POWER behind the enormous attack came from the now glowing blue hulk. His blue aura and new found strength come surging from his now tripled size.

"YOOOOUUUU!" ~Carlos

The evil intent in his eyes is menacing, the shadow he casts upon Kai swallows all hope of escape, without any hesitant thought he slams his foot with all his might on top of Kai, a mist of powdered rock springs up with force following the impact.

"KaaaAAIIIII!" ~Haley

The poor girl screams as she bears witness to the horror her stomach turns and twists as she recalls the gruesome sound heard seconds before, her hands tremble as she tries to fathom Kai's condition. She feels hollow inside, everything around her slows as her mind replays over an over the tragic incident.

A groan from the monster snaps her back into the battle as he yet again stomps on Kai. "MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA" he laughs enjoying every stomp and the tremor of the waves pulse around him.

STOMP!

STOMP!

STOMP!

Cracks are heard as the massive foot lands on Kai's body.

"STOP IT! STOP IT NOW!" ~Haley

"foolish idiot! He thought he had me? HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA!"

"I.. AM.. UNTOUCHABLE!" ~Paschal

The scared girl scatters to read her spell book, "DIE YOU MONSTER!" She emotes all her despair as she reads the fifth spell "Maxchisoku!"

As the monster continues to stomp wildly on top of Kai, a huge surge of wind swirls surrounds the beast, in the blink of an eye, a vortex is formed blowing the monstrosity up with a raging blast! Kai is then seen upper cutting, and punching the beast in rapidity. "YOU BASTARD! YOU BROKE MY.. LEG!" he punches madly and sporadically with all his might! The huge monster falls hard on the ground with a large THUD! The earth all around craters on the impact of the huge monster.

"get up you fool!" ~Paschal

Kai lands gracefully on one foot. The pounding took it's toll, he gazes down at his leg which seems to have been shattered in several places, there's blood trailing from his forehead as if it was an unceasing miniature river..

"Kai .." ~Haley

"Haley we need help, that FREAK wont stay down for long" ~Kai

The girl walks over to Josh clenching her fist as she punches him as hard as she can. "SNAP OUT OF IT!" Josh is knocked to the ground, shocked yet still squirming in his own misery. He sees the girl before him tear up as she calls out to him "Josh help us!" he can feel the desperateness in her voice, he feels as though a void of doubt drowns him, completely submerging all his courage away.

He begins to blackout as he again hears her voice.

"Josh! LOOK AT YOUR HANDS!" ~Haley

He looks down at his trembling hands, they wont stop shaking from the repeating image of his companion being attacked before, he then sees Jyan's spell book still intact. (How how can this be?) dumbfounded and utterly confused he looks up at the girl before him.

"you idiot Jyan is fine-" ~Haley

Hearing those words are like a hand a sweet hand outreached to him from the surface pulling him up out of the sea of despair, he feels the curtain of numbness lift from his body, he feels strength begin to return to him like a longed and craved wish. He stands up and looks at the abyss within the crater where Jyan was attacked, he turns to the girl before him in confusion.

"I used my second spell to knock Jyan out of the way just before those monsters collided with him" ~ Haley

Josh continue to look at the girl, his face smudged from the dust that collected on the trail from the tears before.

"where is my.. Friend?" ~Josh

"he's over there, by the wall, my spell threw him against the wall knocking him unconscious" ~Haley

He turns his head only to see Jyan sitting on the floor against the wall..

*DREAM STATE*

"where am .I?"

"why am I so cold?"

"am I .dead?"

The young mamodo boy opens his eyes very slowly, seeing nothing but sheer white, "the sky no clouds " his body has become cold and numb.. He tries to sit up only to be knocked flat on his back by strong freezing gales, (wha?.. What is this?) he sits up again, this time maintaining himself upwards. As his eyes focus, realization hits when he figures out that he's not with Josh anymore. "Josh Josh Josh!" he cries out to him . His calls remain unanswered as the harsh winds continue to push on his body.

He realizes that he appears to be in an arctic tundra, seeing nothing but white all around him. He begins to feel scared and angry at the same time. "I failed you Josh.." he cries out in disgust of his own weakness, completely immersing himself in detrimental blame "HOW COULD I?"

"I'M .. I'm SO SORRY Josh!"

(please.. Forgive me for dying on you .)

Just then his self loathing is interrupted by a loud glass shattering HOWL

"AAOOOOUUUUUUUUUUU!" ~Unknown

(huh?)

"who's .who's there?" ~Jyan

A figure is seen far in the distance, something seems to be walking through the raging blizzard, its outline still to far for the young mamodo to make out. He calls out once more.

"who are you?"

.No response .. As the figure continues to get closer, Jyan begins to feel a sudden draft of warmth coming from the blurry image's direction.. (it's the angel of death ) the boy begins contemplating all sorts ideas about the grim reaper coming to claim his soul with his ghastly bony hands.

It total acceptance the boy stands up and takes a stance as if to become receiving of death itself

"take me I deserve to-" Jyan is then cut off by the sound of a beast like being speak out to him.

"YOU WEAK FOOL!"

"DO YOU THINK I WILL ALLOW MYSELF TO DIE HERE?"

"you're pathetic!" ~Unknown

The boy is startled by the sudden voice, he feels belittled by the harsh words said to him. (damn )

"I am Gaou, your inner beast spirit, I represent the aurora of the north, we are not the same, you are weak I'll lend you my power, if there is ANY glimmer of hope for you, then you MUST NOT DIE!, show me what you have."

"how can I win if I can't-" ~ Jyan

Jyan is completely cut off as the huge blue beast charges at him, it aura flame so intense it immediately vaporizes the snow on every step. It's eyes glow with an unquenchable rage that pierces through the blizzard, its fangs crave for flesh! His mouth salivates as he closes in, oncoming like a bullet train completely unhindered by the harsh winds. It's claws rip in to the Icy earth as he continues his one beast stampede.

The young boy stands there, watching in horror yet in total awe, the beast rushes with all it's might with a stronger force than the frozen gales themselves. It's as if he was watching a perfectly choreographed play, completely unreal, the majesty of the wolf beast amazes him as he focuses on the ever closing aura comet heading right for him.

In mere seconds the wolf clamps it's jaws on the small boys neck, it's bite so strong the boy screams in pain ..

*END DREAM STATE*

Josh looks at his mamodo friend, he tries to accumulate the right words to say, but he can only stare (Jyan I ) even the emptiness of his mind regresses in his failure to compile the right things to say.

"Josh!" ~Haley

The overly concerned girl slaps Josh and beg and pleads for him to snap out of the momentary cloud of doubt.

"Jyan is fine! Kai needs our-" ~Haley

"How dare you rise from that attack! Stay in the dirt where you belong!" the robed mamodo cuts their small moment abruptly as he angrily begins ordering his book keeper to read the fourth spell "Claydaruga!" Paschal then begins to form spears of clay from his mouth, sending each one a tremendous speed towards Josh and Haley.

"Haley!" ~Kai

"right, Kazedron!" ~Haley

Kai blasts a burst of wind from his palm pushing the oncoming spears off target just by a few feet, they collide with the wall to the right Josh. Each one piercing, going deep into the wall with so much force that parts of the building itself blows apart.

Josh doesn't seem to be moved by the fact that those spears flew by him like oncoming eighteen wheelers slamming into the wall.

"Damn it Josh help us!" ~Haley

Paschal begins to become angrier as he sees Carlos flat on his back.

(tch.. That stupid fool has been knocked out)

"YOU THINK THAT WAS IT!"

"fourth spell again!" ~Paschal

The robed mamodo spews out the gooey clay forming it into various spears that he chucks at Kai, "GET OUT OF THE WAY!" the girl screams as she panics for her weakened partner, Kai tries to jump out of the way only to feel extreme pain from his leg leaving him immobilized. (damn .) most of the spears askew as they head for him except for one that makes contact with his broken leg.

"WAAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGGHHHH!"

...

"Kai" ~Haley

...

The tortured scream of pain is heard inside within Josh, he is bewildered by what just happened, everything entraps itself in slow motion. He sees the expression of fear on the young girls face . He turn towards Kai he sees numerous clay spears impaled on the ground on misty powdered rock dust.

"NOW CARLOS! ATTACK THEM" the robed mamodo orders the huge automaton as he only pretended to be knocked out. "the fourth spell" the Russian gentleman reads from his spell book as Carlos begins his charge.

"I'M GOING STRAIGHT FOR THE BOOKS!" Carlos rushes madly heading towards Haley and Josh with sheer murderous intent.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" the monster chants as he trots with incredible force!

(my friends .) Josh feels cold, realizing his friends will die if he doesn't intervene . (MY FRIENDS!) in his chest he begins to feel a thump a silent thump that seems to get louder and louder as he concentrates, "THIS HEART BEATS FOR THEM!" he calls out with all his might! He then realizes his book has been glowing the whole time, (a new spell !) he flips the pages and calls out to his beloved partner.

"JYAAAAAN! WAKE THE HELL UP! OUR FRIENDS NEED US!" in that instant, Jyan the opens his eyes and screams.

"I . AM NOT WEAK!" then he abruptly stands up.

"THE NEW SPELL! GAOU KLURUKU!" ~Josh

Jyan becomes enraged! He feels his new found power SURGING through him, he receives the gift of the Gaou of the North! He then appears to have wolf like aura claws on his hands with the intense desire to tear into flesh! His feet gain clawed wolf aura pads which automatically make him feel the surge of sheer speed itself, his six senses are sharpened to the point that he is able to feel every sound wave, vibration, abrupt movement, and pick up the scents around him. He hears a wolf's howl in his mind as he takes off heading straight for the monster!

"Carlos look out you imbecile!" ~Paschal

In a matter of seconds the huge ogre like monster shifts his trail towards Jyan and away from Haley and Josh.

"THOUGHT YOU COULD SURPRISE ME HUH!" the monster yells as he and Jyan collide with each other, the mass of the impact sends bursts of wind on all directions, the monster and Jyan clash with each other, every punch and kick that connects creates craters and impressions on the earth itself, huge chunks of rocks are kicked up and begin snapping with the huge pressure behind each massive blow.

"WHERE IN THE HELL DID YOU COME FROM?"

(I KILLED HIM MYSELF!) ~Paschal

The robed mamodo screams in his boiling anger. Jyan and the Hulk mamodo continue to fight savagely as they literally begin tearing each other apart.

"I WONT DIE HERE!" ~Jyan

Jyan summons all the strength he has, every single muscle in his small body builds up huge amounts of tension that he releases with each mighty blow. His wolf like claws tear and shred into the huge ogre's flesh sending small rippling waves on the monsters muscular body.

"THIS POWER!"

"YES! YES! YES!"

"COMEON BOY! GIVE ME EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!"

The blue glowing hulk seems to sadistically enjoy his massive beating, he continues punching Jyan with his enormous strength!

Kai sits there pinned to the floor watching Jyan in amazement as he fights at equal level to the giant like a berserk wolf, (Damn that kid can move!) he then looks at his shattered leg and sees a clay spear has harpooned him. (ok . This is going to hurt..) he then places both his hands on the shaft of the spear and pulls with all his might.

"AAARRRGHHH!" he lets out a painful cry that beckons the robbed mamodo's attention.

"YOOOUU!"

"you dare rise once more!" ~ Paschal

Now completely furious he readies himself for yet another attack.

"I'M ENDING YOU NOW! ONCE .AND.. FOR AAAALLLL!"

Paschal then commands his book keeper to read the fourth spell once more, the fatigue on the construction worker makes him cast a slower pace due to have used so much heart energy.

"Claydaruga!"

As Paschal spits out the gooey clay and readies to form new spears, Kai takes the opportunity to command Haley to cast the sixth and strongest spell.

"GIGA KAZEMARON!" ~Haley

Just then winds begin swirling around Kai's hand, a tempest gale forms an enormous sword. It's might so strong the wind itself makes gashes on the earthy ground as if a tiger was clawing everything around him. All the oxygen around him is being sucked and concentrated on the huge blade, the majestic energy flows so perfectly as if a huge torrent of water carved it's path along a mountain side. The force that is being generated seems to be sharper than any samurai sword ever fashioned.

"NOW!" ~Haley

"GAAAALEE DEMON SLAAAAASH!" ~Kai

In one mighty thrust of his arm Kai sends the huge wind gale sword at the oncoming spears, setting it on a collision course aimed for the robed mamodo.

At the exact same time Jyan continues to pummel the monstrous ogre with all his beast like rage.

"YOU WANT MY ANGER?"

"TAKE IT!"

"TAKE IT AAAAALL!" ~Jyan

Jyan summons one last mighty punch and hit's the monster square on his chest, the power behind the punch shatters the claw and twists the monsters skin as he sends him spiraling towards the opposite end of the room.

The robed mamodo throws the spears with all his might yet realizing they wont stop the massive force wind sword heading towards him. (damn! . Wait ) "the second spell!" he commands his book reader to cast in his tired fatigue.

"Ganzu Claydar!" ~construction worker

Paschal spews out gooey clay and reforms a dome around him and his book reader just in time as the mighty wind sword disintegrates the clay spears in mid air causing sharp, hardened pieces to fly everywhere. The massive sword lost some force but still it came like a mad tornado straight for the dome. In a sudden crash the mighty blade collides with the hardened clay shell breaking it apart into millions of pieces causing major damage.

Jyan then run's towards Kai as it seems that he has collapsed on the floor due to the leaching fatigue and pain on his body. He lays there on the cold ground with a smile on his face, "it's finally over kiddo" the boy mamodo then apologizes to his comrade just as the wolf claws and pads disperse.

"Kai I'm so sorry for being late"

"I was arrogant and foolish, it was because of me that you're-" ~Jyan

"Don't sweat it kid, when I pushed you out of the way you wailed like a little girl."

"you were knocked out like a straight punk!" ~Kai

Kai says with a smile as he consoles the boy in his own way, Jyan looks at him with a big grin on his face. "Oh yeah? Well you're all tattered up liked an old rag!" remarking at Kai with annoyance. Josh turn towards Jyan in disbelief that They're all okay.

"Jyan!" ~Josh

The small boy turns and looks at his partner standing there with teary eyes. "you gave me such a scare!" he begin scolding Jyan as a parent would to a small child that was just found.

"Josh I'm ok and I'm sorry for being so selfish earlier please-" ~Jyan

"FOURS DERUK!" ~Russian gentleman

Out of nowhere the huge hulkish ogre appears stronger than ever, he appeared to has a ghastly spirit of a huge minotaur appears with shackles and chains that seem to connect with Carlos seeming like every movement he makes is mimicked by the creature.

"THIS IS MY TRUE MAXIMUM STRENGTH!"

"THIS TIME THERE WONT BE ANYTHING LEFT OF YOU!" ~Carlos

The huge minotaur raises its mighty arms ready to pummel Jyan and Kai as they watch the oncoming beast madly trampling the ground. Blue flames can be seen being breathed out through it's nostrils as he exhales. It's crazed eyes focus on specifically on Jyan as blood vessels pop out throughout his body form the sheer strain. The massive horned beast surges with energy gathering all it's strength for one last mighty blow.

"DIE!" ~Carlos

Josh reacts quickly "this is it!" he begins reading the fourth spell. "Jyan give it your all!"

"GAOU CHIKELGA!"

Jyan's eyes roll back as scorching blue aura flames exhale from his mouth, for a split second a blue inferno expulsions out of his mouth.. It takes on the appearance of a large wolf with intense burning aura fire on it's body. It's eyes are like yellow prison beams searching for an escaped convict. The hairs throughout it's whole being are small flames that torch the air around it. It's teeth are like sharpened steal daggers that gleam in the light as a shimmer travels down the curvature of the huge canines. The claws on his paws are like long pointed scimitars that easily make scar like impressions on the earth. The wolf growls as it begins to charge, it takes off with AMAZING speed tearing up the ground beneath it's feet as it sprints.

Everyone looks in awe as the two beasts collide with a booming power! The wolf launches at the minotaur as the horned humanoid bull interlocks with both hands and arms. Dust is kicked up as the two monsters seem to have each other in a death hold.

The wolf seems to have it's claws deeply pierced into the minotaur's chest, and it's mighty jaws around the neck of the beast the minotaur also has it's huge muscular hands griped around the flaming wolf's neck.

*DREAM STATE*

Jyan sees the huge wolf beast biting down into his neck

"this is the killing move, you must squeeze out every drop of life from your opponent. You either win or die "

*END DREAM STATE*

Jyan regains consciousness as he bites down with all force. The wolf creature does the same causing a huge explosion as it's massive teeth sink in.

"AAARRRRGH" ~Carlos

The hulk like mamodo lets out a painful scream .

Silence .

As the dust clears, the wolf seems to have broken the minotaur's neck, yet both beasts begin dispersing.

"DAMN IT!"

"your inner beast is stronger " ~Carlos

"stop your whining you imbecile" ~Paschal

The robed mamodo pushes the ruble aside as he rises, at first glance it is noticed that his left arm is missing and all that remains is a small blood nub that continuously drips blood like a gashing torrent. (damn seems I was amputated..)

He the tares off a piece of his robe and wraps the nub with tight pressure constricting the severed veins from releasing anymore blood.

"Carlos get up . Seems we're going to have to use our strongest attack.."

"these bastards just wont stay down.." ~Paschal

"argh.. It's come to this who ever deserves to live will win!" ~Carlos

Haley walks towards the heavily injured Kai and helps him stand up leaning on her shoulder. "ok Jyan this is it, they're giving it all they have, the only way we have a chance is if we combine our spells and attack at the same time, at least that's what those mamodo will do."

"Kai I don't think Josh and Haley have more heart energy to spare!" ~Jyan

"well, the way I see it is this, we only have one shot to get rid of these guys so whatever energy you have left is what we're going to have to work with, I believe I cant use my sixth spell once more, but after that I'll be completely spent." ~Kai

"I don't think I can use my strongest spell anymore, but I still have enough for one last attack" ~Jyan

"ok here's the plan " ~Kai

Kai reveals his plot to unleash their spells in unison, as they continue to speak the robed mamodo begins contemplating his on plan, he walks over to Carlos as he readies to bring his plan to action.

"TODAY YOU DIE!"

"We summon the Knight of Destruction!" ~Paschal

Carlos commands his book keeper one last time to cast the third spell.

"Threes Deruk!" the hulk mamodo's body triples in size yet again with the surging blue aura causing small bolts of electric cracks all around him.

"HAHAHAHAHA! THIS IS POWER! ~Carlos

"Gigano Claydar!" Paschal spits out gooey clay in which he uses to form a hardened makeshift armor, shield and spear on the ogre mamodo's muscular body.

"now listen Carlos, I'm going to use one more spell, but unfortunately casting it will exceed my limits so my book will catch fire so make this count you hear?"

"Paschal "

"don't you worry I got this!" ~Carlos

"get ready this is our grand finale!"

"oh and Carlos"

"yeah Paschal?" ~Carlos

"I'll see you when I see you old friend" ~Paschal

He then turns to the direction of Kai and Jyan.

"I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME YOU HEAR!"

He commands the construction worker to cast the fifth spell one final time.

"CLAYDAR BRAJA!"

Paschal's eyes begin to glow as his spell book catches on fire beginning to burn slowly. A huge seventy foot outline of a gargantuan manta ray appears on the already shattered ground,, the earth itself quakes as the giant beast rises from the ground, it's eyes glowing evermore redder than before due to the sick festering evil behind it's sheer power. Its massive wing like fins break apart what's left the ground leaving a huge abyss as it rises. Tremors are felt in all directions on the giant manta rays wake.

Kai leans on Haley as he readies himself to use a spell. The girl begins flipping through the book as the shadow from the gargantuan beast sets on her and her friends, "Ok ready Jyan?" Kai then begins to focus everything he ounce of energy he has left as his partner reads the sixth spell.

"GIGA KAZEMARON!" ~Haley

winds begin swirling around Kai's hand once more, huge tempest gales form an enormous sword. The mighty strength of the wind itself makes scars on the ground as if a wild Bengal tiger was clawing and devastating everything around him. All the oxygen particles around him become sucked and concentrated on the huge blade, energy is being drawn as it flows so perfectly as if a huge torrent of water burst out a massive dam. The generated force forms this mighty blade, a masterpiece of sheer power.

"I can't hold it for much longer you only get one shot, let's show them why WE are the mighty rooks! mount the death ray Carlos" ~Paschal

The blue beast's makeshift yet hardened clay armor resembled that of an English knight, being protected from head to toe in sheer steal, menacing gauntlets that grip the mighty spear and shield, a chest plate that can take on a crashing airliner, plated leggings that do not encumber him in any way, spiked boots that crack the ground on every step, and a helmet that only displays his eyes, they gleam like a rabid wolverine about to attack. The blue ogre jumps atop the giant manta, and readies himself to attack head on.

"THIS IS IT! HAAAAAA!" ~Kai

Kai feels incredible pain on his arm and shattered leg as he thrusts forward, literally feeling the muscles in his arm begin to tear as he aims the huge sword at the monstrous ray. Jyan and the others hear the eerie crack on his wrist as the tempest force EXPLODES from his arm, the strong gales tare and pull up chunks of rocks and wall all around them, it's might so strong that sucks almost all the air from Haley and Josh's lungs, small tornado forms at the base of the sword using it as ultimate propulsion straight at the gargantuan manta ray making snapping sounds as it severs the air.

"JYAAAN NOW!" ~ Kai

"RIGHT!" ~Jyan

The small boy begins sprinting as fast as he can, he grinds his teeth as he heads towards a boulder to take off from, his heart beats incredibly fast, he's beginning feel the full effects of the tremendous clash he had with the blue giant before, as he runs the ache from his muscles takes on a life of itself as it SCREAMS in pain, he reaches the peak of the huge rock then with a burst of strength he jumps atop the giant sword's hilt sticking the landing, he then takes on a fighting stance with a determined look on his eyes as he focuses on the two monstrous beasts.

"WOOOO HOOOO!

"SURF BABY!" ~Kai

At the exact same time in the opposite side of the room, the huge manta ray takes flight, the hulk mamodo feels a mega adrenalin rush as his own blue aura consumes him, his bones and tight muscles begin to creak and groan as his immense strength is summoned for one last ultimate attack, (THOSE WHO DESERVE TO LIVE WILL NOT DIE!) he begins foaming at the mouth, he grinds his teeth in credibly hard, he grips the spear and shield till he feels blood trickling down his palms, his heart rate is faster than the palpitations of a humming birds wings. His eyes focus, his sense of sight becomes increased as the only thing he is able to see now is the small boy atop the hilt of the oncoming tempest sword. The massive manta ray readies it's mighty tail, it's spear like stinger bigger than any huge catalyst known to man, it resembles the tenacity of a lighting bolt sent by enraged Zeus himself upon his enemies, the monstrous tail rips asunder the earth blow. The tip of the stinger makes an abyssal scar as it continues on it's destructive path.

"THIS IS EVERYTHING I HAVE!"

"YOU WILL DIE!" ~Carlos

The small boy stares at the two monstrous beings heading straight for him, but this time he does not feel fear, this is all for his friends, he knows that what occurs here will follow him for the rest of his life, he begins thinking about Josh and all the memories he's made with him so far, he then thinks about his friends and the pranks he ever pulled and began to smile, "this is all for them, this all for my FRIENDS!" just everything around him seems to stop. He's inside a wind tunnel similar to the huge tubes the surfers ride as they glide an mighty fifty foot waves, the air circling around like a mad vortex doesn't hinder him one bit, there is a truly relaxing calm where he stands similar to the peaceful eye of a category five hurricane. The gale force winds cause havoc all around the radius of the sword as it travels, tearing up everything in it's way, yet Jyan remains in a sheer state of ecstasy, enjoying the adrenalin high as he rides the waves of gales.

Moments pass everything kicks back into normality, the bittersweet illusion of slow motion passes, everything resumes back on track.

"This is for them,"

"THIS IS FOR VEVERYONE I CARE ABOUT!"

"I .WILL .NOT .DIE!"

(I'm fighting for LIFE) ~Jyan

Only seconds pass as Kai, Haley, Josh gaze upon the splendor, in complete and total awe, light resonates with no sound as they see the small mamodo surf on the mighty blade seconds before impact. (It's all you Jyan!) Josh smiles as he sees his beloved partner's ferocity, he feels extreme pride knowing that they fought at their maximum best today.

"it's your time to shine little bro." ~Kai

At the same time on the opposite end, Paschal falls to his knees, the ridiculous strain on his body has taken it's might toll on him, the pain from his severed arm palpitates painful waves that torture his already fatigued body. He looks towards his friend with his book already half way burnt, he begins to dissipate yet still using every last drop of energy and will power he can on the manta ray, the ardor of pain forces him to beckon a few last words to his muscular friend.

"take care you idiot ..I know you'll give it your all ."

Everyone looks at the two mighty forces as the collide, an explosion like none other is created, the force so ridiculously strong it literally breaks the room in half exposing the sky on the ceiling and a bottomless abyss on the ground. Bursting air and smoke expand everywhere, rocks compress and vaporize as the reverberating force pins massive pressure on everything around them, similar to a hundred dynamite sticks going off in unison. They all wait in anticipation awe struck wanting to hear any sign of movement as the clouds of particle dust disperse there is major shock on everyone's eyes as it appears that Jyan and Carlos continue to fight. The mighty tempest sword has collided with the gargantuan manta ray cutting it almost in half, it's tail completely destroyed by the cyclone tip of the blade. The beast begins to break down in mid air as the dissipating winds slash the clay rock of the beast, in one last burst the swords disintegrates into thin air breaking the ray into dangerous rubble boulders and massive debris falling from the air. At a closer look the ogre mamodo seems to have had his armor destroyed but not completely, leaving only the spear and right gauntlet intact. "take care of them Car-" Paschal is unable to complete his sentence as he completely disappears leaving faint particles of twinkling light behind.

"They're still going at it!" ~Kai

"whoa!"~ Haley

"incredible!" ~Josh

The two tired mamodos jump on huge pieces of rock as they fall lunging and jumping on each falling boulder as they continue to attack each other, the monster mamodo reputedly thrusts the spear towards Jyan making every burst of his hand aim straight to the young boy's torso.

"I'LL IMPALE YOU!"

The strong arm Hercules thrusts the clay spear with the last ounce of his might and strength, he feels the bones in his arm snap and crack as he applies monstrous force that he's never used before, grip so strong his hand bleeds and gushes down his forearm, the veins around the muscles of his arms begin to rupture. He grinds his teeth once more losing his enchanted blue aura as tries to impale the small boy.

"PERISH!" ~Carlos

"Josh!" ~Kai

"RIGHT!" ~Josh

In mere seconds of reaction time, Josh reads the fifth spell.

"CHIKELGA!"

Jyan opens his mouth as the point end of the spear heads straight for his face, blue aura flames torch the fierce point of the spear as the aura triples in power, in a snap of a second a highly concentrated beam of the intense blue flame aura fires making a wolf growl like sound that echoes throughout the room. The torrent of raw power explodes out of Jyan's mouth sending the boy flaying unconscious flying backwards into the air, the oxygen around the falling debris explodes as the burning beam makes contact with the hulk mamodo's chest pushing him downwards spiraling out of control, the intense beam begins burning a hole through the monsters chest, his whole body catches flame as he fall at an incredibly fast rate, in a matter of moments he is slammed on the ground by the sheer force of the blast. A huge crater is impressed on the ground rocks and dust are kicked up, waves are felt along the sounds of bones cracking and snapping. His book automatically catches on fire as it appears to have been abandoned on the ground where the Russian gentleman stood. (that coward )

"make room for me bud, I'm coming home " ~Carlos

Carlos mutters his last words closing his eyes as he begins to disappear into twinkle light faintly gleaming in the air dispersing along with the dust and smoke..

The boy mamodo continues to fall being propelled from the force of the spell, rocks and debris bombard his body as the danger from rocks still remains threatening to smash him to bits.

"Haley catch!"

Josh throws his spell book at the surprised girl, he the sprints taking on falling bits of rocks as the pound his body. (I don't care how much pain I feel Jyan needs me!) he runs for his friend, tears in his eyes as he knows that he can't contain his emotions, (He's been an annoying ass, but he truly IS my best friend!) he cries for his falling friend.

"JYAAAAAN!"

Not caring about his own well being he lunges in the air trying his best to dodge most of the falling rocks and stones as he outstretches his arms ready to catch his young partner. (damn he's still unconscious) he leaps into the air catching the falling boy in mid air. (he's out cold) wasting no time at all he puts his best efforts to avoid the falling debris as he runs back to Haley and Kai. Small pebbles and sharp rocks hit Josh's head back and shoulders as he shields the small boy, just then a huge massive chunk of earth and clay appears to fall straight for the running boy, he then leaps with all his strength one last time.

The rocks hit's the ground hard, carving the ground as it rolls with force kicking up dust into the already cloudy air.

"JOOOSH!" ~Haley

She awaits in anticipation thinking about the many ways she could help when she hears coughing at a distance.

*cough* cough*

" ugh" ~Josh

*cough*

As the dust clears she sees that Josh and Jyan rolled on the floor at the last second avoiding the massive boulder's path. She runs and helps Josh get up as dust and dirt have settled in his clothes and hair.

"hey you ok?" ~Haley

Josh stands up he begins walking with a limp, he carries Jyan in his arms as they walk over to Kai as he sits on the floor with an immobile arm and leg.

"nice look there Josh" ~Kai

Kai smirks as he sees the amount of dirt atop Josh's head, he turns to Haley and begins speaking. "hey thanks for snapping me out of that trance earlier," he smiles at the girl a she begins to reply "you hurt my hand!" the boy gives her a funny look. "you hurt my face!" they both look at each other in silence and burst out laughing.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" ~Haley

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" ~Josh

Haley clenches her stomach laughing very hard as her eyes begin to water.

Jyan: "Just then! Five clay spears fly towards Josh and Haley, they both look in horror as the sharp pointed death poles charge about to run them straight through and-"

Sufrir: "just what the hell are you doing?"

Jyan: "geez I'm just spicing this mushy moment with some hot action! XD

Sufrir: "THIS IS MY CHAPTER! YOU SHALL NOT INTERFERE! I CONTROLL YOU! X_O!"

Jyan: "ok, ok settle down big boy! (man what a psycho!) .!

Sufrir: "ROOOOOAAARR!"

Josh sets Jyan down as he opens his eyes very slowly and asks "did I win?" he's then interrupted by Kai "you mean did WE win?" Haley scolds Kai for messing with the small boy, giving him a scornful look,

(there she goes again) ~Kai

"Hey Kai we make a great team!" ~Josh

"we sure do kiddo, although " ~Kai

"although what?" ~Jyan

"YOU WERE OUT LIKE A PUNK!" ~Kai

The laugh in unison once more as Josh suggests they should go ahead and fallow Ishimaru and the others, he then picks up Kai on his back as remarks "no no.. this isn't gay at all" Kai laughs with a weird smirk on his face "giddy up!" Jyan then looks at Haley and pretends he has a sprained ankle.

"ouch I can't walk! Haley carry me!" ~Jyan

"no chance loser!" ~Haley

"best get to walking Jyan, we need to keep up with the others" ~Josh

They begin walking across the war torn room and head for the path upstairs~

_CO A/N: hope you liked my first chapter! expect more of this immersive style in the second arc. ;) :*_

_PS. I worked on it 3 straight days. xD_

_PPS. I left small hints for the next arc._

_PPPS. like always i have to let y'all go with my new and famous signature exit._

_PPPPS. Attentions Target Shoppers, That is all._


	29. The Four Titans!

_A/N-As you all know, I let Sufrir write the previous chapter and he did an excellent job. Characters are going to go through some internal changes as they evolve with the story. Me and Sufrir also discussed for a while and decided that we are going to combine our writing styles into one. So, from the next chapter onward, this story will be written by me and Sufrir, unless stated otherwise. My diction and grammar + his description = a force to be reckoned with. _

_We are also going to have our 1__st__ annual Jyan awards. So, vote for your 1__st__ arc favorite characters (1 human and 1 mamodo) in the poll on my author's page. There will also be other polls relating to the story as well. You have about 2 weeks to vote, so go go go!_

Team Ishimaru were traversing the hallways, in search of a hidden passage. Chase was leading the eager pack as he suddenly pointed ahead. It appeared to be typical to the rest of their surroundings, a simple dark gray stone wall with cold air refracting off it. Chase jogged up to the wall, placing his hand onto it as a few tremors were felt, lifting up the wall.

"The throne room is up these stairs." Chase said as he stepped back, allowing the others to go first. Just as he did, his elbow hit another part of the wall, causing an ebony cage to surround him and his bookkeeper Reira. "I must have activated a trap!" the seemingly frightened teenaged mamodo exclaimed

"We'll help you out." Chainz said as he came over to examine the ash-colored bars. These same bars were as thick as Chainz's hand, the height of the bars reaching the ceiling. He attempted to yank at the bars, but they would not budge. "Damn." Chainz sighed as he looked at Ishimaru

"You guys need to go on ahead. Reira and I will take care of ourselves!" Chase said, motioning them away

"But…"

"Just go!"

Team Ishimaru nodded as they continued on their way.

[Tateishi Country Club…Tokyo Heights district, Japan]

Meanwhile, Slash was lounging around at the country club. It was definitely fancier than he expected it to be. It had a bit of a Victorian yet modern theme going on about itself. Various marble statues loomed throughout the creamy hallways. Slash felt the velvet floors spill around his feet and the obelisks of chandeliers were a sight for sore eyes. Kiichiro's eye however, was on the glistening pool and fountain lurking behind the club. Slash figured he could let the child go swimming, he remembered the card Jonny gave him and they were brought swimsuits. Slash a pair of black trunks with small skulls and Kiichiro a pink one-piece with orange water wings. They were lead to the pool as Slash tossed the young girl into the shallow end of the pool as she kicked and paddled through the water. Slash however, found comfort in a nearby folding chair and indulged in the blazing sunlight. It was around fifteen minutes later when the butler's chiming voice and British accent could be heard. "Right this way, Mr. Greenburg." Slash turned and saw Jonny and Ignoramus come his way. Jonny, not dressed to go into the pool and Ignoramus in a one-piece red and white striped jumpsuit

"WAAA-WAAAA!" Ignoramus said as he jumped into the shallow end of the pool, making a large splash

"HAAAAALLLLPPP HALLLLLLLP! I'M ASPHIXATIN'!" Ignoramus screamed as he continued thrashing about

"Don't you mean drowning?" Kiichiro asked

Jonny and Slash ignored him but Kiichiro slapped him, causing him to stay still. Looking down, Ignoramus saw that the water stopped at his upper thigh.

"Oh." He said as Kiichiro shook her head

"Anyway, Slash. I know a way you can double your strength." Jonny said, winking at a nearby girl, tanning

"Really now…"

"Allow me to explain. There are four very powerful mamodo known as the Titans. These four are supreme mamodo that only adults can face."

"All right, now I'm listening." Slash said, leaning in a bit

"There's the Ice Titan, the Machine Titan, the Light Titan and the Hellfire Titan. I don't know a whole lot but I know a bit about each one of them. The Ice Titan for example. You can find him in the Sahara Desert." Jonny then clapped his hands as a butler came over to Slash and presented a silver tray with a GPS and a canteen

"What are my odds of survival?"

"You mean considering risks of heat stroke, dehydration, hypothermia, suffocation, cardiac arrest, excessive blood loss and explosive diarrhea?"

"Yeah."

Jonny clapped again and another butler with a silver tray appeared and he grabbed a calculator. His fingers erupted into a fast motion as the clicks and beeps from the calculator and a low hum of his mumbling, he finally came to a sudden halt.

"Let's just say you're more likely to survive a nuclear holocaust." Jonny said flatly

"What is this so-called Ice Titan doing in the Sahara anyway?" Slash asked, crossing his arms

"What I also know is that they are mercenaries and only those with the biggest purse can use their services. I don't know what they're doing there for sure, but its mere speculation that it has to do with a job. "

"Mercs don't intimidate me."

"I know you're strong Slash, but you don't hold a candle to the Ice Titan. He's known as the merciless cold one, the butcher, a.k.a The Ice Titan. He kills for enjoyment, for fun, you can say "the hunt." It's the thrill of killing that gets him off. It ain't the money."

"Hmm…" Slash murmured

"Another thing is that the Ice Titan gets his opponents to go their hardest and use their best spells before he fights seriously."

"Sounds like a cocky bastard to me." Slash said

"IF you can survive against him, ten minutes will double your strength. He is the one with the most infamy as far as killing goes. He doesn't send mamodo back to the Makai. He kills them."

"I see." Slash said

"Remember, you lose, you won't go back to the Makai."

"How do you even know about this?" Slash asked, getting suspicious

"I deal with rich people and the Black Market all the time."

Slash was intrigued by what Jonny said. Was what he was saying about the titans true? Could it be possible that Jonny was luring him into a trap and he was falling for it? "_It's a possibility that this is a trap…but there's only one way to know for sure!"_

"What do you know about the others?" Slash asked

"The Machine Titan runs the industry. He's the kingpin of a mafia; they're the ones that make the biggest transactions in the Black market. They are experts in extortions and bribery. If you owe them money…you may as well be dead. EVERYTHING is a profit to them. To get to him you have to go through a handful of goons and lords, plus you need a handsome amount of money just to get an audience with him."

"Okay he's a well-connected guy, but what does that have to do with machines?"

"He's cold, heartless, and somewhat robotic and he runs his business like a well-oiled machine. His spell power also revolves around machinery."

"What about the other two?" Slash asked turning over, exposing his back to the sunlight

"The Hellfire Titan is from Hades itself, the worst part of the Makai. Just looking at him wrong will get you killed. Another alias for him is the Messenger of Darkness, wherever he goes, ashes trail behind him. He is said to be the guardian of Oblivion's Gate. The pit of fire within him is like a hell of its own."

"What a hothead." Slash said sarcastically

"His rage is like an avalanche of molten magma, destroying everything within its path. They say his howl pierces the ears of men and reaps their soul from within."

"The last one?"

"The Light Titan thinks of himself as a kind king. He gives false hope and mercy; he's the illusionary angel that blinds all with his light. He is the savior to the ignorant, he is also known as "The Fallen One"…"The Angel of Hypnotism" he can show you your past and breaths life into your nightmares."

"I LOOOOOOVVVVEEE THE SUNSHINE!" Ignoramus exclaimed as he and Kiichiro were drying off with a towel

"Do not mock them." Jonny warned

"I'm one of the favorites to win this whole thing!" Slash exclaimed, getting a little defensive

"I forgot to mention one small detail…they've been here for years."

"YEARS? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?" Slash yelled, other people were now staring

"Do you think that they are here for a petty tournament?" Jonny asked

"But..."

"Only one of them is eligible to become king, nonetheless, they all want to dominate both the Human World and the Makai."

"Damn it." Slash growled

"Oh and Slash…" Jonny began

"What?"

"They all already have Shin spells." Jonny said darkly

"YOU SON OF A…uggghhhhh!"

Slash grabbed Jonny by the shirt collar and held him face to face. "Don't you lie to me. Don't you _**dare **_lie to me." He snarled, the warmth of his breath felt on Jonny's chin. "I have…no reason to lie to you." Jonny said. Slash felt his muscles contract as he clutched Jonny's shirt even tighter. "They possibly have more than one Shin spell." Jonny said surprisingly without a single bit of composure lost

"You have a lot of nerve telling me this." Slash snarled, showing a bit of a bloodthirsty grin. Jonny removed Slash's hand from his shirt and dusted himself off a bit. "The Ice Titan's regular spells are stronger than your Gigano Hokeiron spell."

Slash's eyes widened in disbelief. "You're full of shit."

"Go see for yourself." Jonny said

"When's the next flight to Africa?" Slash asked

"We can leave on my jet tomorrow... Don't worry about Kiichiro's safety she will either stay in the plane or in a base about a mile away from the fight. She'll read your book via headset."

Just as Ignoramus finished drying off completely, Kiichiro shoved him back into the water. The girl Jonny winked at earlier happened to be a Video Vixen; she was trotting into the dressing room with a smile on her face, and motioned Jonny over with her finger.

"Meet me in the country club restaurant in 4 hours." Jonny said as he sprinted into the dressing room throwing his hat in the butler's face.

"I hate my life." The Butler said,

Just as the door closed, Jonny stuck his head out saying, "And keep Ignoramus with you, I don't need him messing up my game. 3"

"_Wow…just like the clergywoman back at the third checkpoint…"_

"Wow…Jonny sure does talk to a lot of girls." Kiichiro said

"YEAH, HE TAKES THEM OUT ON "PRIVATE CHATS" ALL THE TIME!"

"Really, can he take me on a private chat?" Kiichiro asked excitedly

"Hell No!" Slash yelled quickly

"That's for Jonny to decide." Kiichiro said, crossing her arms

"No." Slash said firmly

"I ALSO REMEMBER THAT ONE TIME I HEARD JONNY SAY THAT HE LOOOOOOVVVEEESSS PUSSYCATS…WELL THAT'S WHAT I THINK HE SAID. I DON'T REMEMBER HIM OWNING A CAT THOUGH."

"Anyway, how come you don't really talk to girls Slash?"

"Umm…" Slash began

[_Flashback…Mamodo School, 1 year before battle_]

"_EEEEKKK!"  
>"Get out Slash!"<em>

"_Pervert!"_

_Slash dashed out of the girls' locker room with bras and thongs in his hands. Various spells were being shot at him as he ran up the hill and to the hangout where some of the other older mamodo boys were cutting class at. _

[_End Flashback…_]

"Long story." Slash said frowning a little

[_3 hours later...Chess Master Castle, Ryukyu Islands_]

"Do these stairs ever end?" exclaimed Lily, Sola's bookkeeper

Ishimaru and the others have been running up the winding staircase for about three minutes. Ishimaru held his hand against the wall to keep his balance going up the dusty wooden stairs. He felt the cracks and cobwebs glide through his fingertips as his feet instinctively went forward. His feet suddenly came to a stop as a large velvet blue door with silver studs on both sides. In the middle of the door was a cursive "CM" in silver letters with a black king chess piece and a white queen chess piece adjacent from each other.

"Apparently here." Leon said as they pushed the heavy door open, each door opening from side to side.

Looking in, the throne room was breathtaking. A long sapphire rug stretched from the top steps of the two thrones to the front of the door. Elegant white designs decorated it, the swirls reaching each of the four corners. Fine black and white stone tiles covered the floor, just like a chessboard. Ishimaru could not even see the entire room from where he was standing, it's vastness stretched for many yards. There were unlit stone torches plastered against the upper echelons of the walls. Many chandeliers could be seen dangling across the ceiling, the brightness of the room at an all-time high. "Show yourself Chess Master! I'm giving you the ass-kicking you deserve!"

Azure however, grabbed on his sister's arm pulling her behind him. "Sola, do you think the Chess Master is here?" he asked, turning to his supervisor on his right

"Not sure, but it's also too quiet for it to be unguarded like this." Sola replied as she was completely on-guard

"You must have come for the Chess Master." A quiet, monotone voice spoke

Almost if out of thin air, Myth appeared. She and her bookkeeper, a young man whom Ishimaru vaguely recognized. He appeared as if he were in the wrong era, his silver hair glowing from the light from the many chandeliers, his red fur coat also appearing to be something Ishimaru would find in a vintage shop. His inviting eyes and small smile was warm, yet somehow deceiving.

"My name is Myth and this is my partner, Adelbert Von Grantz."

"Von Grantz…you're that violinist!" Leon exclaimed, remembering a solo he performed on TV

"That is correct." Von Grantz said softly

"Anyway, I am the—"  
>Myth never finished her sentenced as she was quickly tackled by Chainz. "Not another word, Chess Master! You're getting a beat down!"<p>

Myth angrily pushed Chainz off of her and quickly stood up. "You're going to regret doing that." She said as the chandeliers suddenly went out, the throne room becoming pitch black. Almost as soon as they went out, the torches on the walls dimly lit up.

"Damn it Chainz…" Ishimaru said, opening the green spell book

Much to Ishimaru and Chainz's dismay, it seemed as though they were peering into nothing. The pitch black darkness was going to be their demise. "Chainz, keep your eyes peeled, this doesn't look good at all."

"_Rasen Kageshi! _

Nothing happened right at that moment. Chainz looked around and still saw nothing. "What kind of spell was THAT?" Chainz mocked, crossing his arms with his head held high

However, a spiral of dark energy began wrapping around his leg. The black ribbon, intertwining with his leg as it began to take its toll on an unsuspecting Chainz. "Chainz!" Ishimaru yelled, motioning to his partner

"She ran away. Some Chess Master she turned out to be."

"Chainz!"

"Don't interrupt me Ishimaru, she sucked at battling and couldn't come anywhere close to beating me."

"Chainz…"

"For the last time, I—"

Chainz didn't finish his sentence, as the spiraling energy that stated wrapping around his leg, expanded and was engulfing his torso. "Why didn't you say anything?" Chainz shouted as he was dragged into the opening of darkness in the back part of the room.

"Not on my watch, K_ai Lei!"_

Chainz opened his mouth as a white laser formed and shot out of his mouth. He apparently hit his target as he ran out of the darkness and back to Ishimaru's side. "She's at an advantage since the light is from the torches, with it being almost pitch-black around us, she can strike from anywhere." Chainz said, keeping his eyes all over the room. He felt a tap on his shoulder as he and Ishimaru quickly turned around. To his surprise and disdain, Myth and Von Grantz were standing there. Myth had a cold smile on her face as she grabbed Chainz by the shirt collar.

"You have a lot of nerve." She hissed faintly

Chainz didn't respond he opened his mouth as Ishimaru shouted the first spell. Chainz blasted Myth at point blank range and sent her and her partner flying into the heart of the darkness, a loud crash echoed throughout the room.

"They can't keep fighting like this, she suddenly made the lights go out, there has to be a switch somewhere within the room!" Lily exclaimed looking at Rai, Rika and Leon

"Point?" Rika asked

"The point I'm making is, instead of sitting here like a bunch of idiots; let's find the switch so we can enjoy the action!" Lily exclaimed, the fire in her eyes now present

"_Here she goes being all-talk once again…" _Sola thought rolling her eyes

Lily quickly ran off into the darkness, "Don't run off like that!" Sola yelled, following behind her

"Wait a minute…how are they going to see if they don't really have any light?" Adella asked, pulling at Rai's pants leg

"Um…that's a good question." Rai said nervously

Rai was taken aback by his mamodo partner's question because neither he nor his sister thought of that when Lily suddenly ran off. Nonetheless, he figured that they should help her before she got too far.

"Rika…let's go get Lily before she goes too far ad find the switch together. Since Adella uses fire spells, we have a suitable light source; however I think you and Azure can also be of assistance."

"….Erm…r-right let's go!"

"_That's the first time he spoke since we've been in on the island…of course I haven't been much of a chatterbox either. Anyway, it feels so weird having a conversation with my brother of all people…" _

"Adella, grab one of the torches on top of the wall up there, Azure should be able to get you up there." Rai said, looking back at his sister, whose face he could barely see.

Azure and Adella both looked up at the torch close to the very tall ceiling. "It's r-really high…" he said faintly, looking down

"Azure, you can do it, that why I'm here." Rika said, smiling as she kneeled down to make eye-contact with the mamodo boy

"That's right brother…as long as you have courage, anything is possible." Adella said

Azure didn't say anything in response. He simply grabbed onto Adella's wrist, looked at Rika's shadowy face and nodded.

Rika's face became visible as she opened the spell book, its blue light refracting off her fair skin. "All right Azure, go get that torch! The fourth spell, _Raian Hovaria!_"

Azure got on a knee as blue energy appeared between his hands and a frozen wave board materialized. He stood on top and help Adella get on board. He went forward gliding up a wall, but not high enough. He began moving faster and went up the wall once more. He slid even higher and Adella snatched the torch with one hand! They slid back down the wall and stopped in front of Rika and Rai.

"Let's hop on and use this to catch up to Lily and Sola!" Rai exclaimed as he jumped on the back part of the wave board Rika followed suit. "Hang on guys!" Azure said as they shot forward

They glided and slid across the tiles Adella was now sitting on Rai's shoulders with the torch in the air creating a visible path. Up ahead, Lily and Sola were feeling their way around in the darkness having no direction pertaining their location.

"Slow down Azure." Rika said tapping his shoulder

"Azure?" she said once more

Rika looked in front at Azure's face. He fainted standing up and obviously nobody was in control of the wave board.

"_Damn it, the speed of the wave board scared him and he fainted…this is not good at all."_

As soon as she looked up, they collided into the unsuspecting Lily and Sola. Rika was at the bottom of many bodies and took a minute to recover. Everybody got up but was hushed by the pocket of darkness encasing them. "Aww...the torch went out." Adella said as she grabbed the now empty torch.

The darkness was cut by the glowing orange light, which lit up Rai's face as he looked in Adella's direction.

"Adella think fast!" he yelled

Without another word, Adella tossed the unlit torch into the air. She hoped and prayed she didn't mess this up. Time was wasting and fast.

"_Firano!"_

Adella fired two arrows at the torch, causing it to catch ablaze. The arrows went into the wall, making two glowing orange marks. Adella holds up the torch and takes a few steps forward and sees a large red button. She pressed the button and all of the lights suddenly came back on. Each of the many chandeliers throughout the throne room were lit and shining throughout the room. Chainz and Myth were standing face to face. The crash from earlier was shown to be from Myth crashing into one of the thrones when she and her partner were blasted by Chainz earlier.

"Heh, who woulda thought there would be a button at the end of the room?" Chainz said

"Good job finding the button sister." Azure said, putting his arm around Adella

"It doesn't matter that you found a way to put the lights back on, this way everybody can see you lose." Myth said as she opened her palms towards Chainz

"_Kagerudo!"_

Myth fired a barrage of shadow daggers from her hands. It resembled a black mist as it made its way towards Chainz. Chainz however, did not budge one bit.

"Too easy, the second spell, _Hokkado!"_

Chainz opened his hands as a giant gear rose from the ground, colliding into the shadow daggers. The gear began spinning and picked up speed. The shadow daggers were re-directed and fired back at Myth. "Adelbert, get out of the way!" Myth yelled as she stood in front of her spell and took the attack head-on, sending smoke everywhere. When the smoke cleared up, Myth had various cuts, lacerations and burn marks but was still standing nonetheless. "Adelbert, you already know what to do." Myth said, panting between breaths

"_Kage Musubu!"_

Myth's body covered itself with dark energy as her cuts closed up and her burn marks disappeared. She appeared to be brand new as the energy faded away. Myth bowed as she looked up at an angry Chainz.

"Damn it." Chainz said

"Chainz, don't get all bent out of shape, we're just getting started." Ishimaru said as the book began to glow an even brighter light

"No way…a new spell!" exclaimed Ishimaru

"Sounds like this should be more interesting." Myth said, seemingly more interested now

Chainz and Myth glared at each other, this was definitely going to be Chainz's toughest battle yet. He was already given more than he bargained for; this should be interesting with his back against the wall.

[_Meanwhile…Country Club Restaurant Le-chaé_]

Slash, Ignoramus and Kiichiro were dressed up and at the table. Ignoramus was wearing a black high-water tux. His tie was barely showing and his basketball socks and shiny shoes were sticking out from the table. Kiichiro was wearing a frilly pink dress and her chestnut brown hair was stylized like a princess, she looked adorable. Slash styled his slick gray hair and wore a basic tux. They were in the VIP section thanks to Jonny's card and were pulling at the tablecloth. A butler came and brought Ignoramus and Kiichiro a box of 64 crayons for their enjoyment. "Your crayons sir and madam."

"Ahhh…fresh out the box, these are the best kind." Ignoramus said biting off a chunk of the red crayon. "Yep." Kiichiro said, grabbing an apricot crayon and scribbling on the tablecloth with it.

"Mmmm…Crayola." Ignoramus said, putting the whole thing in his mouth

Kiichiro continued scribbling on the table as Ignoramus went on saying, "I have the scented ones at home."

"So." Kiichiro said

"_I'm going to make Slash buy me some."_

Slash wasn't paying any mind to the other two as he looked at the girl playing the cello who winked at him. She continued playing, but kept her gaze in his directions. Slash noticed however that she seemed to be fumbling around with her elbows and hands while playing. The orchestra finished playing as applause sounded off. Slash turned and saw Jonny standing at the doorway looking in the direction of the orchestra, as he came over to the VIP table. Jonny had two girls in each hand with a snow leopard fur coat and an all-white tux. He had a white fedora with a light blue feather a unique silver belt and a jaguar claw buckle. Jonny sat down with the girls at the table, causing Ignor to jump up for a sec. Kiichiro goes over to Jonny and motions him to lean down she then stands on tippy-toes and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Awwww…." Cinnamon, Strawberry and Ignoramus said in unison

"_I could use her to my advantage…I don't know why Slash doesn't do the same."_

"This is Cinnamon and Strawberry." Cinnamon was a fair-skinned American girl with blonde hair and blue eyes and Strawberry was Japanese, a brunette with darker features. Both were very beautiful.

"WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE GIRL FROM THE POOL?" Ignoramus exclaimed

"Who?" Jonny asked

"THE ONE YOU WENT INTO THE DRESSING ROOM WITH!"

"I don't know who you're talking about.' Jonny said, putting his arms around the girls

The cellist from earlier brought hors d'ouerves to the table. "Excuse me…" Slash began to say

"Watch him crash and burn ladies." Jonny said laughing a little.

Slash gets up and goes over to the cellist, who was sitting down at a nearby table looking at her PDA. "Hey I saw you playing the cello earlier, you come here often?"

"I work here." She replied as she got up and walked away

Defeated, Slash returned to the table and sat down. Jonny tried to hold back his laughter. "I'm going up to the Hotel Suite, I'm going to have a private chat with these ladies."

"I wanna go too!" Kiichiro wailed

"This is going to be a _very _private chat, some other time." Jonny said

"Oh and Slash, you and Ignoramus are going to be roommates, I don't need him screwing things up."

"What about Kiichiro?"

"I booked her the Children's Paradise suite, she'll be fine." Jonny said as Strawberry was wearing his fedora and Cinnamon was wearing his Snow Leopard coat. They were grabbing his belt buckle as they went into the elevator.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOHH. WE'RE GONNA BE ROOMIES! WE'RE GONNA BE ROOMIES! WE ARE GONNA BE ROOMIES! WE CAN STAY UP LATE, TELL MANLY STORIES, WATCH TV, MAKE A FORT OUT OF PILLOWS AND BEDSHEETS!"

Slash banged his head on the table. He got up and was dropping Kiichiro off to her suite.

"CAN I WEAR YOUR VEST WHEN WE GET UPSTAIRS?" Ignoramus asked

"WHHHYYYYYYYYYYY MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?" yelled Slash

_A/N- We're going to go ahead and stop things right here. I really hope you enjoyed the light-heartedness of this story, because this was the last chapter of that for the most part.(Aside from a few comic relief chapters here and there) we thought it was best to relieve the tensions from the previous chapter in this one. I also dropped a few hints to the second arc in this chapter as well. Look for the next chapter in a few days! Till next time! PLEASE PLEASE PLEEEEASSSE Read and Review! _


	30. Myth, Queen of Shadows!

_A/N- Sufrir will not be present for a while because he is working on the beginning of the 2__nd__ arc, I fixed the poll and now you can see it on my page when you click on my name. Go ahead and vote for your favorite human character, polls will be open until sometime next week and I will switch to the favorite mamodo poll. Without further ado, here's the next chapter._

"New spell eh…you think I'll let you get one over on me!" Myth screeched

"I'll show you that I was chosen to be the Queen for a reason! Unlike the others you may have faced; I can cast my spells simultaneously without any breaks between!"

"_Kage Kusari!"_

The spell was casted but nothing happened, suddenly, the shadows around Myth's feet slithered like a king cobra stalking its prey, the shadow lunged at Chainz, enlacing his feet, binding and immobilizing him instantly. Ishimaru quickly turned the pages in the spell book. "Chainz cut through the shadows…_Kai Lei!" _Chainz simply stood there as nothing happened.

"_I had an idea what to expect…but I didn't expect the Chess Master to be this strategic. I underestimated her."_

His thoughts were cut short as Myth's bookkeeper, Von Grantz yells out another spell.

"_Kageha Marutenjo!"_

A fragment of shadow that bound Chainz split off into the air, forming itself into a sword that soon replicated into a thousand swords. These swords are so black and thick, no light can be seen piercing through them. They began to encircle Chainz and Ishimaru like rabid crows ready to pick the flesh off of a decomposing carcass. Everything went pitch black. Their eyes tried to adjust but they couldn't see into the thick darkness. This is an enclosed abyss, in this dark place light and sound did not exist. Claustrophobia sneaked up on Ishimaru like cold black hands that wrapped itself around his spine, gripping it tightly.

Chainz was distraught, he's paralyzed, he could not see nor could he hear. He could only wonder about the condition of his book reader. Seconds in this abyssal chamber felt like hours. The anxiety that comes with anticipation began to attack Chainz's psyche. He began to panic when the realization hit him…he's completely vulnerable.

"_Kagerudo!"_

Myth opened her hands as she aimed them towards the ceiling, shattering and destroying every chandelier, cutting out the lights. The only light that could be seen, were the sparks cracking from the broken wires.

Already on guard, Adella and Rai react like a reflex. Rai skimmed the pages and quickly chants a spell.

"_Ignisis Ignario!"_

Adella raised her hand as a small red dot floated against the top of the wall. She closed her hand as a large blast of fire exploded. However, only a few torches were lit. They heard maniacal laughter in the background, the sound emanated and echoed over every direction of the room, their location impossible to pinpoint. Inside the dome, the small flame that is Chainz's panic became ablaze. Being paralyzed makes the skin extra sensitive to wherever any attack comes from, in anticipation like a helpless mouse waiting to be eaten.

"I could put out the torches they lit, but I'll give you all a glimmer of hope." Myth said looking at the ceiling

"_Kage Kiri Hari!"_

Myth bit down on her lip, blood trickled down her chin, she emanates a bloodthirsty grin on her face. Slowly a hissing sound is heard as vaporized blood is in the air. "Feel Dracula's Love." She said quietly

The mist of blood crystalized as thousands upon thousands of small shadow needles suspended in the air took form. She let out an orgasmic moan. "Mwah." She whispered

Instantly and sporadically, the needles began swimming through the thick darkness, stabbing and piercing everything in the room. Spontaneous groans and sounds of pain echoed throughout the room. The needles even went through the dark dome, stabbing Chainz and Ishimaru at the same time. Chainz felt the pain resonate throughout his body; the attack was so sudden, that he released a painful scream for help. Despair set into his mind like a dangerous rattlesnake wrapping around his neck, for he cannot hear the sound of his own scream. Ishimaru fell to his knees, realizing that he is helpless to cast any spells until the shadows dissipate, he closes and hugs the book for protection. At the exact same time, Toshiro, Leon, Adella, Rai, Lily, Sola, Rika and Azure also felt the needles as well. Fear crept up on them as they realize that nobody was safe.

"Everybody needs to cast a shield spell! We need to come together!" Rika yelled, motioning Toshiro and Leon to their side.

"_Fira-shield!"_

Adella opened her palms as a large wall of fire shot out in front of everybody, preventing a frontal assault from the needles and any other potential attack.

"_Lashield!"_

Azure summoned an ice wall facing towards the right, protecting the right side.

"_Mizurudo!"_

Toshiro raised his hands as a large dome of water formed and hovered over everybody protecting the left side, the back and above.

"What about Chainz and Ishimaru?" Azure asked, putting his thumb in his mouth

"We have ourselves to worry about right now, there's nothing we can do!" Rika shouted

"Oh how clever….but you're only stalling your demise." Myth said

Ishimaru clutched the book as the furious storm of needles continued its wrath. He was trapped under the spray of shadowy acupuncture. Chainz, having endured the attack, was about to move as he was no longer under the shadow's grasp. He could tell that he didn't have all of the strength in his legs at the moment, but was alright. He saw his partner hovering over the book and could finally release a breath of assurance. Moving over towards Ishimaru, Chainz reached out and felt the back collar of his shirt. With a mighty thrust, he yanked upwards and pulled him on his feet. "That was breathtaking, let's turn the tide of this battle."

Unlike Chainz, Ishimaru did not want to confront Myth head-on; he wanted a far more elegant plan. "_I'm not sure what I'm going to do at the moment, but I need to hold her off until I think of something..._"

"Chainz, let's go ahead and use the new 5th spell."

"Mhm."

"Do what you want, but I doubt you could stop this next attack."

"_Gigano Kagerudo!"_

Myth opened her hands as much larger shadow daggers fired out of her palms; the daggers gained size and speed from the shadows and were heading straight for Chainz. Ishimaru cracked open the spell book as the green light illuminated their surroundings, Chainz was on a knee and was ready to pounce. He was excited with anticipation as he waited for the giant approaching daggers to come closer to him. "Here we go, the fifth spell, _Hokaisho!_"

Chainz opened his mouth as white particles formed and tilted his head up towards the ceiling, knowing that the rubble could get her even though he didn't know her exact location. The laser was similar to Kai Lei but different at the same time, this one was bigger, faster and more concentrated. An explosion is heard and dust is seen being kicked up in the very low light.

"_Kagerudo!"_

"Nice try." Myth said as she opened her palms and fired a barrage of shadow daggers upon the unsuspecting Chainz and Ishimaru. The flurry of shadow blades chased them as Chainz pushed Ishimaru onto the ground. Chainz however, wasn't as lucky as he was struck down by many daggers, his body flying across the room and impaled against a wall.

Ishimaru's eyes widened as he felt a small tap on his left leg. He felt around and looked down to see the shadow dagger throbbing in his leg. To his dismay, he felt nothing.

"Damn it!" Ishimaru yelled, grabbing his leg

As Ishimaru felt the pain in his leg, a warm sense of darkness spread throughout his body, as if he were a fetus in the womb of its mother. He opened his mouth as if he were trying to speak, but was choked up. If feels as though he's hanging on a cliff by a couple of fingers, peering into the abyssal canyon of darkness.

Chainz opened his eyes and looked around, as his vision focused; he saw the religious trio and Toshiro standing before him. "We'll get you down." Toshiro said as he and the others removed the daggers out of Chainz's bruised and tattered body.

"I'm all right, a bit sore but ok. Where's Ishimaru?"

They look upon Rika's face; she emotes and expressed angst and sadness at the same time. The corner of her mouth curved down, blood on her hands, she turned her head and moved out of the way. A trail of blood leading from where Ishimaru's lifeless body, the pain in his leg so intense, he had blacked out.

"Damn it. The only way we are going to beat her is by working together." Chainz said, clutching his fist

"Alright, I'm in." Toshiro said as Leon revealed the blue spell book

"We'll help too." Rai said as they also had their books prepared

Chainz was satisfied that he had a group of allies backing him up. The only flaw was that they needed a plan of attack, which was a foreign concept to him, because of his head-first style. He gazed once more at his fallen partner; he took steps towards him and squatted down, grabbing his beloved spell book. "Ishi, I'll put it in here for safekeeping." Chainz placed the book in Ishimaru's messenger bag and turned back towards the others. "Let's go."

Myth on the other hand, was getting a bit bored of toying with Chainz like a lion playing with a mouse. "Adelbert, let's take this up a notch."

"_Kagerudo!"_

Myth opened her palms as many shadow daggers fired out in front of her. Chainz saw them coming and nodded at the others. Azure and Adella were up front and ready.

"_Scythrias Icicalia!"_

Azure opened his palm as a blue sphere of light hovered above him and formed into an ice scythe. He spun his scythe in the air, freezing part of the floor with a very thin sheet of ice.

"_Antrai Ignarias!"_

Like Azure, Adella opened her palm as a sphere of light appeared above her; however hers happened to be red. The glowing red sphere formed into a dual-blade sword. She raised it into the air as it was blanketed in flames.

Azure and Adella swung their weapons at the incoming shadow daggers, kicking up small clouds of smoke and dust. They suddenly appeared shooting out of the clouds and in Myth's face. Azure swung his scythe towards her left side and Adella swung at Myth's book in Adelbert's hand. However, he moved out of the way just enough to gain a bit of leverage. "All right, we're up next!" Toshiro exclaimed as he and Chainz also ran at Myth and her partner. Toshiro and Chainz ran like bats out of Hell. To their benefit, there was a large hole in the ceiling from where Chainz had blasted through when he used his 5th spell. Toshiro placed his hands on the ground in anticipation for what was coming next. "_Mizugen!"_

The floor rumbled for a second as a large geyser fired Chainz many feet into the air, the succeeding geysers shot up in succession, as if they were stepping stones. Chainz followed each geyser towards Myth, whom already was keeping the twins at bay. Chainz jumped off of the last geyser, positioning himself in mid-air just so he could latch on to Adelbert, snatch the book and toss it towards Adella so her flaming dual blade could slice the book to ribbons. He was getting closer and closer to Adelbert from the air; however that was short-lived as he saw Myth's palm in his direction.

"_Kage Tsume!"_

Myth's hand was still in Chainz's direction as the shadows behind her formed into claws and swiped at Chainz. However, Chainz spun in mid-air away from the claws and therefore not touching him. He landed on his feet and was about to charge head-first into Myth for three on one, close range combat and sneak the book away. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain on his stomach. He placed his hands down there and felt around, he brought his hands toward his face and saw scarlet all over her fingers. Looking down, Chainz saw four diagonal lines over his abs and blood slowly trickling down to the floor.

"_Shit. How did this happen…?"_

Myth had Azure bound by her Kage Kusari spell. The shadow's grip was tight and even though it was part frozen, it still moved and was alive as it clung onto Azure like spandex on a rock star. Adella confronted Myth on her left flank and sent her flying back with her Kage Kiri Hari spell.

"You guys are a little challenging as a group, but if you're alone, then you're nothing!" she laughed as their demise continued

"Adelbert, re-focus on our original target. I want to finish him."

"_Kagerudo!"_

Myth raised her hand in the air as the familiar shadow daggers emerged. However, this time she kept them hovered in mid-air. She saw Chainz still tending to his wound and pointed at him. The shadow daggers shot forward, Chainz rolled out of the way, causing the daggers to miss. Myth pointed her finger in his direction repeatedly, determined to keep him off-balance. Chainz stumbled and crashed into the ground. He looked up and saw Myth directly in front of him.

"I won't…ever allow you to burn my book."

"I will do no such thing."

"What?"

"I have no interest in burning your book; I'm going to kill you."

Myth felt her knees buckle as Chainz kicked the back her legs with a low sweep. He then got to his feet and launched his elbow into her back, sending her flying into the ground and breaking some tiles. Chainz ran forward, about to clash with Myth using his fists. Just as he lunged at her, Von Grantz, her partner was already waiting for him.

"_Kageshirudo!"_

The shadows behind the dark mamodo emerged and formed a wall in front of them. Chainz crashed into the wall and felt the sparks surge throughout his body. He fell to the ground like a bird being knocked out of the sky. He felt the burns on his back split his skin, but stood back up regardless

"Chainz, that's enough. You need help."

Chainz turned around and saw Toshiro and Leon towering over him. "Stay out of this, it isn't your fight." Chainz barked

"Normally I would, but Ishimaru is out cold and you're not going to burn her book without any spells." Toshiro said

"Fine then. You can help out, but I'm going to beat her with my fists."

"Ready Leon?"

Leon nodded as he held the book opened and ready. The religious trio was also coming to help out, however Myth had second thoughts about allowing that.

"_Kageha Marutenjo! "_

Shadow swords rained on the trio, forming a dome around them. "Damn it, there's no way to escape!" Lily yelled, looking around

"Looks like we have to stay put until we figure out how to get around this." Rai said, examining a nearby shadow sword

"Now that they're taken care of, I have a special offer to present you, two beatings for the price of one." Myth laughed a little at her "special offer". Toshiro and Chainz on the other hand found her remark anything but funny. "All right, we have to act now." Toshiro said as he backed up a bit from Chainz

"_Gigano Mizumaron!_"

Toshiro summoned a tidal wave as Chainz was picked up by the powerful water. He was heading straight for Myth with a commanding force behind him. Myth however, did not look phased or even threatened at all by the potential attack. "_Giga Kage Tsume!" _ The shadows behind Myth formed into shadow claws, however thee were much larger than the previous ones. The claws made a few slashing motions and the water dissipated immediately and Chainz was sent flying into Toshiro.

"Any other bright ideas?" Chainz asked,

"_Is this really worth it…or am I only postponing my downfall?"_

Toshiro apparently had another idea; he went behind Chainz and got on a knee. Palms opened, he aimed his hands behind Chainz's back.

"_Mizuteron!"_

A powerful jet of water erupted from Toshiro's hands and rocketed Chainz towards Myth. He could feel the velocity around his face, as if he were being flung from a rollercoaster into a billboard. Chainz stretched out his hands, ready to grab the book from Von Grantz's palms. This was his best chance; this was the moment he was waiting for in order to keep his dream alive. The serenity of his hope was violently and abruptly cut short. Myth's cold grip was encased around his neck. He felt his body plunged into the ground like a plane crashing. Chunks of tile and ground flew everywhere as he made impact. It was over. Everything he went through, every battle he won, everything he ever accomplished. All in vain.

"_I couldn't get it done with my spell, so why does it matter that Ishimaru is knocked out cold? I couldn't fight her in close combat. I have no hope of winning this battle. I thought I had a never-die, never-give-up attitude…but I don't. It was all false. If I can get to my book, I'll toss it in front of one of her spells before I die. Father…that training and loss of my livelihood was all a waste…."_

_[Flashback…6 years before battle]_

_Chainz was standing face to face with his father Lord Galeno who was in his humanoid form. They were in a training dojo with various training equipment around. Chainz had scratches and cuts all over him and his clothes were burned a well._

"_Chainz, if you are to become king and heir to the clan, you must learn how to control your spells, if you fail, I will attack you with one of my spells again._

_Chainz struggled to stay on his feet. He looked at his father, filled with pain and anger; he would give anything to blast into pieces. How dare he put him through this? _

"_All right, just focus and remember the spell in my head as I do this." Chainz thought, still focusing on his father_

"_Don't take all day, you hopeless piece of shit!"_

"_Shut up!" Chainz screamed _

_Suddenly, he felt growing pressure from within his stomach and opened his mouth, firing the laser and knocking Lord Galeno into the wall, making a hole. _

_[End Flashback]_

"_One of the happiest days of my life..."_

Chainz looked up and saw Myth's boot on his neck. The pressure she exerted, made it to the point where he couldn't push her off, not that he was motivated enough to do so anyway. "Just a little bit more pressure and your neck will be snapped, causing suffocation and internal bleeding. I'd say this was a good fight, but I don't lie." Chainz did not respond nor did he resist Myth. He lost this battle and was ready to pay the consequences for losing.

"Hopefully Jyan or Kai will become king since I couldn't do it myself..." his eyes became heavy as he began to close them awaiting his impending death. He opened them for what seemed like the last time. He saw Toshiro was dodging Myth attacks and therefore couldn't get to Chainz in order to help him.

He suddenly saw a flash of blue energy and felt the pressure on his neck ease up. He looked up and saw Myth fall over onto the ground. Chainz sat up and saw Von Grantz backing up. To his surprise was Chase standing in front of him with a large gun in Chase's hands as he pulled the trigger, knocking the black book out of his hands, covering it with blue flames.

"I...I beg your pardon…sir."

"_Wait…did Myth apologize? Isn't she the Chess Master?"_

"There aren't any surviving chess pieces left, so I don't need you anymore. Besides, these are my prey, not yours. If I did not give you a command, then you do not act on your own."

Chase pulled the trigger once more and blasted Myth's burning book into pieces, causing her to disappear completely.

"It's your turn to go."

Chase revealed a remote control switch and pressed the main red button, revealing a trap door underneath Adelbert, sending him plummeting below.

As all of this commotion was going on, Chainz was now by Ishimaru's side. Also surrounding him was Toshiro, Leon, the religious trio and their book owners.

"Ishimaru!"

Ishimaru's eyes fluttered for a second as they opened. "Wh...What's going on? We have to fight Myth!" he asked groggily looking around

"That won't be necessary." Chainz said pointing in Chase's direction

"Chase, thank you, but how did you get out of the cage? What are you doing here?"

"What, you don't know already? I'm not surprised since you couldn't beat the queen."

"Queen? Wait a minute. You don't mean—"

"At times, I am the affable Chase, your guide, your recruiter and ally. Overall, I am the Chess Master. I can always recruit more mamodo with my fake, yet friendly and inviting smile. I can always promote my agenda to more who will listen, but your group. You will never be forgiven. You inflicted heavy damage on my army and for that, you will pay with your books and possibly lives."

"Hey, what did we miss and why in the hell is it so dark in here, I can barely see!" Jyan said as he came into the throne room

Haley Josh and Kai came in soon after. They placed Kai against the wall and Josh laid against the wall a well, finally getting some well-deserved rest.

"An audience, how delightful." Chase said, flashing a small smile.

Chase held up the remote control in his hand and began clicking switches. Various slots on the ceiling opened and revealed lights which all flickered on, illuminating the room and leaving the torches unnecessary.

"What is Chase doing here, how did he get out?" Haley asked

"I never was trapped in the first place. I simply activated the trap when my elbow hit the wall. I insisted you go on without me just so I could go back and check up on Carlos and Paschal who unfortunately were defeated." He said, casting a sharp glare at Kai and Jyan

"Anyway, I also had Myth slap you idiots around, but of course, she overstepped her boundaries and I felt like shooting something."

"You're a monster." Haley growled

"Perhaps, but I think I'll live." Chase said with a smile

"I knew he was bad." Azure said, grabbing Rika's leg

"Well, he should be taken out then." Sola said, crossing her arms

"I agree." Adella said

"Sister…he's dangerous." Azure said, letting go of Rika and pulling onto Adella's arm

"We have to fight for our survival and so we can stay together." Adella said

"You guys leave the fighting to us." Sola said to the others

"All three of you want to fight me at once, excellent." Chase said as he cracked his knuckles

Azure, Adella and Sola prepared themselves as the showdown with the Chess Master got underway. This was it, the final fight with the Chess Pieces and only the King, the Chess Master was the only one left standing.

_A/N- All right, we are at the climax of the 1__st__ arc, stay tuned for this oh-so epic fight in the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! Till next time!_

Stats-

Name- Myth

Partner- Adelbert Von Grantz

Book color- Onyx

Rank-56th out of 100

Element- Shadows

Book burned by- Chase and Reira

Spells-

1)Kage Musubu - Myth lets out dark energy glow from her body to heal her injuries and wound, or others. (assist)

2)Rasen Kageshi - a Spiraling dark energy released from Myth's both hands and controls it to hit the target/s, once the target is caught the Dark spiral grew larger to draw other targets near to their doom. (Attack)

3)Kagerudo - Myth Shoots shadow daggers from her hands. (Attack)

4)Kageha Marutenjo - Myth calls numbers of swords surrounding her opponents like a giant Dome with nowhere to run and no place to hide. (Attack)

5)Kage Kusari - Myth uses shadows to bind her opponent within 30 seconds to delay her opponents. (Immobilization)

6)Gigano Kagerudo - the Stronger version of Kagerudo, although the shadow daggers are larger. (Attack)

7)Kage Kiri Hari - Myth Summons dark mist using her blood turning it black and hardening it to turn into thousand Dark Needles. (Attack)

8)Kage Tsume - Myth uses shadows as a pair of claws that can cause wounds even though she missed. (Attack)

9)Giga Kage Tsume - The stronger version of Kage Tsume. (Attack)

10) Kageshirudo - Myth Uses the Shadows as Shields for protection or protecting others. (Assist)


	31. The courageous Azure!

_A/N- Sorry for the small delay, as far as I'm concerned, I will update this 1-2 times a week. I should also address that Chainz may or may not become King, I don't really know who is going to win, but as of right now, there are over a dozen possible candidates (maybe more as time goes along!) Oh and by the way, the favorite mamodo poll is up as well! This poll will be open until this weekend, so vote ASAP! NOW you can enjoy this chapter!_

The air tensed up and the room grew faintly cold. Azure, Adella and Sola were fighting as a trio for the first time since coming to the Human World. The anticipation in Azure's stomach made him feel like he was on the brink of explosion. The anxiety of battle was beginning to strengthen its choke hold. This was the Chess Master, the strongest mamodo they've confronted in the battle so far. Reality is pummeling Azure; the fact that this could very well be his final battle was astonishing.

"_Scythrias Icicalia!"_

Azure raised his right arm as a blue orb of light emerged and expanded, forming an ice scythe.

"_Antrai Ignarias!"_

Adella opened her palm as a red sphere of light rose and formed into a dual-blade sword. Adella raised the sword into the air as the flames ignited and expanded to the ceiling for a few seconds and died back down.

"_Serious times calls for serious measures..."_

"The wind demon within me shall rise as I call your name in this fight. I am the wicked witch of the wind!" Sola chanted, revealing an elegant fan with black feathers. Sola sliced the air with her fan, sending large gust of wind upward, destroying a few large chunks of tiles and concrete.

"What impressive toys. Hope this is as fun as I anticipate it to be." Chase said, glazing his eyes across the room

"_Ganzuru!"_

A large gun resembling a futuristic plasma rifle appeared in Chase's hands. A loud click ricocheted throughout the throne room. Azure assumed that click meant he turned the safety off. He looked over at Adella on his left and Sola on his right. He didn't sense any fear from them yet, he was very afraid. Maybe they were afraid too…just better at masking it than he was. A split second later, Azure felt his body leap into the air and his arms raising the ice scythe he clutched. His arms instinctively swung the scythe horizontally, attempting to hack Chase's head clean off of his shoulders. Chase ducked and pulled the trigger, just as instinctively as he jumped at Chase, Azure slammed the top of his scythe onto the ground and pivoted his body over the scythe and away from the blue blasts of energy released from the gun in Chase's hands.

Adella took her brother's attempted frontal assault as a chance to strike from behind. She was a few feet behind Chase and swung the flaming blade at the mamodo teen but quickly felt the gun prodding her stomach. Chase pulled the trigger a few times and sent her flying. The energy fr9om the gun felt very cool at first, yet heated up dramatically, similar to an icy-hot patch. Adella rolled and crashed on the ground. She hopped back up and grabbed her blade as she contemplated her next move.

Sola knew that this was her chance to throw Chase off his game so an opening could be form for the twins. She stood up on the tips of her toes with her fan drawn in front of her face. Lily flipped a few pages in her spell book. "_Estarias!" _ Sola felt the wind under her feet as she levitated into the air, spinning as well. She danced through the air like a graceful performer on Broadway. Black feathers twisted and floated around her like a tornado of black rose petals. With her fan still opened, Sola pointed it at Chase.

"_Lucarias!"_

Sola began slashing the air violently yet gracefully at the same time with her fan, forming many wind blades. They sharp remnants of wind slammed into Chase repeatedly, kicking up pockets of dust. "Master Azure, Lady Adella, go for it!"

Azure saw the silhouette of a figure ad picked up his ice scythe then swung down on the top half of the cloud of dust. Adella swung equally as hard with her dual-blade on the bottom half. Assuming they sliced Chase in half, they stood back and lowered their guard a little. The dust cleared and Chase was nowhere to be seen; only a severed gun remained.

"W-Where'd he go?" Adella asked quietly

Adella did not receive an answer to her question as she covered her ears. Looking up, she saw the source of the noise, Chase was sitting on top of the main chandelier in the room, the lights from it were shattered from Myth's spells a while ago, but it still hung sturdy in the ceiling. He had two missile launchers in his hands that appeared to be charging judging by the faint blue aura emanating from them.

"Your little attacks were nice to look at, but unfortunately they were weak. I simply stood there in order to test your power, which surprisingly came up short of my expectations. Oh well, but you guys should try this on for size."

Chase pulled the trigger of one missile launcher, sending a large missile headed towards them. "Sister, get down!" Azure yelled, he anxiously toddled over to his sister and hovered over her. Sola floated towards them, held her fan out.

"_Lucazias!"_

Sola swung her fan hard as various wind swords formed, the gust from her swinging the fan alone was enough to send a child flying. The swords flew towards the missile; however Chase was not done yet. "Oops, you missed." He said slyly as he pointed his right index finger upwards. The missile moved over the wind swords and pointed down at Azure and Adella. Sola curved her wind swords as they followed the missile in pursuit. "You forgot something my dear." Chase said, reminding them of the other missile launcher as he shot the second missile out. "Dammit, now there are two of them to deal with." Sola said, however she had to focus on the one her wind swords were following, leaving the other missile wide open.

Adella still had her brother laying over her, she could feel vibrations on her neck, she realized that it was him shaking and whimpering a little. "Brother, don't be scared. We have a battle to fight."

"N-No. H-He's too strong." Azure stammered

Adella gently pushed Azure off of her.

The missiles and wind swords collided and exploded above them. A blue explosion of energy brought pressure down upon them; however the twins stayed flat on the ground and got up when the pressure eased. Adella pulled a terrified Azure over to Rika and placed him next to her; Rika squatted down and comforted the young boy in her arms.

"Brother, make sure you and Rika keep each other safe. I'll have the courage to keep going for the both of us."

"Sister." Azure said quietly.

Adella simply turned and ran forward, jumping into the air. She gripped the blade tightly as the flames covered and extended. She felt wind at the bottom of her feet as she turned and saw Sola behind her and manipulating the wind to give her an extra boost. Before Chase could move the missile out of the way, Adella slashed upwards and sideways and gently landed on the ground. The missile kept going for a few feet and paused, dispersing into thousands of pieces. The small blue explosion kicked up as well, but it wasn't anything major. Adella stood in front of Chase. "Whatever you hit me with, I will swing back twice as hard."

"How challenging." was all that Chase said as he leapt off of the chandelier, freefalling dozens and dozens of feet through the air, seemingly committing suicide.

"_Ganzuruku!" _

Reira was standing on the balcony above the two thrones had Chase's book opened and was overlooking the entire battlefield. Chase's body glowed as he was swallowed by blue armor. Small rockets appeared under his armored shoes as he began flying through the air. He stopped and hovered above Adella. "Come at me with your best shot." He said flying higher; he then back flipped in the air and did a nosedive, flying down at Adella at top speeds.

"Rai, we can do this by confronting him head-on!"

"I agree, _Antrai Agnias!"_

Adella galloped forward as felt the inferno surging through her dual-blade. The blades on her sword glowed a magma red and the heat from the charged up blade singed her hair a little. Adella began running faster and Chase also picked up the pace, his fist extended. They clashed at mid-point, kicking up an explosion. The smoke cleared and Adella swung her burning dual blade at Chase and he countered with his armored fist. Chase jumped back and opened his palm as small missiles began flying towards Adella. She swung at and destroyed everything he threw at her. Adella felt the adrenaline flow through her veins, she felt as if she could fight for days. Rai also enjoyed the energy surging through Adella's spell book. "Adella, let's kick this up to the next level!" Rai yelled as the spell book glowed an even brighter orange light. Adella began swinging at Chase at an even faster pace, burning chunks of the ground and leaving ashes behind her. Adella slammed her dual blade into Chase rocket shoe, causing all of his blue armor to quickly turn red from the heat. "Damn you!" Chase spat as an explosion quickly kicked up and flaming pieces of armor shot everywhere. The black smoke made it very difficult for anybody to see, but that's where Sola came in.

"Here we go!"

Sola swung her fan as the smoke quickly dissipated and Chase was standing tall with his arms crossed and an exhausted Adella crouching on the ground. "Silly girl, you pushed yourself close to your limit, I simply allowed you to get me by holding back and since I'm generous, I'll even tell you the ugly truth. I have only used 35% of my true strength."

Chase laughed as he slammed his foot on Adella's neck. "At least it was fun while it lasted. You have any final words?"

"NO, but my bookkeeper does." She said gasping for air

"_Ignisis Ignario!"_

With all her might, Adella put her hand on Chase's leg, the red dot going up towards his torso. Chase slammed his foot down on her neck and Adella clenched her fist.

"BOOM!"

Smoke and pieces of flaming tile and debris rained down. Nobody could tell what was going on or what the outcome was. "Adella!" Rai shouted as he came closer to the site of the explosion trying to see if he could figure out whether or not his partner was okay. However, his attempt was futile. Ash and smoke filled his mouth, nose and eyes as if he stuck his head in an overheated Barbecue pit. Rai backed away just out of reach of the smoke.

"Sola." Lily began to say

"Already on it." Sola said, swinging her fan, waving the smoke away

Sola's fan sped up the clearing process. Azure still lay in Rika's arms asleep. He had shied away from looking at Adella's fight and eventually drifted off. He finally turned his face and opened his eyes. "Sister...Sister…Sister where are you?" He turned towards Rika. "Rika, where is she?" Rika did not answer him, looking around; he saw Sola fanning away the smoke from the explosion. "SISTER!" screamed Azure, breaking free of Rika's grasp and began running towards the aftermath, however Rika grabbed Azure before he had gotten too far. "Wait until Sola clears the smoke first."

Within a few minutes, Sola had cleared everything and Adella slowly got up. Her body was blackened with ash, and she coughed out a few puffs of smoke but other than that, she was ok. "Sister!" Azure exclaimed running over to her with his arms around her neck.

"I-I'm fine Azure." She said

"Where's Chase, we have unfinished business." Rai said

"I must admit, you caught a little off guard with that dot explosion spell, but I got out of the way just in time." Chase said, now sitting on top of the balcony. He looked as though he didn't have so much as a scratch on him, however Rai noticed that there was indeed something different about Chase. Rai saw a serious burn mark around Chase's left ankle and streams of blood running down his leg.

"_Looks like the spell did more damage than it seems…"_

"Reira, these brats are annoying me, I'm going to use 55% of my power. Use one of my big boy spells."

"_Dioga Ganzudon!"_

Chase's hands glowed blue as a giant rocket launcher appeared above him. The launcher took aim at Azure and Adella and began gathering blue energy. "Azure…I'm going to use the only spell that I know can counter a Dioga spell."

"Sister…if you do that…you may—"

"If I don't use it, we may lose. Either way, it must be done. Azure, you must have courage, you must be strong."

"Sister…h-how am I supposed to do that?"

"You'll know." Adella said as she saw that the launcher was almost fully charged

"Rai, let's do this!"

"_Antharias Ignario!"_

Adella placed her right hand on the ground as she burst into flames. The flames died down and a red aura burned throughout her body. Adella felt the fiery passion in her soul as she felt the extreme increase in power. The launcher fired the first massive blue beam heading straight for Azure and Adella.

"_First thing's first."_ Adella thought to herself

"Rai, we need to protect Azure!"

"_Fira-shield!"_

Adella summoned a wall of fire, however this time the fire turned black instead of orange. The wall of black flame absorbed the beam. "Azure, go back to Rika. I have a feeling that your time is going to come, and it's going to come soon. This is the one time where we can't fight together!" The second beam collided with the flaming wall. Azure looked at Adella once more then ran back to Rika. How can he allow himself to watch his sister fight? The one he was stood in front of to protect was now protecting him. That begged the question. Did he truly have the courage to protect her every time he stood in front of her? If something truly would have happened, would he have been brave enough to protect her?

The third beam was headed towards the firewall when it exploded, canceling out the beams. Rai did not let up, "_Antrai Ignarias!" _Adella came out of the cloud of smoke with her flaming dual-blade in hand; the flames covering her sword were also black as well. Chase smiled as he sent forth the rocket launcher at Adella, but she did not budge. She aggressively slashed it, causing it to slice and explode. Adella touched her foot on the balcony and launched herself into the air backwards.

"I'm going for broke here." Adella said as she opened up her palm

Rai flipped another page; he knew that Adella removing all of the locks and going at it with Chase using her full power was draining her life force, a heavy price to pay for such massive power. He had to make this count and make it count for everything. "_Wavarias Firano!"_ A fiery black sphere was created from her opened palm and sucked Chase in. As Adella was falling from the air, she tossed her dual-blade sword at the sphere Chase was trapped in, piercing and exploding in mid-air. Sola swung her fan towards the ground, creating a pocket of wind which glided Adella into the arms of Rai.

"Adella…you did it." Rai said softly

However Rai spoke too soon, as the smoke cleared and Chase was crouching on the ground. He had a large shield that appeared to be right out of the middle-ages made of blue energy. He held it in front of his face. Burn marks were on his legs but he didn't look too affected by it. "You gave me a few burns, bumps and a few bruises and that was at your max. I still haven't gone all-out yet, you're pathetic. However, you stood up to me when your coward of a brother did not. You tried to cover for him but you can't and you couldn't. You are only a part of an entire puzzle."

"_Suvarias!"_

Chase felt himself being propelled into the air, close to hitting the ceiling. "Reira, I need some pest control!" he yelled as the speed and force of the winder geyser flung his body into the ceiling.

Without hesitation, Reira kept pouring on the spells. "_Ganzu Amireido!"_ A turret gun formed in Chase's hands as he fired a fury of blue nets at Sola. Sola dodged every net Chase shot at her, so Chase shot one at Adella instead. Just as the next opened was about to snatch up the mamodo girl, Azure recklessly charged forward and jumped over his sister's injured body, getting caught into the blue net.

"Master Azure!" Sola shouted as she turned and ran back towards them, only to be caught in one of Chase's nets.

"Two captures for the price of one…I'll take it." Chase said, smiling

Azure and Sola pulled and bit onto the nets. "This material and is almost unbreakable." Sola said, pulling on it. Azure also had trouble breaking through it as well.

"Now, to deal with you." Chase said looking at Adella

Adella rolled onto her stomach and weakly stood up. "You captured my brother and caretaker. I won't allow you to win!"

Chase yawed and said, "Come on, there's no way you're going to beat me. Especially now. Reira, it's time to take care of them, as well as everybody else in the room."

"_Guraado Ma Ganzuru!"_

Chase formed a large sniper rifle in his hands. The rifle was about eight to nine feet long and it had a small mirror in front of the gun. Chase grabbed Reira's arm and then disappeared, seemingly turning invisible.

"W-Where did he go?" Adella said, looking around, she saw a series of mirrors in the far right corner of the massive throne room. "Over there." She said to herself

"_Lasarias Luczias!"_

A thread of sharp winds sliced apart the nets Sola and Azure were trapped in. Sola and Azure stood up and stretched. "All right, Chase could be anywhere, so we have to keep an eye out since we have no idea what his spell did." Sola said

Just as Sola said that, she felt her back get extremely hot. She fell to the ground with a thud and weakly felt her back. "It's a burn that came from behind me." She said, getting up and looking back towards the balcony. Azure and Adella felt a blast of energy near their feet from their left. They looked and still saw no Chase. "How are we supposed to fight him if we don't know where he is and the fact that he could be shooting from any angle?" Sola mused

Azure felt fear overtake him again. The thought of a mamodo as powerful as Chase being anywhere and him shooting at any time and any moment was a disturbing thought. He wanted to run away and get away from this castle as fast as he can and never looked back. There was no way he could fight, he was too afraid of the threat Chase posed, he was way too much of a threat to do anything against. Without another word, Azure grabbed Adella's arm and dashed back towards Rika and Rai. However, he felt no arm into his grasp as he turned and saw Adella let go a few feet behind him. She did not speak or say anything to Azure, he saw her eyes. Her once azure eyes filled with a fiery glare in contrast to his icy gaze now had the look of a fire that was fading…dimming. He then saw Adella run towards the right hand corner of the throne room. "_Why did sister let go of my grasp, she has never done that before. I have always pulled her arm, I have always grabbed arm and had her stay behind me. I have always protected her…or maybe I haven't. Maybe she…she is actually the one who protects me. I want to help her but I'm too afraid." _Azure's eyes slammed shut and he held his head down. He couldn't go any further. He could no longer look and see what was going on. He opened his eyes as soon as he heard footsteps, he saw Rai also running to the right corner of the room, as if there was something they knew about.

"Here we go Adella, _Kikarias Firago!"_

Adella leapt into the air and placed her leg out, ready to slam down onto the mirrors. Her leg shattered a few mirrors and a fiery twister began forming. Adella's momentum was cut short as a blue beam of energy struck her in the chest. "Ahhhh!" she screamed in agony as she fell to her knees. Right at that moment, she saw and felt a dozen more blue energy beams go through her as she was sent into the air. The beams continued its assault, as they continued going through her back until she crashed into the ceiling. "Adella!" Rai shouted as he ran over to catch the mamodo girl as she began falling from the ceiling. However, he was struck by a blue beam in the hand, shooting the book out of his grasp and covering it in blue flames. Rai did not care, he continued running so he could catch her. Adella was fading away as she fell; she knew her time was up. Another blue beam was shot at the burning book as it blew up into pieces, only ash remaining.

"_Azure…become a courageous king." _Adella thought to herself as she was almost completely gone. Rai stretched out his arms as he was close to catching her, she then faded away completely before he had a chance to catch her. Rai fell to his knees and lay out on the ground.

Azure stood there motionlessly. _"No…that didn't happen. That DID NOT just happen. No… she's still here with me_. _I'm only imagining things, I passed out…I…I…that just didn't happen. I'm just having a bad dream because the battle is having a negative reaction to all of the fighting. No…she isn't…she isn't…she….she….she's gone and I couldn't protect her. I was too afraid to."_

Nothing mattered anymore. The one he loved the most, the one his heart was connected two, the one that was life, his soul, was ripped away from him. _"I feel the tears screaming to come out, but I don't feel a sense of sadness…no…I feel something else. Something that makes me heavy on the inside…yeah that's it! Heavy yet very warm…I like this feeling…I want to move but I can't…maybe someone will move for me."_

Sola, Lily and Rika all came over to Azure. "Azure…" Rika began to talk but stopped

"Looks like I'm on my own now—" Sola began to say

"No. We do this together." Azure said, standing up

"Master Azure…"

"Adella fought to protect me because I was and still am afraid. She has always protected me, she protected me once more and she paid dearly for it. I don't know what it means to have courage or how to be brave, but I think this will be a good start."

"Understand."

"_I saw Adella run towards the mirrors, so that must hold the key to flushing out Chase…"_

"Rika, use Raian Hovaria. We're going to finish what Adella started,"

"The fourth spell, _Raian Hovaria!"_

An icy wave board formed in front of Azure as he and Rika hopped on it. Azure and Rika began sliding forward as energy beams struck all around them. Sola and Lily however, moved a grieved Rai out of the way and began to follow Azure and Rika from behind. Azure felt the wind and speed flowing through his long hair. The blue energy beams began to rain from the sky at an even faster rate, but they did not deter Azure at all. Azure got closer, swerving and dodging the various energy beams. He leapt off of the wave board and landed into the middle of the mirror site.

"Quickly Rika!"

"_Wavariaus Runaega!"_

Azure jumped and stomped onto the ground, sending waves of ice in four different directions, shattering the mirror site completely. The shards fell upon Azure like a sparkling blizzard. "Good job Azure!" Rika said as she closed the glowing blue book.

Sola, now levitating in the air with Lily running behind her could now seek out Chas's shadow. She signaled Azure to keep watch over the other side of the room. Sola floated as she they saw the other mirror site. "So this is Mirror Site B."

Just as Lily was about to chant a spell, a flurry of blue beams rained onto her. Sola swooped down and pushed her partner to safety. "I'll have to keep an eye out for that."

Azure still was on the prowl for Chase's shadow. He knew that they were backing him into a corner and he had to go all out to keep the upper-hand. Sola then levitated back towards Mirror Site B and opened her fan.

"_Lashield!"_

Sola quickly turned around and saw a wall of ice behind her as a few blue energy beams hit the ice wall, giving off a flash of light. "Sola, go for it, I don't know how much I can hold him off!"

"_Lasarias Luczias!"_

Sola swung her fan with all her might as threads of wind were seen around Mirror Site B and within seconds and a few swipes, Mirror Site B was only bits and pieces of its former self. Sola and Azure saw Chase finally appear sitting on top of the balcony. He sat with the sniper on his lap, and his legs crossed.

"It's over, you bastard." Azure growled

"I'm at 90% of my power—"

"I DON"T WANT TO HEAR ANYMORE OF THAT CRAP! YOU GO ALL OUT NOW, OR YOU WILL NOT HAVE A HEAD!"  
>Chase jumped down from the balcony and landed on his feet. "All right, fine." The sniper dissipated and he snapped his fingers. The balcony behind him formed into a staircase as Reira came down as well.<p>

"Reira, I'm going to my full power."

"_Ganzusen!"_

Chase's hands morphed into turret guns has he began to fire a barrage of blue beams, similar to the first spell he used. Azure instantly pushed Rika down. Sola came down in order to protect lily and was struck in the back by the spell. "Sola!" Azure yelled

"Master Azure...be brave, you can do this." Sola said before passing out

"I remember what Adella said to me before she met her fate…"

"_I have a feeling that your time is going to come, and it's going to come soon. This is the one time where we can't fight together!"_

"That time starts now…I have to stand on my own. If I didn't have the courage to face this demon, how could I have the courage to protect Adella?

"_Scythrias Icicalia!"_

The blue sphere emerged from Azure's palm and formed into an ice scythe. He kept walking towards Chase without saying another word. The look in his eye was not shaky with fear, but bold with a small flash of courage.

Rika looked down and felt the icy blue light glowing in her face. "No way…a new spell."

Azure looked back and nodded. He felt a new burst of energy, different from what he felt before. He felt the surge to do something, do something big. His walking became a pacing jog and that jog became a sprint. "Rika read the spell!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it, Reira!"

"_Zaou Ganzuruga!"_

Chase's hands glowed blue as a massive turret emerged. Many smaller turrets surrounded the biggest one. The turrets charged and fired upon Azure. The largest one fired a straightforward blast while the smaller ones curved their beams, giving Azure nowhere to run, not that he was going to anyway.

"All right Azure, the eighth spell, _Sliverias Icicalia!"_

Azure raised his ice scythe as it grew into its giant form, reaching a towering thirty feet long with a twenty foot long blade. In an instant flash of blinding light, everything in the throne room was frozen, including Chase's turrets and the energy beams it shot out. Chase and Reira were frozen solid as well. Azure felt tears streaming down his face. "_I know you're watching over me right now…" _

"This is for my sister!" Azure yelled as he sung the giant scythe downward, kicking up a large cloud of ice and sending ice shards everywhere. When the debris cleared, Reira was still frozen solid and Chase's upper half was thawed. "Damn you…" Chase spat at Azure

Azure didn't respond to Chase spitting at him. He simply picked up Chase's olive spell book and walked over to the frozen mamodo boy.

"Checkmate." Azure said as he dropped the book in front of Chase and stomped on it, blue flames completely engulfed the book.

"You may have burned my book, but that does not mean you will make it out alive!" Chase laughed as he revealed the portable remote control from earlier. Chase pushed a yellow button on the bottom of the remote as lavender smoke filled the throne room. Chase continued laughing maniacally as he faded away completely.

"Who would have thought Azure was going to be the one to defeat the Chess Master." Sola said, who awakened just in time to see Azure use his new spell to beat Chase

"We all need to get out of here." Azure said, now starting to feel the hazy effects of the noxious gas Chase released into the room. Just then, a large explosion could be heard as the helicopter hovered above them.

"Rai!" Rika yelled, surprised to see her brother in the helicopter and dropping the rope ladder. "Bring down a stretcher too!" Haley yelled

After Kai was strapped onto the stretcher, Azure, Sola and their bookkeepers along with Ishimaru, Haley, Josh, Leon and their respective mamodo. They also managed to grab a still frozen Reira and began their trek home.

Meanwhile, inside the helicopter, Rika went over to Rai. "How did you get to the helicopter anyway?" Rika asked

"After Sola and Lily pulled me towards the wall, you guys continued fighting Chase. I took the liberty of finding my way outside and down the stairs. I memorized the way we came just in case we needed an escape. I found my way outside and alerted the pilot. We flew back to where the action was going on and blew up the roof, therefore getting everybody out."

"That was pretty awesome." Rika said with a small smile on her face

Rai blushed a little at his sister's compliment and went on the other side of the helicopter, thinking about his fallen partner.

Chainz and Ishimaru breathed a big sigh of relief. "So that's it. The Chess Master and Chess Pieces are no more. It feels weird not having anything to worry about."

"Oh come on, that was only the first arc, the author has a lot of story left." Jyan said, yawning, getting ready for a well-deserved nap

"What is Jyan talking about?" Ishimaru asked Josh, who shrugged his shoulders. Chainz rolled his eyes and pretended like he didn't hear Jyan.

"Whatever our next adventure is, I'll be ready for it." Chainz said as he looked out at the nighttime sky.

_A/N- Okay, that ends the chapter and the first arc! I have to admit that I planned on Azure beating the Chess Master for quite a while. (I have the outline and script for the story already written all the way into the middle of the 2__nd__ arc.) I have many twists and surprises in store for everybody, so if you still want to submit a 2__nd__ arc OC, then send em in!_

_Also, check out thatguy3331's story the Blue Aura, it's pretty tight, so go for it!_

_Oh and if you are into Pokemon, check out my other fic, Pokemon: Sky High Battles!_

_Read and Review PLEEEEEASSSSSSSEEEE!_

Stats-

Name- Adella

Partner- Rai Teruyama

Book color- Orange-Red

Rank- 55th out of 100

Element- Fire

Book burned by- Chase and Reira

Spells-Firano: Adella Fires out a set of fire arrows which can't home, but they can bend change directions in midair.

Fira-shield: Adella Summons a wall of fire in front of her to block an attack, creates an explosion when the spell is destroyed.

Firaga: Adella Throws a huge exploding javelin at the targeted area.

Antrai Ignarias: Adella Creates a blazing dual-blade of fire in which she can swing around with.

Antrai Agnias: Adella Rushes forward and delivers a massive burst of energy with her sword

Ignisis Ignario: Adella raises her hands a summons a tiny red dot over a target, where it makes a large explosion

Antharias Ignario: Adella covers herself in a red burning aura that exchanges power in exchange for her life force, it upgrades spells and powers, however it burns away her life quickly, making it dangerous.

Wavarias Firano: Adella creates a large fiery sphere in front of her which locks the opponent in it. If she's using her weapon, she would slash it to make an explosion.

Kikarias Firago: Adella raises her leg before launching a violent kick which easily sets of a flaming twister

Name- Chase

Partner- Reira

Book color- Olive

Rank- 54th out of 100

Element- Guns

Book burned by- Azure and Rika Teruyama

Spells-

1. Ganzuru: A large gun appears in Chase's hand and he fires a large blast of blue energy when he pulls the trigger.

2. Ganzuron: two missile launchers appear in Chase's hands and fire two missiles that the movements are controlled by him. The missiles will explode in blue energy when making contact.

3. Gashirudo: Chase puts his hands forward and creates a large, medieval-like shield made of blue energy.

4. Ganzu Amireido: A turret gun appears in Chase's hand and he fires an impenetrable blue net at the enemy, immobilizing them.

5. Zaou Ganzuruga: Chase's hands glow blue color as he releases many gigantic turret guns above him. One turret gun is tremendous; the other is not so big. As he yells "FIRE", the turret guns fire massive beam of blue energy. The beam from the big one goes straight while the others scatter, making the attack range so wide. This is his strongest spell.

6. Ganzuruku: Chase's body glows and blue armor forms in it, enhancing his speed and strengthening his body. Two small rockets are attached to his legs, allowing him to float. He can also fire small missiles from his fingers. The spell lasts for some amount of time and he can't use other spell while this spell is activated.

7. Ganzusen: Chase's hands turned into turret guns and fire a torrent of Ganzuru for some amount of time.

8. Dioga Ganzudon: This is Chase's second strongest attack. His hands glow and he releases a gigantic rocket launcher above him that can fire up to three massive blue energy beams at the enemy. When all the beams have been fired, he can throw the launcher as an additional attack or make it as a shield.

9. Guraado Ma Ganzuru: A really big and long sniper gun appears in Chase's hands, complete with a mirror in front of the gun. Mirror Sites A and B camoflauges Chase's location.


	32. The gold cards and the selfish Ishimaru!

_A/N- Sorry about the week-long hiatus. Sufrir will not be working on the Iron Revolution project due to other matters, so it will only be me until further notice and I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors. However, as far as the pictures of characters go, I will try and get Sufrir to get them done sometime in the future. Anyway, the story is going through a transitional chapter and one, maybe two filler chapters until the second arc gets started. So now for the moment you all have been waiting for, here we go!_

"_Adella…please forgive me. I should have been there for you…there was more I could have did, I don't even know why we even agreed to go and confront the Chess Master anyway. Sure, I beat him…but look at the price I paid for it."_

For the last few days, Azure was deep in thought and depression. It was hard not having his sister around and being alone. Rika had school and church services and Sola was just Sola. Azure felt like a small child in a market without their parent. The sight of Adella getting gunned down by Case was still fresh in his mind, why did he not act on instinct and leave as soon as he received the bad vibe from Chase at first sight?

"Master Azure…cheer up." Sola said, attempting to console him

"I lost the one I loved the most, I don't know if I can." Azure replied, lying on the couch in Rika's living room, a place he hadn't left in nearly three days. The damp, tear-stained cushions stung his eyes a little, there did not seem to be much reason for him to get up anyway.

"Look at it this way, now you have a vendetta for being king."

At first, Azure did not respond to Sola. He stayed face-down on the sofa, the lukewarm tears dripping off his jawline. Azure began to see how Sola had a point. When he was here with Adella, all they usually did was hide and was content with staying on Earth. Of course he realized that he couldn't go back to doing that again, not only because it wouldn't be the same without Adella, but also because of the tougher competition.

"You're right and the same can be said for you. The remaining competition is the top half and I have to claw my way to the top."

Sola couldn't help but grin a little, after all this was Azure here. Instead of crying, hiding and being a big baby, he wants to fight and win. "Of course, I train with you."

"Alright." Azure said

[_East Tokyo, Japan_]

Ishimaru and the other members of the varsity soccer team were lounging around the locker room, making casual conversation. Today was the day of the Tokyo Metropolitan Conference Championship game against Tanaka Vocational High School or Tanaka Vo for short. The school was located in downtown Tokyo, surrounded by various skyscrapers towering over the campus. This was where many students in Central Tokyo went as an alternative to going to Tokyo High. The winner of the game was the division champion and earned a #1 seed in their bracket of the playoffs.

The playoffs comprised of 128 teams from all of Japan, the 128 teams are placed in two brackets of 64 each. The Division 1 bracket and the Division 2 bracket. Inside of both brackets, teams are divided into four sides with 16 teams each, divided by region. Each regional champion will be in a "Best 8" on both brackets, the winners from the Best 8 go on to the Fielded Four also known as the National Quarterfinals. The winners of that, to the National Semi-finals then of course to the National Championship, where the winner from the Division 1 bracket faces off against the winner of the Division 2 bracket. Every conference in Japan sends at least one team to the playoffs (namely, a conference champion) However, larger conferences (such as the Metro Conference) can send up to 4 teams if their records are decent. East Tokyo went to the playoffs for the first time in the school's 85-year history with a 6-6 record. (East Tokyo is known for their academics and traditionally has sub-par athletics) However, they were eliminated from the first round. This year however, they were in the midst of a breakout year with an 11-0 record. The Cavaliers were ranked #1 in Tokyo and #3 in the entire country; they were a favorite to make it all the way to the championship game, which would be held at The Mountain Dome, home of Mountain United, one of the best professional teams in Japan.

Ishimaru kept his mind at ease, they already locked up a spot in the playoffs, but having a #1 seed in their region would give them home field advantage and would allow them the luxury and comfort of playing in Cavalier Stadium instead of traveling around. "_This is just another game; all we gotta do is go out and handle business." _ Within an hour and a half, the entire atmosphere in the locker room was drastically altered. The once buzz one conversation died and was replaced with silence. Players clad in black and gold jerseys and black shorts with gold trim were standing around. Ishimaru gazed over his reflection; the look is his chocolate irises were that of someone poised to fight to the bitter end. He pulled up his black socks with thin gold stripes ringed around the top, laced his black cleats crossed with gold stripes and made his way to his teammates. Coach Yuushi nodded at Ishimaru as he took his seat. He told the team, to stay focused and do what they know. He then signaled Ishimaru to lead his team out of locker room. As they jogged onto the field, he saw the stands filled with black and gold shirts. It was an elegant Friday night, the crisp May air filled Ishimaru's lungs as he turned towards the team.

"Welcome to Cavalier Stadium in the wonderful suburb of East Tokyo, Japan. The #3 nationally ranked and undefeated East Tokyo Cavaliers (11-0 overall, 8-0 conference play) are taking on the Tanaka Vo Lions! (8-3, 8-0 conference play)" Blared the announcer

"Remember; don't be afraid to be great! Greatness is not to be feared but achieved, like coach said, do what you know! As far as I'm concerned, we got a conference championship to win, so let's get it done!" Ishimaru yelled, hyping the team up

"Annnnddd heeerrre come the Ca-vuh-leeeeeeeerrrrrssss!" The announcer shouted

The crowd erupted into cheers as the East Tokyo Cavaliers galloped onto the field. Then the Tanaka Vo Lions marched onto the field, gathering a collection of boos throughout the stadium. Their jerseys were light blue with orange numbers and "Tanaka Vo" in orange characters as well. Their shorts and socks were also light blue with orange trim.

Ishimaru gathered the starters and ran onto the field. The referee dropped the ball at the middle of the field and the game got started. Ishimaru was already on the Lions' end of the field, however there were three defenders covering him, preventing him from getting a quick pass and scoring quickly. Tanaka Vo was doing a great job defensively. After starting off the season 0-3, they turned things around going into conference play. Ishimaru was going to have a bit of a challenge scoring in this game. Vincent toppled a few Tanaka Vo players and made his way towards the ball, after swiping the ball he quickly passed it to Seiku. He motioned to Vincent, who ran in front of him, clearing a path. He then kicked it to Yoroi Taro who was nearing the goal. He was prepared to kick it into the goal however Ishimaru snatched the ball away and slammed it into the net.

"Gooooaaaaalllllll!" shouted the announcer.

The scoreboard read, "Cavaliers 1 Lions 0"

Ishimaru jumped around and received many pats on the back. However, Taro was not amused. "What the hell Kamikatsu, you know I was going in for that shot!"

"Lighten up, you took too long, so I went ahead and helped you out." Ishimaru replied, shrugging.

Ishimaru did not want to admit it, but he was definitely being selfish. At the same time, he was the captain and a 4-star player as a junior. Not only would this year promote him into a five-star player for his senior season, but the college and professional offers would skyrocket. He had to ensure his future, he had to stay in the spotlight, he had to make sure opponents feared and game-planned on stopping him, even if that meant taking away from others.

The siren blared for halftime as Ishimaru and the others went into the locker room. At this time, the score was tied at 1. Coach Yuushi preached about fundamentals and increasing the offensive effort. Ishimaru was not really listening. He was already great and besides he didn't really do anything wrong. He knew that he was going to do everything right. Just as the half was about to end and the team was about to go out and get ready for the second half of the game, Seiku stopped him. "What's up bro?" Ishimaru asked, shrugging.

"I heard about what happened with you and Taro. Ishi, net time he's in position to score a goal, just let him. He's a senior and—"

"So what if he's a senior, I'm the better player and I'm capable of scoring almost every time."

"Yeah, but that's not the point."

"Look Seiku, I need to move up so I can be a 5-star recruit. All of the elites at the other High School are 5 stars, yet I'm a 4-star. Just because I got invited to the elite camp and combine last winter, doesn't mean I'll be able to go back this winter if I don't get to 5 stars when they do the next rating in the offseason. I'm sorry, but I need to look out for myself when it comes to this." Ishimaru said as he walked onto the field, leaving Seiku shaking his head.

As the game continued, Ishimaru was still having a hard time scoring. The Lions' defense did not let up. Seiku, Vincent and Daisuke however, were having a terrific game. Even so, the score was still 1-1. The time was dwindling down. Ishimaru broke free of his captors and sprang off down the field, he saw Keigo Oruhara, a junior forward with the ball, he waved his hand, causing Keigo to pass him the ball. Ishimaru instantly kicked the ball into the goal, the sweet swoosh of the net echoed.

"Gooooaaaaalllllll!" yelled the announcer

Cavaliers 2 Lions 1

Ishimaru jumped around in celebration, he took off his jersey and ran around shirtless. He relished into the crowd chanting his name. As he jogged to the sideline, coach Yuushi and the other players were high-fiving him and he sat on the bench. In a way, one can say that Ishimaru had the right to be selfish and cocky. Striker was in fact the hardest position to play in soccer and net to goalie, it was the most pressuring as well. Regardless, there is no reason to be selfish in a team sport. However, Ishimaru still refused to admit he was being selfish in regard to Taro. Ishimaru looked up and saw that Coach Yuushi subbed out a few other offensive players for defenders and swapped Ishimaru so the backup Striker, Kazuo Raimon, also a junior and Ishimaru's understudy some experience. Vincent threw a Tanaka Vo player onto the ground, which drew a yellow card and a chewing out by Coach Yuushi, as time expired which set up a Penalty Kick, which could possibly send the game into overtime and put the conference title at risk. The Lions' striker kicked the ball, only for it to be caught by Daisuke, ending the game and giving East Tokyo the victory and conference championship.

Ishimaru, the rest of the team and many East Tokyo students rushing the field mobbed Daisuke, causing the crowd to pick him, Coach Yuushi, Ishimaru and Seiku up and carry them off of the field.

"Next stop playoffs!" Ishimaru exclaimed

"You got that right." Daisuke said

Seiku did not say anything to Ishimaru. He felt bad about Taro getting his chance to shine taken by Ishimaru. Nonetheless, he was still happy about being Conference Champions. "Party at my house, everybody especially ladies, are invited!" Daisuke shouted as he and the others were dropped off at the locker room.

Ishimaru opened his locked and sat down, first thing he was doing, was getting into an ice bath, then a hot shower. His thought process was cut short however, when he saw a gold card in his locker. He picked it up and examined it. "I wonder if Vincent got one of these too."

On the other side of the locker room, Vincent, opened his locker, only to find the same thing. He looked at the card and pocketed it; there was no way in hell that he was going to shower in the locker room. He was going to quickly head home and show CJ the strange gold card. Just as he closed his locker, Ishimaru was standing there.

"What do you want?" he snarled

Ishimaru did not respond, but flashed him the card instead. "So you got one too then." Vincent said

"You think the mamodo know where these from?"

"Possibly, or somebody could be playing a trick. Either way, I got to get going."

Vincent turned and left. Ishimaru looked down at the card once more, even though the Chess Master was gone, it seemed like something else was on hand now.

"Looks like there's some research to do."

[_Sahara Desert_]

"Looks like we're here."

Slash got up and stretched. The long flight to Africa took a bit of a toll on him, but nonetheless, he was ready to go. Kiichiro already had her headset on and on the supercomputer; an entire view of the desert appeared on-screen. "Slash; remember to keep your headset on at all times. Kiichiro will be able to see what's going on and read your spells via headset. The Ice Titan is lurking around here somewhere, good luck and Godspeed." Jonny said, giving the signal to drop Lash into the sandy pits of the desert. The helicopter lowered to about fifteen feet above ground, sending waves of sand everywhere. Slash leapt in the sand. The chopper pulled back into the sky, tailing Slash.

"_After I take this guy out, I'll go after the others."_

_A/N- All right, that sets things up for the second arc to take place. Next chapter we will have our Jyan Awards and maybe another filler chapter. Then on to the next arc, many twist and turns are coming up so be prepared for a bumpy ride! Till net time! PLEASE R&R!_


	33. The 1st annual Jyan awards!

_A/N- Sorry for my delay (which will be explained at the end of the chapter and keep in mind that this is obviously non-canon to the story.) This is a parody and don't be surprised when folks are OOC (they're supposed to be in this one.) Some of the awards ARE based on what you voted for and in this filler, EVERYBODY is aware of the fourth wall and there are also many new characters and other goodies and 2__nd__ arc hints (even take note at the combos of characters who are presenting awards) are hidden and scattered throughout this chapter as well, so it's not completely useless filler. Now enjoy!_

"Hey everybody, welcome to our 1st annual Jyan awards! I'm Rage, I played the role of Chainz's very first opponent at the beginning of the story, Kana Takahashi, Ishimaru's classmate and love interest in the original Chain Reaction is my co-host and we will start off the award presentation later and we'll be here on the red carpet commentating on everybody when they roll up."

"Thanks for introducing me Rage, but I think I will take it here oh and YOU are MY co-host." Kana stood there in a black evening gown with a subtle diamond necklace. Her raven hair tied into a bun, her blue streaked bangs draped over her forehead. In her hand, was a microphone with a "CR" logo on the cube-shaped base under the receiver. Rage stood opposite of her in a typical black tux, he also had a similar microphone in his hand as well. The long red carpet lead to the award center building. There was black velvet rope on both sides of the carpet where many screaming fans were hysterically trying to get across. Kana tapped her microphone as she began speaking.

"All right, coming up first is Vincent and CJ. Vincent is wearing a grey tux finely cut by the Italian designer Pizza Porinceli. He's also wearing a loosened plaid grey tie, very stylish and apparently CJ did not want to dress up, because he is in his guinea pig form!"

Vincent with CJ on his shoulder, walked up the red carpet as a random fangirl leapt across the velvet rope and under security's grasp as she leapt into Vincent's arms. "I loooooove you Vincent Heart, sign my paddle NOW or I'll use it on you!" Vincent whimpered as security quickly apprehended her and tossed her into a meat shredder. Vincent was helped up and continued making his way into the event plaza.

"Next we have Haley and Kai! Haley is wearing a fuchsia evening gown designed by New York Inc. this dress is also backless and the silk material is made exclusively from Mexican Red-Knee tarantulas."

"Kana, I believe that most textile silk is made from the cocoons from silkworm Moths and red-knee tarantulas are endangered."

"Hence why neither you nor I will ever be able to afford any clothes made from it! Kai on the other hand is wearing a black suit also designed by New York Inc. However this was custom-tailored to fit the everyday slacker, although stylish, the tie ties itself and the shirt also buttons itself as well. Not to mention the pants zipper also takes care of itself."

"Very nice Kana, but I know I'd hate to get caught I that pants zipper."

"Rage, I don't think you'll ever have to worry about getting your pants zipper caught. Moving on, let's go and get a few quick words from Haley and Kai." Kana made her way over to them and poked her microphone in Haley's face.

"Haley, how excited are you to be here tonight?"

"Very. I plan on taking home more awards than everybody else."

"I see you are indeed very confident right now."

"I have no reason why I shouldn't. Now if you'll excuse me, I have autographs to sign and fans that need to give me attention." Haley went back on her way down the carpet.

"Okay…well Kai, your thoughts on tonight?"

"Is the buffet table going to be in the back?"

"Um…I think so?"

"Then great, my thoughts are hoping that I get full for about 30 minutes."

"Um…okay." Kana said, looking around awkwardly. Kana continued the live broadcast as many cars of filler and unnamed people and mamodo arrived. Filling up space in the chapter because the author is too lazy to write them—

PG: Hold it, don't you dare.

Jyan: What? I'm just being honest on why you're doing this.

PG: Just because I named the awards after you, doesn't mean you can dictate how this chapter goes and besides, you aren't supposed to show up at the award show yet.

Jyan: I like Sufrir better.

PG: He's not here at the moment, you're stuck with me.

Kana motioned the camera forward as a white limo with gold trim pulled up. Chainz and Ishimaru emerged from the car along with Josh, Jyan, Seiku, a furry white rabbit with aqua blue eyes also hopped out of the car as well.

"All right, Ishimaru and the gang showed up! Ishimaru happens to be wearing a finely cut cinnamon brown 3 piece suit made also by New York Inc. Chainz is wearing a black button down designed by Conviction, a designer boutique for the punk subculture. Chainz's industrial black jeans and blazer are also products of Conviction."

Rage made his way over to Kana and nudged her over a little. "Seiku and Josh are both wearing Pizza Porinceli designer blazers, they are definitely going for a more casual look tonight."

"Jyan…apparently didn't know he was coming to an awards show tonight because he isn't dressed and is wearing his usual attire."

Kana whispered to the producer standing behind the camera.

"Who's the rabbit?"

"He's one of the new characters for the 2nd arc, PG said that there will be quite a few of them at the awards tonight."

"We will air an exclusive interview with Ishimaru later on tonight, but for now, we have to capture the remaining special guests before we get the awards under way!"

A helicopter lowered down as Azure, Adella, Sola and their bookkeepers emerged. "And here comes the Religious Trio, looking fabulous as always. Azure is wearing a tan fedora and a matching trenchcoat. I am not sure why, but we will have to ask him in a moment. Meanwhile, Adella and Sola are both wearing lavender dresses crafted by Cosmos. Their lavender heels are from Heavenly Kisses, who might I add is one of the best places a girl can shop especially for shoes. Of course a certain author does not pay me enough for me to afford such a luxury…"

PG: Letting you portray a rich character is payment enough.

"Anyway, we're here with Azure before he gets to the autographs. So tell me Azure, how did you enjoy this past arc?"

"Well Kana, working with everybody was great and I am looking forward to the 2nd arc."

"Can you tell us a little about your role in the upcoming arc?"

"Well my character is going through a difficult and confusing time in his life, losing his sister and whatnot. Basically, my character is going to have a coming-of-age subplot in which he figures out who he is and will be trying new things. I could say more, but of course why ruin it for the fans and readers?"

"All right, thanks Azure that will—"

Kana did not finish what she was going to say as another limo pulled up, however nobody could tell how long it was, because after the front of the limo was seen, the rest of it kept stretching, after what seemed like hundreds of feet, the end of the limo stopped in front of the red carpet and a butler emerged and presented another butler who got on all fours as another man stepped out. He has pure white gator skin shoes, white slacks with a complimentary Victorian-era tie. He wore a white Victorian style petticoat and an ivory cane was in his left hand, his silky hair gleamed from the lights and cameras, his emotionless expression and designer shades added a newfound mystique towards him. He stood on top of the butler who was on all fours as he began carrying the well-dressed man up the red carpet. A blue-haired kid who in contrast to the well-dressed man, was also in casual-attire stepped out of the limo and walked up the red carpet with his hands in his hoodie pocket.

Jyan: All right hold it, they're not supposed to be here, they are second arc characters!

PG: Lolo paid to be here.

Jyan: How can he—

Random choir in unison: Lolo got it!

Jyan: *muttering curse words*

"That'll be it from out here, I'm Kana and this red carpet show is a wrap!"

The fans were cleared away and the red carpet rolled up. After about 15 minutes, Jonny and Ignoramus come to the now deserted site on where the red carpet was. Jonny whipped the lipstick marks off of his neck and zipped up his zipper. "Awwwwwwww, we missed up!" Ignoramus said, kicking a nearby gate and stubbing his toe. "Ouchy, my widdle piggy that goes to the market!" Ignoramus whined

"Come on Ignor, we gotta get inside for the awards." Jonny said, hushing him.

After everybody in the award complex was situated, a massive screen lowered itself behind the podium and stage as the surround sound was tuned. The giant screen began playing a presentation.

_[A world completely drawn by crayon]_

"_Hey Jyan, I got an idea."_

"_And what will that be Ignoramus?"_

"_Let's have an awards show."_

"_Ignoramus, that's a stupid idea….hey, what if we had an awards show and name and base the awards off of me, they can be like the Oscars and MTV awards, but for this story. We'll call it the Jyan awards and you're going to draw everything and make the awards."_

"_Ok, and what are youuuuuu goin ta do?"_

"_I am going to be the Executive Producer."_

"_What's that?"_

"_The Executive Producer makes sure the worker stays on task and takes all of the credit for it."_

"_Sounds great!"_

_Ignoramus drew a small version of Jyan with his gold crayon and scribbled until he was finished. "This is the very first Jyan!" Ignoramus said, holding up the paper. Jyan snatched the paper and stuck it in his mouth like a piece of chewing gum and spat it back out into Ignoramus's face._

"_!" Ignoramus screamed, running into a crudely drawn wall, making a huge hole in it. Inside of the hole was a packed audience at the awards center. "Well Ignoramus, looks like we gotta get to work._

_[End intro clip]_

The large screen went blank as Jyan and Ignoramus came on stage as the eruption of applause met the as they made their way to the podium with a gold Jyan in their possession. Jyan tapped the mike and began speaking, "Alright, welcome back to the 1st annual Jyan Awards. I could come up here and babble all day but nobody came here to see that. Tonight's first category is "Most epic fight scene award and here are your nominees!"

Hori vs. Kai

Jyan vs. Carlos

Slash vs. Zane

Chainz vs. Augustus

"Alright, and the winner of the Jyan is, Jyan vs. Carlos!" Jyan looked around and snickered a little. "Oh wait that means this first Jyan is mine! All mine!" Jyan cackled as he galloped off of the stage and into the back room. "That's something I would have expected from Ignoramus's character." Ishimaru whispered to Haley.

"Okay, everybody put your hands and feet together for our next presenter, the destructive and counter-productive, Hori and Slash!" Applause erupted as Slash and Hori came onto the stage. Slash dusted off his white dress shirt and adjusted the microphone; it looked as though he was waiting tables because he had the black slacks and bowtie complimenting his dress shirt. Hori appeared as if he was going to a funeral and a bit uncomfortable in his black tux. "All right, before we get to the next award, I agreed to sit down with Kana in an all-exclusive interview on what's coming up I this next arc and what's in store for Slash and a few others. Check it out." He said, pointing towards the large screen.

[_Kana's exclusive interview with Slash_]

"All right Slash, the 1st arc left off where you were in the Sahara about to battle the Ice Titan. Will you win and are all of Slash's battles going to be this epic?

"Haha, well I can't tell you whether or not I win, but there will be much more blood and gore in this arc and things will get tough for my character."

"Can you summarize your role in this arc?"

"My character will get much more focus in this arc and there will be a lot of development on my relationship with Chainz. Regarding the battle for king, I will be what you would call an anti-hero; I'll also have to deal with whether or not I let my hatred consume me. I'd love to go into more detail, but nobody likes too many spoilers."

"All right thanks Slash."

The screen went blank as the audience clapped. Hori stepped to the podium and bent the mike down a bit. "This category is for the best supporting character award and here are the nominees."

Meida: [Chapter 21, Rooftop showdown, Hori vs. Kai] _"When did Cero attack us?"_

_"As soon as you turned your back to look around the room, he grabbed me and his bookkeeper chanted the spell in the hallway and filled the room with wax. That's when I was pasted to the wall."_

_Hori shook his head, If he ambushed you, then surely he took the book."_

_"Actually…"_

_Meida reached under her shirt and revealed the indigo spell book. Hori was fairly shocked. "H-how did you manage to keep the book?"_

_"Well he said that he didn't need to resort to such tactics with a weak mamodo, as if he's playing with you like a toy."_

_This made Hori angrier than usually, nobody screws with him like this. He hated being disrespected by his opponents. However, he did not throw a tantrum, instead he simply said, "We need to clear a path. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"_

_Meida nodded and held the spell book open as the indigo light shined throughout the room. "Nekoruga!"_

Adella: [Chapter 18, Azure and Adella's fight to the finish!]

_Firaga!"_

_Adella summoned a javelin as she tossed it at the Ice wall, causing it to explode and sent ice chunks and most importantly, Zappa and Zena flying. They hit the ground and their spell was nullified._

_"Azure…they want to make this a weapons fight…so let's make it a weapons fight."_

_Azure nodded in agreement as they ran forward towards their opponents._

Sola: [Chapter 32, The gold cards and the selfish Ishimaru_] "I lost the one I loved the most, I don't know if I can." Azure replied, lying on the couch in Rika's living room, a place he hadn't left in nearly three days. The damp, tear-stained cushions stung his eyes a little, there did not seem to be much reason for him to get up anyway._

_"Look at it this way, now you have a vendetta for being king."_

_At first, Azure did not respond to Sola. He stayed face-down on the sofa, the lukewarm tears dripping off his jawline. Azure began to see how Sola had a point. When he was here with Adella, all they usually did was hide and was content with staying on Earth. Of course he realized that he couldn't go back to doing_

_that again, not only because it wouldn't be the same without Adella, but also because of the tougher competition._

_"You're right…"_

"Alright and the award goes to…Sola!"

The audience cheered and clapped as Sola came onto the stage. Slash handed her the Jyan as she came to the microphone and began speaking. "First of all, I like to thank Azure, because if it wasn't for you being a big crybaby, I would not have gotten this award. I also like to thank Adella for also being a headache as well. I also want to thank Lily for always talking a lot of smack and me always bailing her out. Oh and I would like to thank Rika for keeping me sane…I love each and every one of you!" Sola said as she jumped around giddy with excitement.

"For your next presenters, please welcome Jonny and Meida!" Sola announced, leaving the stage. Meida got to the podium and looked around, scratching her head. "Okay, I have no idea where Jonny is right now…so we'll just so you this interview Rage had with Josh. The static appeared on the screen for a few seconds and shifted to the interview.

[_Rage's exclusive interview with Josh_]

"Alright Josh, I know that you had a great role at the end of the first arc, what can we expect from your character this upcoming one?"

"My character will be returning home to America and is setting off on a brand new adventure, there will be a lot of focus on the backstory and I will also have a sub-plot of my own. One thing you can definitely expect from my character is the maturity aspect. After a few experiences, Jyan and I will change I attitude. Whether it's good or bad, you will have to stay tuned."

"What about Jyan? "

"He'll also have a few obstacles to overcome. PG showed us the script and the outline on what's planned and I think he has an excellent story and whatnot."

"All right thanks for your time."

The screen went blank as Meida nervously looked around, waiting for Jonny. He finally staggered on stage, his tie uneven and his shirt buttoned up wrong. "What did I miss?" he asked

Meida slammed her head on the podium and handed Jonny the envelope. "All right, this category is for the best minor villain and here are the nominees!"

Zane: [Chapter 16, battle at the subway, Slash vs. Zane]

_"Slash, even if you do beat me, there's still Cero to worry about. He's the other knight of the Chess Master and he is attacking the Osaka area tomorrow, and there's nothing you can do to stop it, because you won't get there in time. Our mission given to us by the Chess Master himself isn't meant to get in your way and take you guys out. No, we are also to eliminate ANY mamodo that's in the way. Our Chess Master wants these cities as bases, so that he will connect his empire and steamroll the remaining competitors so he will have a clear path to become_ king."

Carlos: [Chapter 28, Jyan the little mamodo that could!]

Cero: [Chapter 21, rooftop showdown! Hori vs. Cero!]

Rage: [Chapter 14, the right fight at the wrong time!

"And the Jyan goes to…CARLOS!"

The audience applauded as the large ogre mamodo made his way on stage, shaking the building a bit. He picked up the awards trophy and placed it in his shirt pocket. "First of all I want to thank Paschal for being a great teammate. I also want to thank the Russian guy who read my book even though I don't know what your name is. I also would like to thank Chase for this…because…w-without you I never…" Carlos covered his face with his hand as tears streamed down his face and onto Meida and Jonny. "Don't get your greasy tears on my designer clothes!" Jonny barked, storming off of the stage.

"Moving on….our next presenters are Grace and Kiichiro!"

Grace and Kiichiro got on-stage and to the podium, a stool was given to Kiichiro so she could stand at eye-level with the microphone. "Hi there everybody, before we announce our next set of awards, Kana had the utmost pleasure of sitting down with Ishimaru and Chainz about the second arc, take a look for yourselves!"

[_Kana's interview with Chainz and Ishimaru…_]

"All right, give me the scoop on the 2nd arc."

Ishimaru: All right, the 2nd arc features the Four Titans and Slash challenging the Ice Titan. Many new mamodo and humans will also be featured here. On top of that, myself and many others will be in America trying to relax for summer vacation. The stone tablets from the first arc will have a major role in this one. The gold cards also play a big role too, but all of it will make sense later on.

"What will we be seeing from your character?"  
>Chainz: My character will also be going through a bit of a confusing time in his life and will figure out why he wants to king and what kind of kingdom he would ideally rule. But of course, in order to get to that, I will need to confront past demons."<p>

"Past demons? Sounds dark."

Chainz: Oh it definitely is! If you're into a story with a darker element, then you are going to be in for a treat, it's like we are getting a good dose of reality. I think it's going to be real fun.

"It's always great talking to you guys."

Grace cleared her throat and adjusted the mike. "This category is the award for Fan favorite book owner and here are the nominees!"

Ishimaru: [Chapter 25, Traps in the hazardous labyrinth!]

_Team Ishimaru did not set off any traps for a while, but knowing them, that luck was going to run out soon. They came upon a thinner hallway with rough brick walls, there were small silver holes all over both walls, but they appeared to be covered by small silver disks. It smelled similar to a barbecue pit and a low buzz could be heard if one was to listen carefully. Up ahead, was a horizontal dark green laser. "Too easy." Ishimaru said confidently_

_"Oh really now." Kai said, rolling his eyes_

_"I came prepared for something like this." Ishimaru said as he pulled out a small aerosol can and sprayed the air in front of them. After the aerosol mist cleared, no extra lasers could be seen. "Odd, but oh well, what a weak defense." Ishimaru said as he and the others hopped over the laser. Suddenly the silver disks covering the holes all slid up as hundreds of hornets began to fly out. "RUNNN!" yelled Toshiro as they tried to outrun the angry insects_

_"I could've sworn you sprayed the air to check for lasers!" Haley yelled_

_"I did!" Ishimaru said back, now panting from the running_

_Ishimaru looked at the can as it said, "Novelty laser uncloaking spray." He then turned it to the back, "Not meant for actual use…"_

Haley: [Chapter 10, Pawns of the Chess Master!]

_Kai stretched and made his way outside; he didn't want to be cramped up inside an apartment at 3:00 in the afternoon. As he closed the door outside, Haley opened the door following him. She then followed Kai to the University Park where he sat down in a patch of grass and Haley followed suit._

_"So, you're just going to lie around her all day, when you could be getting stronger in order to become king!" Haley exclaimed revealing a silver spell book_

_"Once again Haley, I do not care about this damn battle. I want to lie around all day and do absolutely nothing and besides we have five spells right now anyway."_

_"Five spells aren't enough spells! If you would get off of your ass and train, we would have ten spells by now!" she said feigning anger_

Vincent: [Chapter 3, Rage, Champion of Flames!]

_"Attention class 11-3, we have a transfer from class 5-1. His name is Vincent and he'll now be a member of class 11-3."_

_"Isn't class 5-1 the retarded class?" retorted Seiku_

_The class (including Ishimaru) burst into laughter. Vincent shot daggers at Seiku as he went to go sit down, as he passed Seiku's desk, he kicked the right outer leg and made the desk cave in, causing Seiku to hit his chin against the desk. Vincent took the desk across the aisle on Ishimaru's left. They had a score to settle and neither one of them were going to rest until it happened. The two boys glared at each other until lunch break came._

Josh: [Chapter 5, an unlikely team forms!]

_"Anata wa tatakai tsuzukeru ka?" (Do you want to keep fighting?)_

_"Īe,-sōde mo nai." Said Ishimaru (No, not really.)_

_"Watashi no namae wa joshurūsāda to watashi wa amerika kara no kōkan ryūgakusei o shite imasu." Said Josh (My name is Josh Luther and I am a foreign exchange student from America)_

_"O ai dekite ureshii, watashi wa Ishimaru Kamikatsuda" (Nice to meet you, I'm Ishimaru Kamikatsu.)_

_They then looked at the two mamodo boys who were still rolling around fighting. Chainz had Jyan in a headlock, however Jyan bit Chainz's arm as they began wrestling. They seemed to be unaware that their human partners were not calling out any spells._

_"All right, I think that's enough." said Ishimaru_

_"Hold on, you can speak English?" exclaimed Josh Luther whose eyes popped out of his head_

_"Most people here can, or at least somewhat. You don't really need to use Japanese much here."_

_"Why didn't you tell me that before?"_

_"I just felt like messing with you."_

_Josh didn't look too amused by the joke, however they were interrupted by a tree branch that sprouted from the ground and almost hit them. Jyan and Chainz stopped fighting with each other as they now noticed the tree branch was trying to figure out where it came from_

Jonny: [Chapter 24, Jonny's test of approval]

_"Here's what I ask of you. I am assembling a team to fight the Chess Master and I only recruit the elite, which is why I asked Slash to come." He said, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Ignoramus. "Ignoramus told me that you two would also be useful as well but…I already excluded you." He said now looking towards Chainz, Jyan and their partners._

_"What do you have to offer?" Slash said flatly, reclining in his chair with his arms crossed and his eyes closed_

_"We already have a team, thank you." Josh snapped as he began ordering some appetizers_

_Josh continued fussing at Jonny but he ignored him and looked at Ignoramus who nodded and turned back to Slash. "I have two other mamodo who are assisting me with the bishops and we are planning to attack them tonight. Nonetheless, I'll let you in on one of my discoveries. The Bishops have a base in The Holy Resurrection Cathedral."_

_"Holy Resurrection Cathedral?" Josh asked_

_"It's normally called the Nikolai-do; it's the main cathedral of the Japanese Orthodox Church. It's in the Surugadai Kanda district over in the Chiyoda suburb about 30 minutes away via subway." Ishimaru said_

_"You Japs and your details…" Jonny remarked harshly, now reclining in his chair cross-legged with his right arm hanging on the back rest. Earning a glare from Ishimaru._

_"You know of the Great Kanto Earthquake of September 1923?" Jonny asked Ishimaru as if he was mocking him_

_"You could at least bother to learn my name…"_

_Jonny ignored Ishimaru's statement as he continued on,_

_"Well, when the bell tower fell and caused major damage to the cathedral, Archbishop Sergius had to rebuild it."_

_"I learned all of this in history class…what does this have to do with the mamodo battle?" Ishimaru said who was getting pretty impatient._

_"Well, during the rebuilding, mamodo clergymen were sent to the human world entrusted to hide the revelation gems and tablets in order to keep such things out of the wrong hands and that they would be found and used for good when the next mamodo battle comes. So when the cathedral was rebuilt, the mamodo clergymen built a labyrinth under the cathedral and according to the estimates I made, the bishops are trying to bring the tablets together in order to access the power of the revelation points and we're going to infiltrate the labyrinth in order to stop them."_

_"HEYYYY, I HELPED TOOOO!" Ignoramus whined, now kicking the table_

_"Good luck with that." Chainz said. It was unknown whether or not he said that out of sarcasm due to his mouth being full of baked lizards._

_"Slash; meet us at the abandoned steel mill in the next district over in order to prove yourself worthy for my team. Ignoramus, let's go!"_

_"OKAYY JONNY…" Ignoramus said, giving the rest of his crayons to Kiichiro_

_"Get back here! We're not finished talking to you!" Ishimaru yelled after Jonny_

_"You shouldn't speak to Jonny unless spoken to." Ignoramus said as he was waking goofily out of the door. This only pissed off Ishimaru and Josh even more._

_"We're outta here." Ishimaru said as he and Josh got up and left, dragging Chainz and Jyan away as they continued to grab food off of their plates._

_"Wait a minute…who's going to pay for this—"Jyan was cut off by Josh who quickly grabbed him as they left the restaurant and dodged the bill_

"And the Jyan goes to…IT'S A TIE!" Grace said, her eyes now opened. A producer in a headset ran on stage, whispering in her ear. "Ok, will Haley and Vincent please get on stage and accept your Jyan."

Haley and Vincent both came to the stage and Kiichiro stood in front of them with the Jyan. She then proceeded to slam it onto the ground, shattering it into many pieces. "Can't you just give us one each?" Haley asked

"Nope, not in the budget, here a piece for you." Haley examined the leg she received and frowned, Vincent cursed under his breath. By the time they left the stage, each of them carried various golden body parts of an awesome award.

"I know you all want to come to the after party at my house, but just hang in there for our last award, brought to you by CJ and Adella!"

CJ and Adella came onto the stage. "I had a big speech planned for tonight, but I' not going to read it. Instead, I'm just going to name the nominees and winner and get the heck outta here. The award is for Fan Favorite Mamodo award and here are the nominees!"

Jyan: [Chapter 7, Enter Nana's Trio!]

_"Jyan, what's up?"_

_"I got this new toy!" he exclaimed as he pointed to it._

_This "toy" that Jyan had was a rusty shopping cart. Jyan explained that he stole it after he and Josh went grocery shopping._

_"I haven't done this in forever." Said Chainz who used to silly stuff like this back in the Makai_

_Jyan climbed into the old shopping cart as Chainz got on the back of it and pushed it with the back of his foot. Chainz then back flipped and got inside the cart. He and Jyan sped down the hill. The cart sped past other children ad was going fast._

_"Hell yeah!" screamed Chainz_

_"Wooooohooooo!" screamed Jyan_

_As they reached the bottom of the hill, they realized that they weren't stopping, they sped through the grass. As they went through a clearing, they were coming straight towards CJ, Beat and Angie._

_"Ahhhhhhhhh!" they yelled as they were about to collide into the three mamodo._

Hori: [Chapter 17, Kai, Minister of Defense!]

_"L-Leave us alone! We don't want to fight anymore!" yelled Kaz_

_"You should have thought about that before you even challenged me to a battle! We are here in this world to fight, if you are going to surrender, then you don't even deserve to be in this battle!" Hori roared, his boots now making a crushing sound. The white-haired mamodo was standing in front of the now traumatized mamodo team. He was going to make them pay for their cowardice._

_"Meida, you already know what to do." Hori said darkly, as a bloodthirsty grin appeared on his face_

_"Nekoru."_

_Hori's hand was covered by a purple flame, he shot it towards Michael as his shirt caught on fire, Michael screamed as the hot flames were burning up his shirt. Michael tried to put the flames on his shirt out by hitting it with the spell book. This was a costly move, as the flames simply spread and engulfed the book, covering in with the purple fire._

_"Michael, what have you done?" screamed Kaz as he was now fading away_

_"I-I panicked!" Michael yelled_

_Hori was now in front of Kaz and Michael. He put his boot on Kaz's chest and grinned at Michael_

_"You're a monster." Kaz stammered,_

_"Oh am I? I could have sworn that I was just doing my job." Hori chuckled sadistically_

_Michael was still holding the burning spell book, he knew it was his fault that Kaz was fading away, it was his idea to attack Hori, and Kaz lost his shot at being king all because of him._

_"Juroba."_

_Kaz spat the same green slime substance from earlier into Hori's face; it contracted and tightened on his face._

_"Damn you! Meida give me another spell!"_

_"Nekoruga!"_

_Hori opened his palm and fired out a concentrated beam of purple flame, it destroyed the remains of the burning spell book, causing Michael's hands to burn a bit more and Kaz to completely and instantly disappear_.

Ignoramus: [Chapter 25, traps in the hazardous labyrinth!]

_Jonny and the others found the next door and examined it. "This is the second checkpoint and instead of a card key, it requires a retina scan." With that being said, they looked down the corridor and saw a clergyman standing there. "HEY! DOES THIS DOOR NEED A RETINA SCAN IN ORDER FOR IT TO OPEN?" he yelled_

_"YEAH." The clergyman replied "WHO ARE YOU?"_

_The clergyman never received an answer; Ignoramus suddenly fell to the ground with his mouth wide open, beginning to tremble. Suddenly, Ignoramus was shaking and foaming at the mouth, as if he was having an epileptic seizure. Ignoramus sprang up, looked at the clergyman, then at the ceiling. Without warning or explanation he lifted his arms in the air, still staring at the ceiling, foaming and slobbering at the mouth, he then charged at the clergyman, arms in air, head tilted back and feet in front of him._

_"BUM RUSHHHHHHHH! He screamed as he tackled the clergyman_

_Jonny and Slash's eyes were was wide as saucers. "What the hell was that?" Slash asked "Beats me." (No pun intended) Jonny said as they made their way over to Ignoramus and the now unconscious clergyman_

_"AHH! AHH! AHH! AHHHHHHHH!" Ignoramus continued to yell as he continued punching the clergyman's chest; he then got up and picked up the unconscious body as he met his teammates halfway down the hallway._

_"Shall we proceed gentlemen?" he said in a strange British accent_

Kai: [Chapter 17, Kai, Minister of Defense]

_Sola saw Kai and Haley and defensively stood in front of Adella and Azure_

_"What do you want?"_

_"I want you three to join my team."_

_"For what?"_

_"You guys have good teamwork and we can learn from that."_

_"No deal."_

_"There are mamodo that are going to attack any day now and we need to stop them, and help from you guys will be greatly appreciated."_

_"How do I know that this isn't a trap?"_

_"You care about those two don't you?" Kai said, pointing to Azure and Adella_

_"That's not any of your business." Sola replied_

_"Listen, when these mamodo called the pawns and knight of the Chess Master attack, wouldn't you protect your friends?"_

_"Of course."_

_"So, if you join up in a team, you will have back-up and even better protection for your friends and your bookkeeper."_

_Sola stopped and looked as though she was considering what Kai said to her. She looked towards Azure and Adella who quietly nodded; she then turned towards Lily, her bookkeeper who also nodded. Sola then looked back at Kai._

_"Alright, we'll help, but only on the condition that this is a temporary alliance._

[End nominees….]

"And the award goes to…not a surprise…Ignoramus!"

"I won…JOONNNNNNNNYYYY I won! Yaaaaaaayyyyy!" Ignoramus charged full-speed down the aisle, his hands flailing everywhere, charging and shattering the podium and ripping down the entire curtain on stage. The fallen curtain hit a stage light, which smashed into the wall, setting the curtain on fire, setting the sprinklers off and causing everybody to scream, run and panic.

"Oops." Said Ignoramus

Suddenly, Kana grabbed the now dormant microphone. "That's all the time we have here today, join us next time for the next Jyan awards, see you soon…but not too soon!"

_A/N- Alright, my hiatus has not only to do with a bit of writer's block and laziness but because I was ironing out the kinks in the 2__nd__ arc. We have a definite direction we are going to go with this. Give me your feedback on this filler chapter (well not so much considering the treats I put in there) Love, like it or hate it, tell me in your reviews! Happy Holidays to all! R&R! And plan on seeing the start of the 2__nd__ arc in a few days!_


	34. 2nd arc promo trailer

_A/N- Hey everybody, it's been quite a while. Sufrir and I are working out the final kinks and we decided to give you a special treat by presenting a promo of the 2__nd__ arc of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution. REMEMBER! IMAGINE THIS LIKE YOU WOULD A MOVIE TRAILER! AND LEAVE REVIEWS AS PAYMENT! Enjoy :D_

**_Every 1000 years at least 100 mamodo children are sent to Earth to partake in a last-man-standing tournament in order to decide the next Demon King. Each child has different elements, abilities and power-ups in order to help them in their battle. A mamodo is defeated or killed, their book burns and they die or get sent back to the Makai. King Bell, the winner of the previous tournament was determined to end these violent battles and bring peace to the Makai. That peace however, was short-lived. Civil war sparked throughout the Makai and numerous attempts to coup King Bell forced him to declare a new battle for king. As the chosen 100 were sent to the mamodo world, it was eventually discovered that other mamodo illegally entered the tournament as well. The story begins, following a particular mamodo named Chainz and his journey through East Tokyo, Japan where he met Ishimaru Kamikatsu and together they battled numerous opponents. _**

**_Along the way, Chainz gained allies such as Jyan, Kai, CJ of the mighty Nana's trio, the twins Azure and Adella along with their caretaker Sola, forming the religious trio and a few others. He also met rivals for the throne such as Hori, Ignoramus and his older brother Slash, arguably one of the strongest mamodo in the entire battle and a clear favorite to win the kingship. They eventually had no choice but to team up and take on The Chess Pieces lead by an evil mamodo named Chase, also known as the Chess Master. One by one, Chainz and his allies eliminated the Chess Pieces and eventually confronted Chase himself. _**

**_Chase struck down Adella, sending Azure into a rage and leading Azure to defeat Chase once and for all. However, their troubles weren't over just yet, Ishimaru came across cards from a mysterious stranger known as The Light Jester. Slash and his human partner Kiichiro discovers from Ignoramus's human partner Jonny about the Four Titans, Slash takes it upon himself to slay each of them, proving why he was among the elite. The story left off with Slash landing in the Sahara desert…_**

_Slash struggled to get up from that last painful attack. He was infuriated…no mamodo or man had ever brought him to his knees in such a way. Not even his own father ever made him this angry or drained. With everything he had, he somehow stood u, the gash on his stomach left cuts where some blood was flowing out, but the internal damage was far worse._

"_DAMN IT! This isn't it for me, I cannot fall in battle…not here…not now...I...I...am the strongest...I am the best…" Slash struggled as he nearly fell over into the sand, he had to get out of the corner he was backed into_

"_Slash…" Kiichiro said her voice trailing off_

_Slash held his stomach as he toppled over into a nearby pile of sand, he felt himself fading out of consciousness. He had to force himself to get up._

"_Look like he's at his limit. I might as well get rid of the little brat and put this poor bastard out of his misery." Jonny said revealing a revolver, he turned off the safety and placed it behind Kiichiro's head. He was ready to pull the trigger when he saw Slash roll over on his back. Intrigued, Jonny lowered the gun and continued watching on the screen._

_Slash stood up and faced the Ice Titan. "This is it for you." He said as he coughed up some blood, staining a small part of the sand before him._

"_KIICHIRO! USE IT…THIS IS OUR ONLY CHANCE!" Slash shouted into the headset_

"_GIGANO HOKEIRON!" Kiichiro screamed, as she poured everything she had into the spell book, giving her friend his last fighting chance. _

_Slash placed his hands on the ground as tremors were felt across the desert. The ground rumbled as the massive Iron Warrior emerged, towering over his enemy. The cold emotionless eyes and the long goatee the warrior possessed glistened in the sunlight. The warrior raised its forty foot long lance as it prepared to inflict a massive blow to the Ice Titan. _

"_Gigo Armoruk!"_

_Ice engulfs the titan's body as the lance slams down on him with tremendous force, rumbling everything around him. As the sand cleared, the Ice Titan stood there with the tip of the lance impaled in his chest, motionless. Within mere seconds ice began to cover the lance and with the snap of a finger, the part of the lance covered in ice along with his ice armor shattered, leaving him without a scratch then regenerated a completely new set of ice. _

"_I just used my strongest spell…damn it…what are you?" Slash fell to his knees into the sand_

"_SLASH!" Kiichiro screamed_

**_The school year has ended for students across Japan and summer vacation began… Ishimaru, Chainz and their friends decide to go on vacation_**

"_Here we are! St. Louis, Missouri!"_

_Ishimaru, Josh, Chainz and Jyan get to Josh's empty house. It wasn't much different from his house in Japan though he noticed Josh did not take his shoes off at the door. "So..what's for dinner?" Ishimaru asked, turning on the TV_

"_McDonalds. Welcome to America."_

**_Even Vincent and Haley are stateside…_**

"_Hi Ishimaru! I will be visiting my parents here in America, let's all meet up sometime.."_

_Ishimaru had a bit of a grin on his face as he saw Leon come up behind Haley and disconnect their call._

**_[Heart household, East Tokyo, Japan]_**

"_Why would I go to a family reunion when I hate the family I stay with under my roof?"_

_Without another word, Vincent's grandmother punched him into a wall. Vincent climbed out of the hole and sat back at the table. "Like I said, I am not going, no matter how many walls you punch me through I am not going."_

"_You need to get out of Japan for a little while anyway." Rachel said_

"_Shut up, since when did you care about what I should or shouldn't do? I'm not going and that's final!"_

**_[On the airplane to New Orleans…]_**

"_Shut up CJ." Vincent said to the guinea pig mamodo before he could tease him._

"_Are you going to give Teal that letter you wrote her?"_

"_I don't know…" Vincent said_

"_Vincent, you need to make your move before you lose her."_

"_Teal will be my girl, what can possibly go wrong?" _

**_[San Diego, California]_**

_Jonny continued playing with his band, he slowly walked off the stage and parted the crowd, saying "This next song is for a special girl that I've been admiring in secret." Jonny began playing a soft melody on his guitar, his rhythmic steps making his way towards Teal as Vincent pulled her out of the concert by hand. Her hand quickly and smoothly let go of his and she was face to face with Jonny. A spotlight envelops them as the whole crowd goes silent and forms a circle around him. _

"_The one I wanted…the one I admired…the one I love._ I just can't keep my eyes off you…"

_Vincent clutched his fist, "Fuck it…I'm out." Walking away, he turned around and saw Teal's body and glared at Jonny's face as he sang to her. _

_**They will face revelations…tragedies, they will gain strength and find their weaknesses**. _

**_New conflicts are formed…._**

"_She's not that innocent anymore." Jonny said laughing in mockingly tone_

"_Fogar." Vincent said under his breath_

_In a flash CJ charged at Jonny, the flaming armor nearly scraping the spell book in Jonny's hand. _

"_Ignoramus, why don't we tell them who we really are before they die." _

**_And rivalries develop…._**

"_You're just a worthless sidekick who gets in the way. I don't desire to waste any time with you." Hori spat _

"_I play second to NO ONE." Jyan said, glancing at Josh_

"_Chikelga!"_

_Jyan fired the focused aura beam from his mouth, Hori quickly teleported in a purple flash and reappeared in front of Jyan, punching him in the face, taking advantage of Jyan's temporarily unconscious state. Jyan quickly came to and sent his knee into Hori's stomach. Hori teleported and reappeared again in midair raining a barrage of punches upon Jyan. Josh, thinking quickly on his feet, flipped a few pages._

"_Chikelga!"_

_Jyan fired another focused aura beam and hit Hori at point blank range, sending him flying into the ground. Hori stood back up and opened his palm, facing it towards Jyan._

_Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution…2__nd__ arc_

_Coming Soon!_


	35. Cold Iron and Black Ice!

_**A/N- Hey guys finally back! The Second Arc of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution has begun! Remember to expect ANYTHING to happen. There are going to be twists, turns and puzzles to be seen! After a 5 month hiatus, me and Sufrir got together and wrote most of the story plot and we have the entire skeleton of the 2**__**nd**__** arc completed. So there will be no writers' block and this story will update on a weekly basis. No need to worry to all of you who submitted a mamodo, they WILL BE USED. We have placed everybody who's submitted a character in the story already, so people will debut when we get to them. Oh and pay VERY close attention to what is said throughout these first few chapters of the second arc and the last six chapters of the first arc, because these will affect the rest of the story, enjoy! ~Prince Gray**_

_**Co A/N- With my involvement in the story, it's not going to be anything typical like the anime or anything you've seen on this site so far. Be prone to a lot of shifting turns and just weird plot twists. This is not your typical fanfic, it's more of a twist of originality. Also, I will NOT be taking art submissions for everybody, only some. BUT if you would want some of your artwork one for your own stories or for your characters in this story, you can inbox me on my deviantART account here sufrir(dot)deviantart(DOT)com/#/d4batv3. You can also send me details on my Western Union account. No begging PLEASE because begging will only not get your character done. Yes, I AM BIASED, so I will only draw the ones I really like for free. **_

_**The style, emotion-wise will be similar to what I wrote here, www(dot)booksie(dot)com/romance/novel/candymyne/days-light-nights-fleeting-dream**_

_**~Sufrir**_

Slash rose up from the sand and looked around. The Sahara was pretty much like he figured it would be. Mounds of sand everywhere and an occasional palm tree, he climbed up a mound of sand to get a better look and saw a boy somewhat older than him and a man sitting in a lawn chair. Normally Slash would have shrugged it off but he began to sense an overwhelming demonic aura from the pair. "_That guy is a mamodo. I'm not sure exactly how strong he is…but just by his scent alone tells me he must be at least somewhat worth a damn. Maybe he's seen the Ice Titan…"_

With no other plausible options, Slash trotted over to the mound of sand where they sat. "Hey, I'm looking for someone called the Ice Titan. Seen him around here?"

The pair did not say anything nor did they look in Slash's direction. Slash took a deep breath and yelled again, "Have you seen the Ice Titan anywhere?" Again, they ignored him

"I know they heard me that time. If that won't get their attention, then I know what will." Slash tapped his headset. "Kiichiro, give me the first spell. 

"_Hokeigo!"_

Slash opened his palm as the spike ball and chain shot out and smashed a huge chunk of the sand mound into pieces. The mamodo was knocked off of the hill. Nonetheless, he climbed back up and continued staring out into space. Aggravated, Slash climbed the top of the sand hill and yelled directly at him. "Don't you dare ignore me dammit! I KNOW you hear and see me talking to you, I used my weakest spell to get your attention and you are sitting here like nothing even happened!"

The mamodo finally turned his head. "Shoo." And pushed Slash off of the hill with one hand. Tumbling down, Slash got up and realized that there was no way he was going to be able to reason with this mamodo. "If it's a fight you want, then apparently I have no choice but to give it to you!"

"Lolo, do we have time to play?" the mamodo asked the book keeper

"Go ahead." Lolo said waving his hand

Slash began running towards the mamodo and the mamodo towards him. Slash threw a punch and the mamodo ducked, he thrust his hand into Slash's torso, knocking him back a few feet. "Who are you?"

"My name is Solin. Apparently you were looking for me earlier, normally I wouldn't consider accepting your challenge, but our client is late and I'm getting restless."

Without saying a word, Slash charged into Solin. He exploded in a fury of punches, many of them connected with Solin's chest. Solin back flipped and got out of Slash's range. "You're not going anywhere!" Slash shouted as he dashed towards Solin, ready to punch Solin into the sand.

"The first spell, _Rayo Bolt!"_

Just as Slash got into Solin's face, black ice spikes shot out of the ground, causing Slash to back up and avoid being impaled by the spikes. He sprang to the right and rolled over into the sand. "I see now…he let me get in close range so he can get me with his ice spikes. So I can't use hand to hand combat."

"Kiichiro, use my third spell. I'm going to start raising hell." Slash said, tapping his headset

"_Gigano Hokeigo!"_

Slash jumped back and opened his hand as the giant spike ball and chain came barreling out, the spike ball moved at incredible speed, similar to an 18-wheeler speeding down the highway, the tremendous force from the spike ball sprayed sand everywhere. Solin however simply stood there as the spike ball slammed into him with truck-like force. "Got him!" Slash exclaimed

Slash however, spoke too soon as he felt himself being lifted off of the ground. Solin held the giant spike ball in his hands and shattered it with his fist. He then grabbed the large chain connecting it to Slash's hand and swung the chain with incredible force. Solin suddenly let go of the chain as Slash flew into a pile of sand a few meters away.

"That was a Gigano-class spell. How can anybody deflect a Gigano spell like it was nothing?" Slash said, walking towards Solin as the chain dissipated.

"I'm not just anybody." Solin said with a coldhearted smile

"What is that supposed to mean?" Slash shouted

"It means that you're weak."

"Who are you calling weak you bastard?" Slash yelled

"Ganzu Gazoruk!"

Slash's fists covered themselves in a thin iron film and small spikes grew out. He then got on a knee and began punching the ground in rapid succession. Iron spikes shot out of the ground and made their way towards Solin. Solin however, simply stood there, occasionally shifting out of the way from the larger spikes, the smaller spikes, piercing his skin however. As the spikes rose from the ground, sand covered the battlefield. "Now's our chance Kiichiro, use the fourth spell!" Slash said on his headset

"_Gazurogaruga!"_

Slash placed his hand on the ground as an iron lance measuring at about nine feet in length, rose from the sand. He clutched the weapon in his hand and made his next move.

"All right, can't lose this opportunity." Slash said as he got up from the ground and ran through the cloud of sand, with the element of surprise on his side. Slash saw a silhouette in the blinding sand, he raised the lance and picked up his speed, he then plunged the lance into Solin's stomach. It felt as though time completely stopped and that there was nobody else in the world except for the two mamodo boys. As the sand cleared and the surrounding area was visible once more, Slash looked down and saw blood dripping on his jeans.

He jerked his neck up and just as he thought, the lance went through Solin's abdomen as he planned, but the blood dripping on his jeans and on the handle of his lance was not Solin's blood, but his own blood instead. Slash tried to back away, but felt a sharp pain tear throughout his midsection. To his horror, the back end of the lance was impaled through his stomach! Slash tried to speak but coughed up blood.

"I liked this shirt…" Solin trailed off

Solin then raised his foot and kicked Slash's waist, sending him flying. Slash was still holding onto the lance as it was removed from Solin's Stomach. "You better have more than that." Solin said coldly

Slash tried to respond once more but coughed up more blood. The lance dissipated, Slash figured Kiichiro closed the book and canceled the spell. He then struggled to get up to his feet and continue fighting. "_I have to keep it up. I am going to be king…"_

Solin was now walking towards Slash, who was struggling to get up. He pulled a smaller spike from Slash's Ganzu Gazoruk spell he used earlier. Spike in hand, Solin continued walking towards Slash. He continued his slow yet steady pace as he got closer and closer to the Iron Prince. Slash faced Solin and began to charge at him with the little strength he had left. Without another word, Solin thrusted the iron spike into Slash's gaping stomach wound. He grabbed Slash by the neck and tossed him into a distant sand mound. As Slash's body slammed into the sand, the iron spike shattered.

Slash struggled to get up from that last painful attack. He was infuriated…no mamodo or man had ever brought him to his knees in such a way. Not even his own father ever made him this angry or drained. With everything he had, he somehow stood up, the gash on his stomach left cuts where blood was flowing out, but the internal damage was far worse.

"DAMN IT! This isn't it for me…I cannot fall in battle…not here…not now...I...I...am the strongest...I am the best…" Slash struggled as he nearly fell over into the sand. He had to get out of the corner he was backed into

"Slash…" Kiichiro said her voice trailing off

Slash held his stomach as he toppled over into a nearby pile of sand, he felt himself fading out of consciousness. He had to force himself to get up.

"Looks like he's at his limit. I might as well get rid of the little brat and put this poor bastard out of his misery." Jonny said revealing a revolver. He turned off the safety and placed it behind Kiichiro's head. He was ready to pull the trigger when he saw Slash roll over on his back. Intrigued, Jonny lowered the gun and continued watching on the screen.

Slash stood up and faced Solin. "This is it for you." He said as he coughed up some blood, staining a small part of the sand before him.

"KIICHIRO! USE IT…THIS IS OUR ONLY CHANCE!" Slash shouted into the headset

"GIGANO HOKEIRON!" Kiichiro screamed, as she poured everything she had into the spell book, giving her friend his last fighting chance.

Slash placed his hands on the ground as tremors were felt across the desert. The ground rumbled as the massive Iron Warrior emerged, towering over his enemy. The cold emotionless eyes and the long goatee the warrior possessed glistened in the sunlight. The warrior raised its forty foot long lance as it prepared to inflict a massive blow on Solin

"Gigo Armoruk!"

Black ice engulfed Solin's body as the lance slammed down on him with tremendous force, rumbling everything around him. As the sand cleared, Solin stood there with the tip of the lance impaled in his chest, motionless. Within mere seconds ice began to cover the lance and with the snap of a finger, the part of the lance covered in ice along with his ice armor shattered, leaving him without a scratch then regenerated a completely new set of ice.

"I just used my strongest spell…damn it…what are you?" Slash fell to his knees into the sand

"SLASH!" Kiichiro screamed

Slash stared at Solin with his demonic-looking ice armor, the ice as black as his heart. Solin began slowly walking towards Slash. As Slash prepared to meet his fate, his fading trance sent him into a flashback many years before the battle officially started.

_Flashback, 9 years before battle…_

_Six year old Slash sat in the stands of the graduation exam. All of the potential graduates of the Mamodo School had one more test to take before their graduation was official. Not only would they be chosen for the next battle for king, but they would also be able to focus strictly on training. Lord Galeno, his father was a proctor for this exam and left him to mind his three year old brother Chainz who was occupied with a stuffed snake toy. Slash then saw his father face to face with a boy much younger than the other potential graduates, roughly eight years old. Slash observed his messy blue hair and cold dark eyes. _

"_I heard a bit about him. His name is Solin and he's this class's valedictorian. According to what I heard, he's a prodigy from the Ice Demon tribe in the North Makai. I wonder if Father is going to go easy on him…"_

_Young Slash continued to watch as Solin stood facing Lord Galeno. The massive cobra demon shrieked at Solin with an ear-shattering hiss, taking everyone aback. Nonetheless, Solin stood his ground and ice spikes shot out at Lord Galeno. In response, Lord Galeno shot a laser from his mouth, destroying the incoming spikes. Slash figured it was equivalent to a Gigano-class spell. Lord Galeno opened his mouth and fired yet another laser blast at Solin. In defense, he grew clear ice armor over his body, taking the brunt of the attack. The ice armor disappeared as Solin leapt into the air, a drill formed on his right hand and ice wings sprouted on his back._

_Solin Flew high into the sky and began spinning, he soon formed an ice tornado and was going to slam down onto Lord Galeno. However, he opened his mouth as multiple cobra spirits emerged and one after another, collided into Solin, eventually making him come to a halt. Lord Galeno opened his mouth and swallowed Solin whole. Slash was among the numerous gasps in the crowd and Chainz was sound asleep in his lap._

"_Why did father eat him?" Slash exclaimed, feeling bad for the poor kid_

_Suddenly, a small stream of blood shot out of the top of Lord Galeno's mouth as Solin drilled his way free. He stood in front of Lord Galeno and bowed._

"_Match over!" Galeno shouted_

"_I hereby pass Solin and this match is labeled as a draw. He is by far fit for graduation and will be a fine participant in the battle for king."_

_A thunderous applause rocked the stands as Solin received a standing ovation. Slash was in awe at what he saw. "Well that settles it, I'm going to make it my goal to graduate when I'm eight and I want to become stronger than Solin! Then, I can become king and go toe to toe with father too!" Slash clutched his fist as he felt himself getting excited. Later on that evening when the graduation ceremony ended, Slash was walking around the reception, looking to grab a few treats, he stopped and overheard a group of teenaged mamodo who were also graduates talking._

"_I can't believe we were outclassed by an eight-year-old." An ogre demon sighed_

"_The Ice tribe he hails from in the north has a reputation for producing prodigies. They are quite important in the King's army." Said a humanoid demon_

_Slash smiled as he heard this. He knew that someday they will be talking about him like that too._

"_Someday we will face each other in battle to be king and I will win!" The six year old exclaimed proudly as he flashed a wide grin_

_End Flashback…_

"How can I not realize that the guy who became my inspiration is the guy I'm fighting right now? I…forgot about that declaration I made all those years ago." Slash said between breaths as Solin was now standing in front of him

"How pathetic, you didn't last as long as I would have liked you to." Solin said, picking up Slash by the neck

"I know your human partner is in the helicopter above us. After I drive a spike through you, I'm going to shoot them down.

Kiichrio's eyes widened as Solin said that. She suddenly stood up. "Where are you going?" Jonny asked her

"I won't let him hurt Slash!" Kiichiro exclaimed

"Really, and what can you do?" Jonny asked, intrigued

"I…don't want Slash to be alone." Kiichiro said

"_What a foolish little girl…" _Jonny thought to himself

Jonny signaled the pilot the lower the helicopter and Kiichiro hopped into the sand. The chopper then pushed itself back into the sky. Kiichiro toddled her way over to Slash, she had to be by his side, and it was only fitting. "Slash!" Kiichiro yelled

Slash continued looking at Solin, who still held him by the neck. "Like I said…you were my inspiration when I was young…I watched you at your graduation exam nine years ago. That cobra demon you went toe to toe with was my father. I said I would become as strong as you someday, so I trained and trained and became an elite mamodo. How can I call myself elite, if I let you put an end to my chances of being king?" Slash shouted as he freed himself from Solin's grasp. Slash landed in the sand and coughed for a second as he stood up. The internal damage he suffered felt numb to him at this point…the pain did not matter.

"AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, I WILL BE KING!" Slash screamed

Kiichiro finally caught up to Slash. "And I will help you." The little girl said as she stood next to Slash, the cerulean blue spell book in her hand glowed a bright light, a light they had not seen in a while. Instinctively, Slash stood in front of Kiichiro and opened his palm.

"_Gigano Hokeigo!"_

Slash fired the giant spike ball and chain and slammed into Solin, sending him flying back into the sand. The spell dissipated and Slash then turned to Kiichiro. "Why are you out of the helicopter, it's not safe down here."

"I don't care. I want to be on the battlefield with you!"

Slash shook his head, "I don't need you to get in my way, but we will discuss that later. We have a fight to win, stay behind me at all times."

Solin got up and stood there, seemingly waiting for Slash's next attack. Slash's injuries made hand to hand combat practically impossible, so he was going to have to rely on long range spells to get the job done. "Kiichiro, chose a spell."

"_Egdris Hokeiron!"_

Slash opened his palms and put his hands in front of him as two giant axe blades rose from the ground. The axe blades crossed each other, forming an X. The blades slowly but surely began spinning in sync. Soon enough, an X-shaped drill formed and pushed forward.

"Lolo, slow the drill down." Solin said to his partner

"_Rayo Bolt!"_

Black ice spikes shot up from the ground, blocking the drill's path. Slash however, held his hands out as he began pressing through, shattering the numerous spikes in the way. Slash closed his eyes and focused all of his energy on the drill. He was only able to still use spells because of his own willpower along with Kiichiro's desire to be with him in battle. The drill continued pushing forward and slammed into Solin with a direct hit, leaving a large crater into the sand. "I can't let up now!" Slash exclaimed

"_Ganzu Gazoruk!"_

Slash got on a knee as the iron film covered his fists once more as he began punching the ground. Solin leapt and dodged many of the incoming spikes. Slash began punching the ground even harder as the iron spikes began emerging faster and larger than before. Slash punched the ground once more as a large spike impaled Solin's right leg. "Got him!" Slash said as he stood up. Solin's body simply hung off of the spike, blood spilled down into the sand.

"_I wonder if I severed an artery in his leg or if he passed out from blood loss…either way can't waste this opportunity!"_

He then opened his hands as he signaled Kiichiro for the next spell.

"_Ganzu Go Hokeiron!"_

A metal turret extended from both of Slash's hands as he began firing hundreds of bullets from them. Multiple rounds of bullets struck Solin and blood spattered on to the sand and iron spikes from Slash's previous spell. "Is it over?" Kiichiro asked

"Not yet." Slash said, walking towards Solin's bloody body, still lodged onto the iron spike. Slash removed Solin from the spike and threw him to the ground. He slammed his boot onto Solin's throat. "I told you that I'm one of the favorites to become king for a reason. Even though you are extremely powerful, I have surpassed you." Slash then turned and walked towards Lolo.

"Kiichiro, I want to go after the human and end this now." Slash said, still walking towards Lolo

"_Gazurogaruga!" _

Slash's hand sparked with white energy as he pulled an iron lance from the ground. He held the lance in his hand as he quickened his pace towards Lolo. "I'm going to pierce the book with my lance!" Slash shouted

Lolo on the other hand, saw Slash coming at him and stood up. "Well I guessed the fun has just begun."

Slash jumped into the air, he had the lance ready and was on the verge of pouncing on Lolo, he pulled the lance back and thrusted it forward. "This battle is over!"

_**A/N- And that's a wrap! Will Slash pull off a victory? Find out on the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution, til then!**_


	36. More than just a game!

_A/N- I apologize for the delay for this week's chapter! Will put out the next one a lot faster!_

Lolo strapped the book onto a holster attached to his pants leg. He then revealed two golden gats with diamond triggers. Slash could not estimate a price on the elegant firearms, nor could he imagine a number that high. (A/N: Machine pistols) He fired multiple shots at Slash, causing him to jump back_. "I know the bullets can't kill me, but if they hit my wounds, then that could do me in. My best solution is to avoid the bullets as much as I can." _Slash thought

Unexpectedly, Lolo ran towards him and to his surprise he didn't start shooting him. He jumped and kicked Slash in the chest. He leapt into the air from his chest, gracefully back flipping in midair. As he floated through the wind, he pointed his guns at Slash and began firing a barrage of bullets.

"_Garoshield!"_

Slash got on a knee, placed his hands to the ground and quickly summoned a giant spike wall. He heard the bullets bouncing off of the iron shield protecting him. "I'm taking him out of the sky." Slash said to himself, shooting spikes off of the wall at Lolo

As the spikes came towards Lolo, he cartwheeled and jumped away from the spikes. He used a nearby sand hill to jump into the air once more. Angry, Slash fired another round of spike projectiles from the wall, only causing them to miss the graceful human. The shield dissipated as Lolo stood in front of Slash. "When I thrusted myself from your chest, I could have easily killed you then. How can you become king when I can easily beat you?"

"A mere human killing ME? Hah! That would only be possible because of my wounds." Slash retorted

Lolo opened his mouth as if he was to speak, but he leapt into air and slid into the sand, similar to a baseball player sliding into home plate. He stopped in front of Slash and held one of the guns to his nose. "You weak fool. I'm only playing with you."

Slash looked down and saw the other gun pointing to the open wound in his abdomen. "Damn you." Slash snarled

Without responding, Lolo shot Slash in the forehead, knocking him flat on his back. "SLASH!" Kiichiro screamed. Lolo then stood up and dusted himself off, he put the guns back into their holsters and removed the silver spell book from the holster on his leg. "You done sleeping?" he asked the seemingly defeated Solin. Solin did not answer Lolo, but regardless, the spell book glowed a bright silver light.

"_Gigo Armoruk!"_

The demonic black ice covered Solin's tattered body as Slash sat up and looked in horror. Solin stood up as the demonic aura he was exerting, sent shockwaves of fear through Slash's heart. He looked into the icy mask covering his face and Slash cringed as Solin's fierce red eyes intensely glowed in the blackness of the ice.

"_What kind of spell is that…this ice must mean that he's…?" _

Slash couldn't move not only because of injuries but mainly because of fear. "There has to be something I can do."

The Iron Prince backed up in the sand, struggling to get to his feet. "I have to get out of here while I still can, I won't let my book get burned…this is a hopeless battle."

Slash focused energy into his legs as he got onto his feet. Blood dripped from his stomach due to the strain he put on his body standing up. "I need to at least clear a path so I can grab Kiichiro and get into the helicopter." Slash saw Kiichiro a distance behind the now armored Solin. He remembered the earpiece headsets they were still wearing and tapped it. "Kiichiro…can you hear me?"

"Slash!" she exclaimed

"Good…use my eighth spell. I have an idea." Slash said

"Okay, but I don't have too much power from within left. Maybe enough for three spells max, counting the one you want me to use. If you want me to use a spell like Gigano Hokeiron, then that would use up all of my remaining energy."

"Ok, just use the eighth spell." Slash said, a small smile grew on his face

At this point, Solin was standing in front of Slash. "Stand still, so you can die with honor. I don't plan on burning your book." His voice was cold and strangely robotic

"_His voice changes when he's in that form. I can't believe I am scared, but nonetheless…I gotta make my move."_

Solin raised his fist, planning on crushing Slash's head like a grape. Slash however, jumped back and opened his hands.

"Now Kiichiro!"

"The eighth spell, _Ganzu Go Hokeiron!"_

A metal turret extended from each of Slash's hands as he fired hundreds of bullets at Solin, sand kicked up everywhere. Covering the entire battlefield, Slash quickly trotted through the sand clouds as he gained distance away from Solin. "I need to grab Kiichiro so we can get out of here. She only has enough power from within to last me two more spells or one more big spell."

Slash finally reached Kiichiro as the blinding sand clouds settled and the battlefield was clear. "Kiichiro, we need Jonny to fly down so we can get out of here." Slash said as he looked up and to his surprise, the spell did more harm to Solin than he intended. Large chunks of ice armor were littered with bullet holes, A lot of his bare skin was exposed.

"_When I used Ganzu Go Hokeiron, it was simply to kick up sand, so I can escape with Kiichiro. I didn't really aim at him, but why did my bullets break off huge chunks of his armor? Judging from what I saw earlier…when his ice armor is broken, it regenerates. Anyway, I'll have to stay on-guard."_

Slash tapped his headset. "Jonny, where are you? Lower the chopper so we can get out of here!"

Slash waited for a moment and did not receive a response form Jonny. "Damn it."

"Slash…what now?" Kiichiro asked

"Plan B."

"Plan B?"

"Kiichiro, we need to get out of here. As long as we stall him long enough to make our escape, we should be golden."

The child nodded as she opened the spell book. A blue glow emitted from the book as Slash stood in front of the armored Solin. Somehow, he picked up his feet and galloped through the sand, he lowered his hand towards the ground as he ran.

"Kiichiro!" Slash yelled

"_Gazurogaruga!"_

White energy sparked around Slash's right hand as he pulled an iron lance from the ground. "My will to fight is what keeps me going! No matter what, I will not allow my book to be burned!" Slash leapt into the air, he raised the nine foot lance and slammed it into Solin's ice mask, he was now sitting on top of his torso as the ice mamodo fell to his back in the sand. Slash stood over Solin and raised his lance once more, slamming it into Solin's armor over his torso. The black ice shattered into pieces, exposing his bare chest. "Again, I'm doing more damage than I anticipated…" Slash gored Solin through his now exposed stomach, the same place where he gored him much earlier in the fight, though the ice armor healed it. This time however, the lance went completely through him and embedded itself within the deep sand.

"I used my lance to find a weak spot to pin you down. When I looked at your ice earlier, it kept regenerating itself, so it would be impossible for melee attacks to have a long-term effect on you in this case. So, I bound you to the sand for at least a little while which will allow time for me to escape." Slash turned and walked away. He came to his very young book reader and picked her up.

"Let's go home." Slash said

Just as Slash and Kiichiro began walking away, loud cracking noises filled their ears as he turned around. The remnants of Solin's armor shattered and disintegrated into thin air, his arms and legs rose up before his torso as he stood up, reminiscent to that of a zombie. A small chuckle could be heard as Solin removed the lance from his abdomen and tossed it aside.

"No way…" Slash began to say

What was at one time light chuckling elevated to laughing, Slash was going to demand Solin to explain the joke to him, but he quickly realized that this wasn't laughter out of sheer amusement. This was laughter out of sheer insanity and bloodlust. Lolo, who was silent for a long duration of time, was now walking back to his lawn chair perched on top of the sand hill Slash confronted him at over an hour ago. Solin's continued shrieks of maniacal laughter was followed by Lolo's booming voice.

"_Rayo Bolt!"_

Solin's laughter continued cutting through Slash's ears as small black ice spikes appeared under Solin's feet. This time however, it seemed different as the numerous tiny spikes bonded into one large black ice spike. Solin stood on top of the black ice spike as it continued growing out of the ground until it rivaled the size of a building. Solin's laughter echoed throughout the desert as Lolo casually flipped through the pages of the silver spell book almost as if he was having a field day looking at his numerous spells.

"_Gigo Armoruk!"_

The ice armor Solin previously possessed before Slash destroyed it, reformed over Solin's body once again. The glowing ruby orbs Solin called his eyes, shown even at the great height of the massive ice spike before Slash.

"_Velos Impaleruk!"_

Solin screeched at the top of his lungs as large black ice wings sprouted out of his armored back and a menacing ice drill formed on his right hand. Slash was at a loss for words, he simply took his book out of Kiichiro's hands and put it in her back pack. He then quietly covered her eyes as he continued looking up at the newly transformed demon.

"Let's show them why we're not in the history books. Why we have neither fame nor infamy, the reason why there are no rumors about us and why we're not even legends. No one has ever lived to tell our story." Lolo announced as the spell book in his hand was opened and glowing

"_Then why does Jonny and Ignoramus know about them, if nobody ever lived to tell their story?" _ Slash thought to himself

"_Metalik Yello!"_

Just when Slash thought things could not get any worse, a sharp noise slid through his ears, comparable to a knife being sharpened. All of the ice, the ice spike, the armor, wings and drill on Solin, all turned into metal.

"This is why King Bell was never invaded from the North." Solin said, his voice carried over the entire desert

"_Is…his metal stronger than my own?" _Slash thought to himself as he continued staring at the menacing Solin

"Let's give you a demonstration." Lolo said pointing to an area a few miles away from them. The silver book glowed as Lolo held it in the air.

"_Novas Arpickas!"_

Dark clouds smothered the sky. Lightning flashed, sparked and glowed through the clouds. Just as things calmed down or so it seemed, the dark clouds parted and the remaining sunlight turned into night as a large black ice comet descended from the sky. The sheer chills from the comet cooled down the entire desert. The fact that the sun was beginning to set, which caused the desert to cool regardless did not help either. The comet connected with the barren land, a flash of light illuminated the entire battlefield. As the light faded away, a sheet of black ice covered the entire area, the area were the comet impacted, left a crater the equivalent of a small town being leveled, the sheer pressure eroded the sand away. Slash looked down at the ice that partially covered the bottom of his boots. Without another word, he released his hands from Kiichiro's eyes and fell to his knees in despair.

"This…can't be." Slash said to himself

"_All of those hits I landed…all of those attacks and strategies I used…were all for nothing?"_

"You think all of this is about a petty tournament?" Solin snarled

Slash did not say anything. His head was still looking downward as his once slick hair now covered his face.

"This election…this tournament…you think this is what is really going on? Sorry, but you won't be able to play in your little competition anymore boy." Solin said, now in what seemed like a mockingly tone

Slash still did not say a word. Could it be that Solin was telling the truth? Could it be true that there is more to this battle than just beating up everybody who stood in the way?

"Tournament? Challenges? What a simple world little boys live in."

Kiichiro looked over at her partner, he had not moved nor had he said a word in response to Solin's berating. She continued to sit there looking on at something she was too young to understand.

"If you're supposed to be the best, well then you should havebowed down to me because I'm already king." Solin said casually

"Prepare to die." Solin said as the black metal drill on his right hand began spinning at a violent speed. He opened his demonic black wings as he flew high into the darkened sky, his body began spinning round and round and round and round again, cold black winds exerted themselves around his body, as Solin was about to slam onto Slash with his devastating attack, a massive laser hit Solin. A few pieces of his armor broke off, and a part of his wings were destroyed. Slash tried to look up to identify his savior, but another blast sent him and Kiichiro flying about twenty to thirty feet from where they sat. Fortunately, the backpack was in Kiichiro's arms as the blast hit them, any other way would have resulted in an even worse situation for them. Slash crashed into the distant sand dune first and Kiichiro came behind him and landed on his legs. As he got up, he looked over to where Solin was about to finish him off and saw the massive iceberg-like spike was gone. He then looked over at the hill where Lolo once sat and saw that the human was nowhere to be found.

"_What happened to them?"_

Slash carried the unconscious Kiichiro in his arms and placed the back pack on his back as he crawled a little closer to the fallen mamodo. Just at that moment, a nauseating vibe filled his body. As he saw another boy but this one was with a young woman.

"_Another one…I sense two more mamodo nearby as well, but one of those scents is definitely familiar."_

Slash did a second take at the boy who was still standing by the young woman. His shaved metallic gray hair, pale skin and gleaming red eyes gave Slash an eerie unexplainable fear. His short sleeve spandex black shirt, gray bulletproof vest with daggers on the vest caused Slash to assume that he had a paramilitary thing going for him. To complement the paramilitary getup, he wore white camo pants, black boots and black gloves he seemed to have metal embedded within them. To top it off, he wore a black beanie on his head with goggles on top.

Slash could not get a good view on the young woman at the moment and refocused his attention back on the boy. "He must be the mamodo who fired that blast from earlier. I can tell he has a lot of power." He said to himself

"What the hell just happened?" Solin questioned as he looked to face of his attacker. Just as he saw the face of the boy, his mind erupted into thought.

"_I was abandoned on this mission by the so-called benevolent King Bell himself. Now that I cross paths with him…should I even care enough to carry out the mission?"_

The mysterious boy looked at Solin and shook his head. "Here I am looking for a vessel for my experiment and minding my own business and what do you know, I run into the Ice Titan."

Slash gasped as he sat there and remembered Jonny's words back at the Tateishi resort in Japan.

_[Flashback 48 hours ago…]_

_"What is this so-called Ice Titan doing in the Sahara anyway?" Slash asked, crossing his arms_

_"What I also know is that they are mercenaries and only those with the biggest purse can use their services. I don't know what they're doing there for sure, but its mere speculation that it has to do with a job. "_

_"Mercs don't intimidate me."_

_"I know you're strong Slash, but you don't hold a candle to the Ice Titan. He's known as the merciless cold one, the butcher, a.k.a The Ice Titan. He kills for enjoyment, for fun, you can say "the hunt." It's the thrill of killing that gets him off. It ain't the money."_

_[End Flashback…]_

"That explains why they were waiting and the ice spells. This also explains why he was toying with me earlier dammit!" Slash growled, slamming his fist into the sand

"Finally… Somebody worthy to fight me.…the Machine Titan." Solin replied, a smirk now forming through the icy black mask on his face. Solin turned in Lolo's direction only to see him lying face-flat into the sand. Solin made his way over to his book keeper, realizing that he was out cold. "Damn." Solin said, holding up Lolo.

"Machine Titan…" Slash began as he trailed off, remembering what Jonny told him

_[Flashback…]_

_The Machine Titan runs the industry. He's the kingpin of a mafia; they're the ones that make the biggest transactions in the Black market. They are experts in extortions and bribery. If you owe them money…you may as well be dead. EVERYTHING is a profit to them. To get to him you have to go through a handful of goons and lords, plus you need a handsome amount of money just to get an audience with him."_

_"Okay he's a well-connected guy, but what does that have to do with machines?"_

_"He's cold, heartless, and somewhat robotic and he runs his business like a well-oiled machine. His spell power also revolves around machinery."_

_[End Flashback…]_

"_He said he was well-connected, yet I don't see any henchmen. Could it be that this was all a big trap?" Slash thought to himself_

The young woman that was with the Machine Titan opened the peach spell book in her hands. The peach colored light gave an observant Slash a better look at her. Her curly blonde hair reaching her pale neck gave the impression that she was a gothic lolita. Her blue eyes complimented the short fancy dress she wore along with elegant black leggings and boots he once saw at a designer's store he was passing by. Despite her gentle and delicate appearance, Slash sensed that her looks were deceiving.

"Blue, shall we kill him now?" the woman asked the Machine Titan in a very soft and gentle voice as she held open the book

"Yes Elisabeth, use a spell that will kill all of them." Blue said tossing a quick disdainful glance towards Slash

Elisabeth flipped a few pages and the peach light illuminated the spell book. "_Gigano Machira!"_

Blue placed his hands in front of himself as his fingers detached from his hands and lost silvery wires expanded from each of his fingers. As the wires rose high into the air, spark of electricity cackled in the sky. A few of the wires snaked their way towards Solin and Lolo and the other half of the wires made their way towards Slash and Kiichiro.

"Damn, if those wires wrap around me and Kiichiro, we will be electrocuted!" Slash exclaimed as he began backing up from the incoming wires.

"_Gigano Flaron!"_

Slash looked up as a large blast of flame caused all of the wires to retract into Blue's fingers. Another young woman appeared in front of Blue and Elisabeth but by her side was what appeared to be a Rottweiler with glowing red eyes, Slash figured that he was about the size of a fully grown breed at about 3 and a half feet tall. Behind him was a trail of ashes.

"What a pleasant surprise, it's the Hellfire Titan." Blue said with a smirk

"So this is the Hellfire Titan." Slash said as he breathed a quick sigh of relief when the focus was once again taken off of him

_[Flashback…]_

_"The Hellfire Titan is from Hades itself, the worst part of the Makai. Just looking at him wrong will get you killed. Another alias for him is the Messenger of Darkness, wherever he goes, ashes trail behind him. He is said to be the guardian of Oblivion's Gate. The pit of fire within him is like a hell of its own."_

_"What a hothead." Slash said sarcastically_

_"His rage is like an avalanche of molten magma, destroying everything within its path. They say his howl pierces the ears of men and reaps their soul from within."_

_[End Flashback…]_

"If that dog is the Hellfire Titan, Blue is the Machine Titan and Solin is the Ice Titan, then who could possibly be the Light Titan? Another question I also want to know is how can Jonny possibly describe all three of these demons to a tee yet claims to have never encountered them himself?" Slash said as he continued holding the unconscious Kiichiro in his arms

Just as Slash was going to lay low into the sand, he felt the headset in his ear vibrate, adjusting the earpiece, he heard Jonny and Ignoramus talking amongst themselves.

_[Inside Jonny's Helicopter…]_

Jonny looked on the screen as the helicopter hovered over the battlefield, getting a bird's eye view of the commotion. Ignoramus pulled up a chair next to him, also looking onto the screen.

"Who would have thought that they today would be the day all four Titans would be on the same battlefield once again." Ignoramus said with a smile

_A/N- Well that's the end of the chapter! How will this massive defeat affect Slash? Who is the Light Titan and why did Ignoramus say that all four were present on the battlefield? Why has Ignoramus and Jonny not replied to Slash and Kiichiro? Find out in next week's chapter! _

_CoA/N- To everybody that wants me to draw their characters, Holla at me later cuz I'm busy for NA. Sucks to have to be waitin' on me. Yall mad? _


	37. Blue's strength and Arkham's wrath

_A/N- Yeah I know it has been almost three months. When you want to get something done, you gotta do it yourself. Nuff said. _

Despite his multiple wounds, Slash sat up against a hard pile of sand. Before him was the Hellfire Titan and Blue the Machine Titan. Solin was not anywhere to be found unless he simply out of Slash's view. Until he gained some more strength back and Jonny returned their distress call, Slash and Kiichiro had to stay put. "I might as well watch what's about to go down."

The Hellfire Titan bared his fangs at Blue who simply smiled in response. "Now Arkham, there is no need to be upset. Aren't you glad to see your old buddy?"

"_**Buddy? Buddy?! You have a lot of nerve Blue, especially after you backstabbed me!" **_ Arkham said, using telepathy to speak

"Backstabber? Me? What I did wasn't backstabbing, it was simply looking out for number one."

"_**No more of your lies! Alana let's go!"**_

"_Flaron!"_

Arkham opened his mouth as a blast of flame shot out. Blue stood there as the flames covered his body, the flames subsided and he stood tall. "Really? You know me well enough to know something like that won't work!"

"You're right, that won't work so well just have to take it up a notch! _Gigano Flaron_!" Alana chanted as the Crimson spell book in her hands glowed brightly

Arkham opened his mouth as a much larger blast of flame spewed from his mouth, even from observing it at a distance, Slash knew that it was on the level of a typical Dioga spell even though it was classified as a Gigano. "Their strength is amazing, their Gigano spells are on the same level as an average mamodo's Dioga class spell. This is unreal."

"_Machishield!"_

Blue opened his left hand as it glowed green and formed an energy hexagon and stretched it to about seven high and wide. Although strong, the flames could not penetrate the shield. When the flames dissipated, Blue canceled out his shield. "The moon is out, there is very little light. So what are you waiting for?"

"_**You will pay for your impudence!" **_Arkham shouted

"_Gargoruk!"_

Arkham's teeth and fangs extended and sparkled like diamonds, his claws also expanded and sparkled. He ran forward and pounced onto Blue, a tornado of claws and vicious fangs seemed to overwhelm the mechanized boy. Slash could not see exactly what was going on at the moment, but he knew better than to think Blue was mauled by Arkham. It couldn't possibly be over just yet. Elisabeth, Blue's partner looked on as the hellish canine continued clawing and ripping at Blue's body. Having seen enough, she finally decided to open the peach spell book. "_Gigano Machira!" _ The top segment of Blue's fingers opened up as long silver wires extended from his fingers and wrapped around Arkham's body. Arkham cut through the wires with its claws and bit through the other wires with his teeth. There was no way Blue was going to electrocute him.

"_**I've seen that spell far too many times to fall for it. Our battle has gone on long enough. Alana!"**_

"Alright Arkham, we'll end with this! _Hador!"_

Arkham howled at the moon as thirteen Roman pillars emerged from the sand. Each pillar was lit by a burning torch, casting various shadows throughout the area. Blue sat up and continued looking at the Hellfire Titan, who at this point seemed to have taken full control of the battle. Watching nearby, Slash was in awe of their massive power. Blue did not react to the massive pillars but appeared to be satisfied when they were finally erected. "Now the combination, _Darko Flaron!_" The flames in Arkham's body were suddenly extinguished and his body, save for his glowing red eyes became pitch black.

"_What exactly are these mamodo…they're monsters. If I'm considered an Elite, then they are short of being gods." _

Slash's thought process was interrupted as he heard a helicopter above him, the rope ladder dropped as he grabbed ahold of it and it pulled him and Kiichiro upwards. "About damn time..." As he was going up, Slash could not help but notice that the Titans and their book owners did not even acknowledge the helicopter, as if it was insignificant to them. Slash's ego was destroyed as it was, so this did not hurt as much. After they were pulled inside, a machine in a nearby corner was activated as a liquid filled the chamber. Slash looked over and saw Ignoramus with a very serious look on his face, fixated on the large screen featuring Arkham and Blue going at it. Strangely enough, Slash had to admit he never saw this side of Ignoramus before, almost as if he was a different person. Slash motioned to Kiichiro as Jonny looked over the child. "She's not hurt at all, just exhausted. You're a different story."

"You bastard, you were holding out on how strong they really were." Slash spat, giving Jonny a death glare.

"As I recall, I clearly told you that they were strong and that you'd be lucky to survive. Did I not?"

Slash did not have a response. Jonny did in fact have a point. His thinking was abruptly interrupted as he coughed up some more blood. "See that machine over there? We need to get you in it. It's bad enough that you're half-dead." Before Slash could argue, his vision went blurry and faded out. "Ignoramus, put him in the machine." Jonny ordered. Ignoramus did not immediately move, he was still focused on the screen overlooking the battle between the Machine Titan and Hellfire Titan respectively. "Get your ass in gear and move him into the machine!" Jonny shouted

Ignoramus finally rose up and lifted up Slash's body, laying the teenaged mamodo into the machine, after putting the breathing mask over his face, Ignoramus shut and locked the chamber and pressed a few buttons. Without a word, he returned to his seat. The chamber filled to the top with a dark purple liquid as Slash's massive internal wounds slowly but surely began healing.

Meanwhile on the battlefield, Arkham was still fighting on seemingly equal terms with Blue. The Machine Titan however, did not seem to put much effort into his attacks as opposed to Arkham going all out. _**"Don't you mock me you bastard! Stop playing around!" **_Arkham snarled as he backed into one of the shadows being casted from one of the flaming pillars. Blue ran forward and slammed his fist into the ground shaking it a bit. _**"That punch did absolutely nothing! Get serious!"**_

Blue ran into the shadows and landed punch after punch on Arkham's body. He leapt on the hellhound's back and wrapped his strong arms around his neck. Blue squeezed his arms as his biceps and forearms constricted the muscles in Arkham's neck past capacity. The sounds of Arkham's gagging and clawing to get free was music to the ears of Blue. With one final squeeze, a disturbing crunch rattled off and Blue dropped Arkham's lifeless body into the sand like a paper weight. As Blue walked away, Arkham's body dissipated and reformed, his red eyes gleamed in the darkness and the sand around him smoked and became charred. _**"Have you forgotten that when any of my pillar spells are casted, the Shadows make me invulnerable? I demand you to stop messing around yet you continue to mock me."**_

Just as Arkham finished speaking, the surrounding pillars crumbled and dissipated, destroying Arkham's spell. "Do you honestly think you stand a chance against me?" Blue asked as he spoke in a surprisingly soft voice

"_**You punched the ground earlier to destroy my pillars as a joke…this desert will be your grave!"**_

"_Wokerga!"_

Arkham sat on his haunches as he released an ear-shattering howl, black seismic rings were emitted from his mouth as everything began shaking. Blue crossed his arms as the force from the powerful howl began pushing him back. When the howling stopped, Blue looked up to see Arkham's body re-ignite with flames. "Arkham, we need to take this to the next level. This has been dragged on long enough. Once we take down Blue, our focus can be on that little organization of his." Alana said, flipping a page in her glowing spell book.

"_Gigano Hador_!"

Thirteen new pillars rose from the ground, looking very reminiscent to the previous Hador but this time black flames were ignited as the pillars burned brightly. Arkham unleashed a stream of black flames from his mouth, showing off his new increase in power to Blue. The flames on his body shifted to black and this dog meant business. In a flash, Arkham disappeared and reappeared in front of Blue at point blank range. Arkham unleashed a black flamethrower from his mouth equivalent to the size of his Gigano Flaron spell and mercilessly covered Blue in flames. When the flames subsided, Arkham saw that a small wall of glass formed in front of Blue, most of his body was trapped, the only part of him not surrounded by glass was head, shoulders and right arm. He inferred that Blue tossed up a lot of sand when Arkham blew fire from his mouth. _**"This battle ends now Blue. I have you trapped and will take pleasure in burning your book."**_

Blue did not say anything to his adversary. The hellhound mamodo walked past Blue and opened his mouth preparing to scorch Elisabeth along with Blue's peach spell book. Elisabeth however, did not try to run away from Arkham, nor did she try to fight him. She simply stood there motionless. _**"A regular blast of flames should—"**_

Arkham was cut off by a loud shriek, quickly turning around, he saw that only shards of glass remained where Blue once stood. The scream sounding like Alana's voice lead Arkham to fearing the worse. _**"He must have gotten to Alana!"**_

Arkham dashed through the sand as he frantically ran in Alana's direction. He then saw Blue standing over Alana's body as bloody glass shards were littered on the ground. Blue reached for the crimson book in Alana's hands but Arkham jumped and sank his canines into Blue's neck. Using his strong jaws, he tossed Blue a few feet and stood in front of his human partner. Tending to Alana, he looked over her fallen body. Numerous small jagged shards were poking out of her body. Blood stained her short provocative dress. Arkham remembered her saying something about Gothic lolitas or something. Shards cut her black and white leggings into ribbons, the shreds of once white leggings with black stripes now appeared to be an ugly maroon or brownish color. Her creamy skin contrasted with her black hair and the moment was a solemn one. Arkham had his dog moments and he licked Alana's face a few times as she slowly opened her large blue eyes and looked at him. "I ain't dead yet." She said weakly as Arkham slowly nudged her to her feet. More blood began staining Alana's dress as it began dripping down at an even faster pace. She held the spell book open as she nodded at Arkham.

"How touching. I thought I killed the human when I shattered the glass with my fist. Poor puppy, you shouldn't let your hatred towards me get the best of you. It only makes this easier." Blue said in a very condescending tone

"_**I'm gonna kill you." **_Arkham snarled as he unleashed another intense blast of black flame.

Alana felt the life force within her fading away but she wasn't about fall over yet. "_I have to stand strong and finish this battle. I also must find Lolo, I came to the Sahara to find him after looking through all of the mercenary jobs on the Black Market. I thought he would be here...but no, I ran into Blue and that murderous bitch."_

"Arkham, use everything you got with this! _Dioga Hador!"_

The flaming pillars burned more intensely than before as each flame connected to each other forming a flaming black circle. Each torch then shot another stream of flame to the middle forming what appeared to be a flaming puddle. With his strong legs, Arkham jumped into circle of flames and to Blue's delight, emerged as a massive Cerberus appeared. Arkham's Cerberus form was even more terrifying than his regular form. The massive three-headed dogged had three pairs of gleaming blood red eyes, crisp white flames formed a "collar" around their thick necks. Arkham snarled at Blue as row after row of razor sharp fangs crowned his mouth. The Cerberus was easily thirty feet tall and weighed more than six or seven school buses. After stepping out in his monstrous form, Arkham roared and shook the desert to its core.

"Even though you're a Titan and your strength is formidable, I have far surpassed you Arkham. Even your current form is no match for me." Blue said, unfazed by the Cerberus before him.

All three of Arkham's heads blew a stream of white flames. On impulse, Elisabeth flipped a few pages in the spell book. "_Ganzu Machira!"_

Small cannon barrels formed on the soles of Blue's boots as he rocketed himself into the sky, dodging the flames. Arkham's heads continued firing more blasts of white flames at Blue but the Machine Titan maneuvered through all of them. From a birds-eye view, Blue aw Alana on her knees with her hand clutching her stomach in an effort to stop the rapid bleeding. "Arkham focused way too much on me by letting it get the best of him and in turn, he left the little wench open for me to attack. F he would have played his moves out correctly and actually had a strategy, then maybe just maybe he would have stood a chance. It is quite unfortunate that things had to end like this."

Blue hovered back down to the ground and stood before Arkham who was thrashing about and the other two heads were snapping at each other, not even paying attention to Blue. "Just as I thought, the side effect to this form is that Arkham can't speak or think properly since his animal instinct is in full control and the fact that his heads are fighting for dominance, causing proper thoughts to get distorted. I figure that he would need to master controlling the spell in order for to be executed properly. One would think he would use such a spell with more caution."

Alana knew that trying to stop the bleeding at this point was futile, she felt her vision going dark and her body was numb. "I…" she choked on some blood she eventually coughed up and tried talking again. "I have to use the last spell, a Shin spell. It won't do much at this point but…I'm obliged to try and do something at least."

Alana flipped towards the end of the spell book. She looked down at the spell book as she placed her bloody hands on the page. _"Who would have thought that it would end like this? I wanted to find Lolo and tell him the truth about everything…after running away for so long, I finally decided to be strong and I wanted him to see how strong I had become. I wanted to see Sara again and give her the life she deserves. There was too much I hadn't done yet but after everything I've been through these last eight years, I suppose I can say I'm not surprised that destiny presents me with such a cursed fate_."

Streams of tears found its way onto her hands as the blood and tear stained book began to glow, she put all of her remaining heart energy into the book. "The ninth and final spell… _Shin Flaron Tres Aliento!" _ After chanting the spell, Alana fell on her side into the sand.

Arkham's heads stop fighting with each other as they re-focused on Blue. The Middle head spat a stream of massive white flames, much bigger than any of the other flame attacks, the Left head opened its mouth and formed a blast of white lightning and the right head spat out magma. The three elemental attacks combined and formed a massive beam. "Elisabeth! The shield now!"

"_MACHISHIELD!" _Elisabeth shouted as the beam hit them and exploded, leveling the entire Sahara desert and inadvertently causing a sandstorm to ensue. When the sandstorm subsided, there were no mounds of sand or any sand for that matter, the massive beam destroyed the entire desert. Blue's shield spell had activate just as the massive beam hit them, saving his book and in turn taking minor damage. Arkham on the other hand, was back in his regular form, his flame extinguished and himself unconscious. Blue walked over the hellhound and checked his pulse. "He's still alive." Blue then walked over to Alana, who was lying face down in a pool of blood. "He touched her face and smiled. "Dead as a doorknob, she bled to death due to the glass I shot at her and to think that this all happened because of Arkham's hatred towards me, now to claim my prize." Blue picked up the crimson spell book and dragged Arkham's unconscious body near Alana's. After a few minutes, Arkham's red eyes shot open. Blue held up the Hellfire Titan's spell book and dropped it as blue flames covered the book. Arkham's eyes then looked at Alana's corpse. He had nothing to say, his hatred and obsession with defeating Blue cost him the battle and his partner's life. Arkham faded away and all that remained were ashes that once belonged to a spell book.

"I think she will do nicely for our vessel." Blue said, picking up Alana's corpse. Elisabeth pressed a few buttons as they waited for their helicopter to arrive at their location.

_[Lolo's mansion, United States] _

Solin sat by Lolo's bedside as he waited for him to recover. Solin returned to his regular form after Blue first attacked. The impact from the blast severely injured Lolo. Taking advantage of Arkham ambushing Blue and having a lot of his strength remaining, Solin carried Lolo through the desert to the nearest Oasis and was airlifted by calling one of Lolo's helicopters and getting back to his mansion. Lolo barely opened his eyes as he spoke to Solin in a very soft and weak voice. "Solin, I won't be fighting alongside you again anytime soon. I have someone I want you to find. She was an old flame of mine about eight years ago. Take the silver spell book with you because it won't be safe here if a mamodo team decides to show up. "

Solin nodded as he stood up and grabbed the spell book. Surprisingly enough, he only felt a faint energy from the book almost as if the power from within was severely reduced.

"You're a good fighter and will be able to look after yourself so you don't have to worry about your book getting burned even if you don't have me to cast spells."

Just as Solin began to leave the room to prepare for his journey, Lolo spoke once more.

"By the way, her name was Alana."

_**A/N- Oh damn! I wonder where I'm going with this… Lolo tells Solin to look for Alana but little do they know Alana died in battle. Solin has a long road ahead of him and why does his book feel so much weaker? Find all of this out in the next chapter! And yes, Ishimaru, Josh and the rest of the gang return in the next chapter! It's funny how my main character and his mamodo doesn't seem to appear much! R&R please!**_


	38. There's no I in Team!

_**A/N- Gotta keep the ball rolling!**_

_I'm undefeatable!_

_You think you'll win but soon you'll see you may beat some, but you can't beat me!_

_There's a feeling deep inside me, and it's always there to guide me! It's in my heart and in my soul, leading me to the ultimate goal you can try your best this might be fun, you go down to defeat before you begun_

_Ohhh a Ohhh a Ohhh I'm unbeatable!_

Ishimaru was lying down in the locker room at Tokyo University listening to his mp3 player. Today was not an ordinary day of course. The National Semifinals of the Japanese High School Soccer playoffs began today. East Tokyo steamrolled every team they played so far and the once large tournament of 128 teams were now down to just 4. However, winning the regional championship and Winning the National Quarterfinals did not satisfy Ishimaru or his teammates. Today was the day they played for the Division I bracket championship against Makeinu High, a rural high school over in the Nasu District. Ishimaru recalled going on a vacation to the countryside in that area when he was a little kid. If he remembered correctly, it was a few hours outside of Tokyo by car.

That of course, did not matter today because nobody especially not a bunch of hicks who just so happened to have a lucky run through the playoffs, were going to beat national powerhouse East Tokyo. At least not when they're lead by him. Pulling his earbuds out, Ishimaru got up and went to the sink, turning the silver faucet; he splashed the cool water onto his face and blinked three times. He went back to where he was lying down at and opened up his bag, pulling out his soccer uniform. He took his jeans and boxers off and slipped on some black athletic tights that stopped at his knee caps. Next came his black soccer shorts, then came the black jersey with "East Tokyo" adorned on it in dark gold letters across the top part on the front of the jersey. Going through the East Tokyo letters, was a cavalier sabre with a silver blade and a gold and black handle. On the back of the jersey, a gold number "6" and "Kamikatsu" on the top of the back also in gold letters. Ishimaru slipped it on and pulled out his lucky black socks that his father played in when he was a professional soccer player. It was really a shame that he died a few weeks before Ishimaru was born but nonetheless, he knew his father was watching him play somewhere. After tying up his gold cleats, Ishimaru saw that the rest of his teammates were also dressed and ready to go. Coach Yuushi stood before the team and was preparing to give one of his typical pep talks. He had a few formations scribbled on the board but it wasn't anything Ishimaru hadn't seen before. Coach Yuushi then turned to face his players.

"As you all know, we're about to play the biggest game in our school's history. This year's team is undisputedly the greatest East Tokyo team ever assembled and arguably one of the best teams in the entire decade. You guys know what you can do and you guys know what needs to be done. What's on the scoreboard does not matter until the end of the game. We are one game away from playing for a National Championship. So go out there and bust their ass."

The players roared with cheers as everybody stood up. Like always, Ishimaru was the first one out of the locker room and onto the field. The National Semifinals game was being held at The University of Tokyo's soccer field. Roughly 32,000 people were attending the game. Ishimaru was not surprised seeing a handful of West Tokyo fans in the stands because the stadium was hosting a doubleheader. The other semifinal matchup was between West Tokyo and Kazanami Prep. Words could not describe the epic potential for an East Tokyo-West Tokyo national championship. Ishimaru figured that Mountain United's stadium would fill past capacity and the game would obviously be nationally televised. Most importantly, Ishimaru and Josh had unfinished business and wanted to settle it on the field eventually.

The Cavaliers ran onto the field as the crowd roared in applause. The Makeinu Lucky Stars galloped onto the field in yellow and blue uniforms shortly after East Tokyo and were welcomed with boos. Ishimaru was practicing penalty kicks while Daisuke caught them. After a few minutes of warm-ups, the starters from both teams took the positions on the field. The referee blew the whistle as a Makeinu player took the ball from Hiro Takanawa, the senior midfielder. The Lucky Stars got into an aggressive formation as they began attacking down the field. The Makeinu forward received the ball from his teammate. Vincent took charge and stole the ball. Seiku sprinted onto Vincent's right side as he passed the ball to him. Seiku was cornered by two Makeinu defenders and quickly passed the ball to Sakuraba Matsudo a junior forward, who darted up the field with it. He swung his foot back and booted the ball towards the goal but it bounced off of the edge.

The Makeinu Lucky Stars were back on offense and once again made their way down the field. Vincent's towering frame made it difficult for the Makeinu High defenders to keep him busy. This of course, caused the forwards to change his plans and divert towards the other side of the field. He passed it to their striker who booted the ball towards the goal but Daisuke Komahoya, the sensational sophomore goalie and the only underclassman on the varsity team, caught in it time. Ishimaru and Daisuke high fived each other as the ball was back in play. Daisuke tossed the ball to Sakuraba as Ishimaru darted back down the field. He knew all eyes were on him and his ego swelled with pride. He got into position near the Lucky Stars' goal. Sakuraba kicked the ball in Ishimaru's direction and he bounced the ball off of his head and into the goal.

"GOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLL!" The announcer yelled as the Scoreboard reflected

"Cavaliers 1 Lucky Stars 0"

The crowd roared as Ishimaru jumped around with his teammates. He took his jersey off as he ran across the field. The referee blew his whistle and presented him with a Yellow Card. "What the hell? You gotta be kidding me!" Ishimaru exclaimed

"Watch your language. That excessive celebration is uncalled for." The referee shot back

Ishimaru glared at the referee but was pulled away by Seiku and Hiro. After another fifteen minutes of play, it was Halftime. East Tokyo went into the locker room still leading 1-0. Ishimaru was about to go into the door but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and saw his best friend. "Ishimaru, you need to calm down and put your ego aside for the team. You always act like this when it comes to soccer."

"Like I told you before Seiku, I am the captain and I need this game if I want to become a 5-star recruit. Being 4 stars is not good enough for me."

"Why do you care about a stupid rating from a scouting service which isn't even accurate half the time?"

"It isn't just the main site; ALL of them have me at 4 stars. I am better than 4 stars."

"Get your head out of your ass Ishimaru and stop being so selfish."

"I am nowhere near selfish! I am one of the best players in the entire country!"

"And right now, you're the most selfish."

"This is real funny coming from somebody who's only 2 stars. You're just jealous that the best offer you got is from one of the worst University teams in the country." Ishimaru sneered

"You're being a prick right now. Just like your father was when he was ali—"

Seiku did not finish his sentence because Ishimaru socked him in the mouth almost like a reflex. "You don't know a damn thing about my father!"

Seiku lunged at Ishimaru and the commotion from the brawl between the two boys alerted Coach Yuushi and the rest of the team. After another minute or so, everything was back under control. "I don't know what exactly happened between you two but we'll discuss it after the game. We are one half away from playing for the National Championship. Something we have all worked hard towards since last winter in the offseason. We did not win a City Championship, a Conference Championship and a Regional Championship because of fighting and dividing the team. We won it because you all play as one. Now, let's go back out there and seal the deal."

The team broke the huddle and jogged back out to the field. Ishimaru did not mind playing in a sunny outdoor venue like the stadium at Tokyo U, but his heart was set on playing indoors at Mountain United's dome. It in comparison, made the Tokyo Dome look like a scrapheap.

The second half of the game began with the ball in East Tokyo's possession. Daisuke passed the ball to Sakuraba who then kicked it to Seiku who sped up the field with the ball, he reached the middle of the field only to encounter a few Lucky Star defenders. However, a path was formed thanks to the efforts of Vincent and Hiro. Seiku skated around various defenders and was nearing the goal protected by Makeinu's goalie and a pair of defenders. As a striker, Ishimaru got in position near the goal to score and put this game completely in the hands of the East Tokyo Cavaliers. Ishimaru's plans to score around the defenders never came to fruition because Seiku suddenly kicked the ball only for it to be caught by Makeinu's senior goalie. "Damn it Seiku, you should have passed me the ball." Ishimaru snarled

"I'm just showing that it isn't about you." Seiku snarled back

"Look, I don't give a fuck about all of that shit right now. We just need to win the damn game." Ishimaru said, holding his hands up in disbelief

Just as he finished talking, the referee presented Ishimaru with another yellow card. "No F-Bombs or any foul language. Next time it's an ejection."

For the next twenty minutes in the game, East Tokyo played incredible defense. Even after the little fight with Seiku, Ishimaru and the rest of the team gelled to near perfection. He knew there was no way they would lose at this point, even with the score still being 1-0. _"I just have to play mistake-free, disciplined ball. I'm in a pretty foul mood but that doesn't matter. There is nothing that will—" _

"THUD!"

Ishimaru opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on the grass. Looking up, he saw his teammates and Makeinu players looking at him. He slowly moved his hands towards his sweaty face and touched his lips and quickly winced at the stinging pain it brought him. He felt his bottom lip again and worked his finger into his mouth; removing his finger he watched the blood spill off of his fingertips. He slowly stood up and looked over at the Makeinu defender he ran into. The stocky kid wore an ugly grin on his face and Ishimaru's sense of reason and self-control vanished.

Within a blink of an eye, he was on top of the other payer, punching him repeatedly. He continued his flurry of punches and felt multiple hands pull him back, but Ishimaru wasn't having it and broke free of his restrainers with all of his strength and got back on top of the player, slapping choking him. Ishimaru felt an even stronger force this time pull him back. A sudden wave of relief surged within him ad Ishimaru quickly calmed down to the point of being level-headed again. "I'm good guys, you can let me go." Ishimaru said as his teammates released him. He turned and looked at Daisuke among the others. "I'm getting ejected aren't I?"

The referee flashed the red card as he disqualified Ishimaru from the rest of the game. Ishimaru walked over to the sideline where Coach Yuushi along with a Police Officer was waiting for him. Taking a quick look behind him, Ishimaru saw the player he attacked being tended to and taken off of the field on a stretcher along with glares from the rest of the Makeinu High School team and fans as well. After the announcer informed the crowd on Ishimaru's ejection, a mix of boos and cheers erupted from the stadium. The jeers from the Makeinu fans being the loudest.

"Not so big and bad now are you superstar?"

"Kamikatsu got ejected; we definitely have a chance to win."

"I can't believe the Big Shot actually got ejected!"

"I always thought he was a class act, but I guess he really is like his father."

That last comment Ishimaru heard from a fan drove him up a wall. Ayumu Kamikatsu was one of the top strikers in Japanese soccer history. Even though he was talented, Ayumu had his moments where he was out of control and got into on the field fights, brawls inside night clubs, bars, hotels, restaurants, etc. From what Ishimaru knew however, Ayumu met an attractive grad student at one of the nightclubs he and his pro teammates happened to have VIP status in. This young woman caught the eye of the pro soccer playboy and caused him to approach her. Ayumu tried his usual pickup lines that transformed the knees of many women into jelly. This girl however, turned him down and was about to tell him to shove his drink somewhere but Ayumu apologized and told the girl he would make it up to her by taking her out on a date. Impressed by the smooth talker, she accepted. That grad student ended up becoming Ishimaru's mother. Despite what the media said about him and his aggression on the field, Ishimaru knew he was a good guy off the field and his mother told him how he changed after being around her. He eventually abandoned his love for fighting and ultimately chose to settle down with her and start a life together. What saddened Ishimaru however, was the fact that he never got to meet him. Ayumu died in a one-car wreck when he crashed his car into a tree. Missing the birth of his son by a mere two weeks, Ishimaru knew that he wanted his son to be named Ishimaru and that his widowed mother honored his request.

Ishimaru reached the sidelines where Coach Yuushi motioned to ***, the backup striker. "If this was the University league or the pro league, we would be playing with one less man, lucky for us this is high school soccer so you're in. I know you played a lot of JV ball this past season but you've practiced and worked with Kamikatsu, you're our guy right now, so go get it done."

"YES SIR!" *** said as he ran onto the field

Coach Yuushi did not look at Ishimaru. He knew coach was pretty disappointed with him right now. That of course, wasn't important to Ishimaru at the moment. The stadium was impacted greatly by Ishimaru's ejection. The cavaliers were going at what seemed half-speed and the Lucky Stars took advantage of it and were going all out. The teams lined up for the penalty kick, the striker for Makeinu slammed his foot on the ball, beating Daisuke for the score.

Cavaliers 1 Lucky Stars 1

East Tokyo's side of the stadium went completely silent as Makeinu High had the momentum in their favor. East Tokyo had the ball as Daisuke tossed it to Seiku. He went up the field and passed it to Vincent. Vincent dodged a defender and kicked it back to Seiku who was nearing Makeinu's goal. Seiku then passed it to ***. He booted the ball towards the goal but the ball was over kicked and went over the goal. This happened again four more times, but instead of going over the goal, it went wide left, wide right and the goalie for Makeinu caught the ball twice. The clock was winding down and *** had one more opportunity to win the game before it went to a shootout but had the ball blocked from the goal by the goalie using his head. The horn blared as the game ended in a 1-1 tie in regulation, which called for a shootout.

East Tokyo formed the famous, yet half-hearted from Ishimaru's perspective, black wall around the goal. The Makeinu striker curved the kick and angle the ball into the goal. The Lucky Star fans went wild in their seats. However, it was not yet over. If East missed the incoming penalty shot, then Makeinu High will accomplish pulling off the biggest upsets in almost a decade. *** lined up for the kick, to Ishimaru and likely all of the East Tokyo fans and players, it felt like years had passed and that *** moved in slow motion. He kicked the ball and it was caught by the Lucky Stars' goalie. A sea of gold and blue flooded the field. Ishimaru fell to his knees and could not look up. It's over. They lost their shot at a National Title. Seniors like Yoshiro and Hiro would never get another chance. The team sulked back into the locker room where they gathered their stuff and got on a bus to go back to East Tokyo High School's Fieldhouse where it was solemnly quiet. Coach Yuushi looked up at his players and the hurt in his eyes felt like a thousand syringes. "Things….don't always go the way you planned. They made fewer mistakes but we are still the better team. We also must be held accountable for actions because they affect our teammates as well."

Ishimaru knew that last part was directed at him and was already in the shower at this point. He let the warm water drench his brown and black hair. Getting out the shower, Ishimaru saw the locker room empty and figured he was the only one left. He went to his locker and pulled out a grey t-shirt, black gym shorts and a fresh pair of boxers and put them on along with his socks and tennis shoes. He placed his sweaty soccer uniform into the bag and checked to make sure that Chainz's spell book was still in there as well. He strapped the bag around his shoulder and left the locker room. He walked past Coach Yuushi's office. "Ishimaru, come here for a minute." The coach said

Whenever Coach called somebody y their first name, he meant business so Ishimaru did what he was told and went inside the office. He looked around and saw the various pictures of past players on the wall and newspaper clippings. One that caught his eye was a clipping of Ishimaru's game winning goal his first game on varsity when he was a freshman two years ago. His attention shifted to Coach Yuushi who had a stern look on his face. "Ishimaru, that player you fought with earlier today went to the hospital on a stretcher."

"I know coach; I saw when they carted him off. Is he alright?"

"He only has a mild concussion. Nothing too serious, they're going to keep him overnight for evaluation."

"That's good to hear. I'm sorry for what happened today, when we start offseason camp in a couple of weeks, I'm going to work on my discipline coach and everything. I didn't want to put *** in such a tough spot today."

"That won't be necessary."

"I insist coach, I'll work with him a lot more and—"

"Ishimaru. The High School athletics administration called me a little while ago, you have been suspended for a year and as a result, you have been kicked off of this team."

"WHAT?! I'm going to be a senior next year! I have to play!" Ishimaru shouted

"I have no choice in the matter Ishimaru, according to the administration and Tokyo police your behavior is grounds for assault charges, but they'll look the other way this time.

"You also have an expulsion hearing on Monday, you should use tomorrow and Sunday to prepare yourself."

Ishimaru did not want to hear anymore. "Why should I even bother on going, they can expel me for all I care! I only got a year-long suspension because of who my dad is! It's times like these when I regret playing soccer in the first place dammit!"

Ishimaru stormed out of Coach Yuushi's office and slammed the door. The walk home only took about ten minutes, but to Ishimaru it seemed like a few hours. As he opened the gate and walked inside of his house, he saw Chainz and Jyan playing checkers.

"Your move." Chainz said as he jumped another piece of Jyan's.

Jyan did not say anything; he simply picked up one of his pieces and slapped the entire checker off of the board except for the one in his hand. He then placed it at the end of the board. "I win."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Chainz growled

Ishimaru walked in and looked at what the mamodo boys were doing. Before anybody could say anything, the doorbell rang. Ishimaru opened the door to see none other than Josh standing in the doorway. "Hey Ishi, are you alright?"

"Nope, how did the game go?" 

"We shut them out 3-0 and play Makeinu for the National Championship Monday Evening. That's not what I want to talk to you about; I came to tell you that I'm going back to America on Tuesday." This was exactly what Ishimaru needed to hear. First he gets kicked out of the game, next his team loses the Semifinals to a team that barely made the Summer Playoff Tournament, then he gets kicked off the team, suspended from soccer and possibly expelled; now Josh is going back to America.

"Come inside Josh, there's some stuff we need to talk about." Ishimaru told Josh about everything that happened in Coach Yuushi's office. "Well, you're not allowed to play soccer in _Japan _but they never said anything about you not being able to play soccer in the U.S."

"That is a…brilliant idea!" Ishimaru exclaimed

"It's simple; just apply to the same Foreign Exchange program I applied to. It's pretty half-assed and they take just about anybody. We can actually print out the papers over the internet and fax them when they're filled out. After about an hour of filling out paper work, the boys went into Mrs. Kamikatsu's office and faxed the papers off. "You should get a response sometime tomorrow and all there will be left is to get a plane ticket. Where's your mom anyway?"

"Business trip in Hokkaido, she said she was going to be heading here tomorrow. I'll give her call and let her know what I'm doing. She has some business contacts in America now that I think about it."

"Good stuff." Josh said as his face suddenly became serious. "Of course, we can't let our guard down in America. There are most likely mamodo teams lurking around over there."

Ishimaru agreed with Josh on that one, but they had not fought any enemy mamodo ever since fighting the last of the Chess Pieces back in Chase's castle about a month and a half ago. The boys along with their mamodo stayed up late having fun raiding the refrigerator, playing video games and beating the crap out of Jyan until they all crashed in the living room.

[_Heart Household, East Tokyo, Japan_]

"All right, I'm going to call her. No more texting."

Vincent lay down in his bed as he looked at his cell phone. He was tired from the soccer game and pissed off that they lost because of Ishimaru getting ejected and ***'s inexperience. Vincent had to admit he come to like the game, well the hitting and front tackling but at least he did not have to bother playing anymore… for a while at least. He dialed the number on his phone and just as he was on the point of pushing the call button, his bedroom door flew open.

"Hey little brother!" Rachel exclaimed with a big grin on her face

"Get the hell out of here! Haven't of heard of knocking?"

"Nope! Grandma wants you to come here anyway."

"For what?"

Rachel did not answer him, she simply turned and left. Vincent mumbled a few curse words under his breath as he stormed down the stairs and to the table where his grandmother was sitting. He saw CJ sitting with Beat and Angie. Knowing that Angie was here, Aaron wasn't too far away. "What is it?" Vincent huffed

"We're going to a family reunion and this year it's going to be held in New Orleans."

"If I can barely just you guys under one roof, what makes you think I would tolerate the whole damn family? What's next? Are you going to tell me that my parents are going to be there too?" Vincent said, trying not to laugh

Without another word, Vincent's grandmother punched him into a wall. Vincent climbed out of the hole and sat back at the table. "No matter how many walls you punch me through I. AM. NOT. GOING."

"Don't worry about packing Little Brother, I already did it for you." Angie said, pointing to Vincent's suitcase lined up against all of the other luggage. "How did you get into my room when I was gone?! I padlocked the door and everything?"

"A magician never reveals their secrets!" CJ exclaimed from the other side of the room, earning a glare from Vincent

"We leave in the morning." Vincent's Grandma said as she got up from the table.

"Has anybody been listening? I'm not going!"

Vincent felt his phone vibrate and saw Teal was calling him. He darted upstairs and slammed the door of his room. "Hello."

"Hi Vincent, I hope you had a great game."

"Of course. You know I kick ass like always."

Teal giggled and continued speaking. "Well, my daddy got a new job and I'll be coming to East next year with you guys for our senior year!"

Even though nobody could see him, Vincent had a smile on his face. A rare sight to see.

"Looks like Grandma won't have to force me to go to school anymore. Why don't we catch a movie at my house later on this week, the rest of the family is going to New Orleans for a reunion and I'll have the house to myself and-."

"You know I'd love to but I'm going to be in California for a while. Daddy has to finish up some business here."

"So….you're going to be in America?"

"That's right."

"Did I say I was staying home? I'm actually going to America too; I'll have to meet up with you."

"Sounds good."

Vincent hung up the phone; it looks like this summer won't be so bad after all.

_**A/N- I did not intend the chapter to be almost 5000 words but whatever lol. I get carried away with soccer scenes or any sport scenes for that matter but, telling a good story is what makes writing fun. There's a LOT more to come so stay tuned folks! I need more R&R's I'm hoping to get to 200 reviews by the 60**__**th**__** chapter! Til next time!**_


	39. Paradigm Shifts

_**A/N- My apologies! My laptop charger shorted out and with chargers being no cheaper than $70, I had to go a few weeks without one. To make it up to you, I'm going to put out 3 chapters including the one below, this week. So, I'll be on pace with my deadlines. Now read read read!**_

Ishimaru sat in front of T.V. as he began flipping the channels. The National Championship game was about to start soon. West Tokyo made it to the finals and they were going up against Makeinu High. Ishimaru was only watching because of Josh playing. This was supposed to be their rematch, but that will be for another day in another time. Ishimaru could not go to Mountain United's palace of stadium but being in the midst of obscurity made that not such a good idea. Word had not reached around East's campus that Ishimaru was transferring to the U.S. Being banned from Japanese High School soccer made transferring to any school in Japan and being eligible to play impossible, but he wanted to beat the system before it was too late so it would be best if it wasn't reported until he was gone.

Ishimaru saw the West Tokyo Tigers run out onto the field, their light purple jerseys, white shorts and purple socks were contrast to the stone gray turf in Mountain United's 75,000 seat dome. Located on the Boso Peninsula, Mountain United's stadium was the best in Premier Japanese soccer. The team represented all of the mountainous towns and cities surrounding the Peninsula. They were also won the last three championships and were geared up to grab their 4th straight cup. Putting pro soccer aside, Ishimaru's attention turned back to the game. The Makeinu striker got into position and kicked the ball towards the goal, staying quick on his feet; Josh caught the ball with ease and tossed it to a Tigers' forward. Josh went on to block four more shots as the horn blared for halftime. Ishimaru had to admit that Makeinu, even though a lesser ream, was hungrier than the disappointed West Tokyo team. He knew that all of their energy was focused on an East Tokyo-West Tokyo matchup which was hyped and anticipated by the players, fans and media especially. Even though it was still their chance to win another National Title, they seemed to not want it as badly as the Lucky Stars did.

Ishimaru's assumption proved correct when Josh was faked out and scored upon as the Lucky Stars went up 1-0. Before Ishimaru knew it, Makeinu lead 3-1 as the final horn blared. The Lucky Stars' players and fans stormed the field once again, this time hoisting up the National Championship trophy. Never seeing one in person due to East Tokyo's lack of athletic success until recently. He gazed at the trophy being presented on TV. It was a Crystal Soccer ball held up on a small golden pedestal, it was beautiful. Ishimaru turned off the TV as he waited for Chainz and Jyan to come home from the park. Ishimaru was keeping an eye on Jyan until Josh came back tomorrow afternoon. The boys returned home later that evening covered in cement. "How the hell did you get covered in cement?!" Ishimaru exclaimed

"Well you see, there was a construction site at the Industrial Park and we—"Jyan began but Ishimaru cut him off. "You know what; I don't even want to know what the hell you to were up to this time. Go in the shower."

"Shower? Aren't you going to give us a bath?" Jyan asked

"Why would I give an eight year old and a twelve year old a bath?"

[_A few minutes later…_]

Ishimaru tossed Jyan into the bubble bath along with Chainz. "Meet Mr. Soap and Mr. Water." Ishimaru said, revealing two puppets

"What the hell…" the boys said in unison

"Since you guys want to act like babies, I'm gonna treat you like babies." Ishimaru said, dunking both boys' heads into the water. He then used the puppets and scrubbed the cement off of the boys. Ishimaru was enjoying this subliminal form of torture but the tables turned when they yanked him into the water, fully clothed and all. "I should have seen that coming, you guys are mamodo." Ishimaru said as he was dragged under the water.

After the bath-time fiasco, the boys cleaned out Ishimaru's refrigerator, which of course was a good thing since he was not coming back anytime soon. With full bellies, the boys were laying on the kitchen floor, Ishimaru drifted off into a food coma. Ishimaru awakened from the coma when he heard a tap at the door and went over to open it. To his surprise, Josh was standing there, with an envelope in his hand. "Dude, you weren't supposed to come back until tomorrow afternoon."

"It IS tomorrow afternoon." Josh said pointing at the time on his cellphone. Coming in, he saw that Chainz and Jyan were still in their food comas. "We passed out for a lot longer than I thought then." Ishimaru said, picking up Jyan and Chainz, laying them down on the couch. Josh handed the envelope to Ishimaru as he opened it and saw that his Student Visa had been granted and his entry into the US approved.

"My host family will drive us to the airport in a couple of hours from now, so we should be ready to go by then." Josh said as he and Ishimaru followed him upstairs. Ishimaru got his and Chainz's stuff together which only took him about an hour. They then locked up the house as the boys set off for the other side of Tokyo where Josh stayed with his host family. Making their way to the door, they saw a note which Josh picked up and read. "Well what do you know, my host family won't be able to drive us but they left us some money for a taxi."

Arriving at the airport, the boys loaded up the luggage and made their way through customs. Jyan and Chainz were riding up the conveyor belt going into the x-ray room. Josh grabbed Jyan and dragged Chainz by the leg as they went towards the metal detectors. Ishimaru and Josh went without a problem. Jyan and Chainz walked through as the annoying beep cut through their ears. The security guard pointed to a bin as they emptied their pockets. Ishimaru wondered what they could hide in their pockets, looking over the bin, he saw a handgun, some handcuffs, a knife, a lighter, and some bullets.

Jyan: Why would we need firearms if we have spells?

PG: I said we weren't doing this in the 2nd arc.

Jyan: I'm just saying…

The group boarded their flight as the plane lifted up in the air and took off. Chainz and Jyan sat behind a group of men in suits. To their surprise, they were sitting in business class.

Jyan: *does a drumtap*

PG: *pulls Jyan away with a cane*

Ishimaru and Josh switched their phones to airplane mode and saw a mass text message sent out by Jonny.

"_**Hey everybody, I'm just letting everyone know that the band is getting back together and meeting up in Houston. If any of you are stateside, check us out!"**_

Ishimaru looked up at Josh. "I remember that Jonny guy from Mario's cafè a few months ago before we fought the Bishops in that Labyrinth." (A/N- Chapters 24-26, for those of you whose memories may be a little foggy)

"The other question is, how did he get our numbers?"

Josh shrugged as the stewardess began serving the meals.

[_Osaka, Japan…_]

Sola had to admit that the many weeks since the fight with the Chess Master Chase have been pretty dull. They had not encountered any enemy mamodo and there wasn't much to do other than spar with Azure and church services. Ever since Adella's book was burnt, Azure has been quite reclusive yet not outwardly emotional. Sola was not sure if this made her job easier or harder. As Azure came to her mind, she decided to check up on him. With Lily and Rika away at school, Sola had to find ways to keep herself busy in order to escape that hideous monster named boredom. As she went up the stairs in the cathedral, she heard the sound of water running. Following the sound, she encounter the bathroom near Azure's bedroom.

Sola softly tapped on the door. "Master Azure…"

There was no response.

Sola softly tapped on the door again. "Master Azure, answer me."

Again, no response.

"I'm coming in." Sola said as she pulled open the door. She saw Azure in nothing but some blue boxers with white stripes. He had his head buried in the sink, glancing to the right-hand corner of the sink, Sola saw tubes of purple and white hair dye. Looking down on the floor, she saw piles of white hair.

"Master Azure..."

Azure rose his head from the sink and revealed a wet stringy mess of purple hair with prominent white streaks. "You dyed and cut your hair…it's purple."

"Violet." Azure said, correcting her.

"Not much of a difference." Sola said

"Violet is more colorful than purple." Azure said, leaving the bathroom with the towel over his head and went into his room. Sola saw his robes on his bed, folded up neatly. Azure motioned her to close his door. Azure then went to his closet. He remembered when Rika found out he was a boy, she bought some sports jerseys and jean shorts and a few pairs of pants, yet he refused to wear them, preferring his robes and gown-like dresses instead. Azure grabbed a purple football jersey with a light blue number "16" on it. He slipped on the nearest pair of jean shorts and scoffed when he realized they had a cartoony logo on the back pocket. Noticing his hair was dry, Azure went to the mirror on his dresser and combed it. His hair now stopping around his ears, but styled his bangs into a fringe-like cut, Azure styled his hair to have a wavy look and was satisfied with the result.

Opening the door, Sola's jaw practically hit the floor when she saw him emerge. "You…"

"Look like a boy?" Azure asked

Sola nodded her head in response. "I'm not fully used to it myself, but it's what I want to do."

Their moment however was interrupted when multiple small orange and yellow mechanical suns floated around them. They opened up and shot out a bright red laser, and caused the duo to black out.

When Azure came to, he realized that himself, Sola, Lily and Rika were all tied up with tight rope inside the back of a truck. Seeing a small hole on the side, he peaked out of it and caught a sign that read, "Welcome to Arizona."

"What is an Arizona?" Azure said, turning to Rika

"Arizona is a state in Ameri…how did we get here?!" she exclaimed, now starting to freak out

"We must have been out cold for at least an entire day. When Rika and I were having lunch at school, we saw some small suns floating around us and a bright red flash of light. Next thing we know, we're in a truck apparently in the middle of Arizona."

"I assume that means we traveled pretty far." Sola said, as the truck came to a sudden halt. The door in front of them began unbolting. Rika realized that Azure and Sola's spell books were gone. The group had no choice but to face their kidnappers unarmed and tied up.

[_Luther residence… , Missouri_]

Ishimaru, Chainz and Jyan stood before Josh's house. "So this is it." Ishimaru said, following Josh inside the door. It wasn't much different from his house in Japan, but he had to admit the 60 inch TV in Josh's living room was pretty sweet.

"So…what's for dinner?" Ishimaru asked plopping onto the couch.

"McDonalds, welcome to America."

Ishimaru rolled his eyes as his laptop on the table began ringing. He then noticed Haley was calling him from Skype. "Hi Haley." Ishimaru said while the others waved

"Hey guys. Where are you?" she asked looking around on the screen

"I'm at Josh's house in St. Louis." Ishimaru said

"That's great! I'm visiting my parents in Arizona, how about we meet up next week?"

"Sounds good to us."

"Kai and I plan on leaving Japan soon, so it would be a nice reunion and on better circumstance—Leo what are you doing?!"

"I thought I told you no boys!" he exclaimed as the call was ended

"Looks like a road trip." Ishimaru said, looking at Josh who could not help but agree.

[_Lolo's mansion, United States_]

Solin continued flipping through papers in a filing cabinet inside Lolo's office before officially leaving the estate in search of Lolo's old flame. He noticed the light from his silver spell book dimmed when Lolo fell into his coma, for some reason he did not feel any energy brimming from the book like he normally did. That of course was to be dealt with a little later, sine the primary focus was on finding Alana. Solin stopped on an old newspaper article and was a little shocked at the headline title.

"**Maid at large after family massacre."**

"According to the article, Alana is wanted after Lolo's family members were all brutally murdered. Does Lolo want her to be found in order for justice to be served? Is he looking for answers? He never mentioned this to me before…it doesn't matter why he wants her. He wants me to bring her back, wherever she is."

Solin fingered through the rest of the files and papers and saw another paper that intrigued him as well. After taking a minute to glance over the paper he held in his hand, he quickly thumbed through nother file and pulled out a few more papers and thumbed back to the end of the files and pulled out another paper, looked it over and rose from his seat. "My next destination is New Orleans."

[_Johnny's Helicopter…East Tokyo, Japan_]

Slash's eyes shot open as he looked around. He saw that he was still inside Johnny's helicopter and inside the tank. To his right he saw a scientist typing on a nearby computer, more notably he noticed a familiar gold card in his lab coat pocket. The scientist noticed that Slash was awake and pressed and odd combination of buttons that drained the purple liquid. The tank opened as air could be heard releasing itself, Slash removed the breathing mask and emerged.

"You broke almost all of your ribs, had a ruptured spleen, liver and intestines. On top of that, you lost about 40 percent of your blood. You should have been dead at any given moment."

"Well, when you're someone like me, death is not an option. " Slash said flatly

"The healing process was obviously a success." The scientist said

"Who the hell are you anyway?" Slash asked

"I'm Dr. Hatcher and Mr. Greenburg put me in charge of keeping you alive and restoring you.

"Greenburg…you work for Jonny?"

"That is correct sir. Your clothes are over there on the table, they have been washed and dried" Dr. Hatcher said

"Where is Kiichiro?"

"The little girl? She's in the next room eating candy."

Slash nodded as he grabbed his clothes and walked out of the room. After putting them on, he grabbed Kiichiro. "Slash where are we going? Dr. hatcher gave e a bunch of candy and—"

"Hush child. I swiped these papers from Dr. Hatcher as I walked past him. We need to find Jonny because I have to conduct a little interrogation with him. "

[_Tateishi Country Club, Tokyo, Japan_]

Meida looked down at the gold card in her hand. A blue PIN number was printed on the bottom,s he knew it was not a credit card but it was definitely unlike any card she had seen before. Getting up from her beach chair near the pool, she grabbed a towel from the pool boy and wrapped it around her small waist, covering up her bikini. Hori was at a table in the dining hall, now on his fifteenth plate of salmon. "Hori, do you know what this is?" she asked him, flashing the gold card

Hori stopped in his tracks as he examined the gold card. "That is a Light Jester card."

"Light Jester? So you know him?"

"Back in the Makai, the Light Jester was a mamodo named Treachor, easily the sickest, most twisted bastard I ever met. He leaves Light Jester cards everywhere to let others know of his presence. With that card being here, he must be in this battle which of course is strange since King Zatch the Appeaser, banned him and some guys he ran with from participating in this battle to become king. We can't hang around you family's country club anymore. Treachor has access to this place somehow. As much as I hate to admit it, there is no way I can take on Treachor and expect to win…we need to be on the trail and hunt down as many mamodo as we can. I am particularly interested in the loudmouthed one that hangs around Slash's brother."

"I see…so where to?"

"We've been all over Japan and if you found a card here, Treachor is somewhere in Japan if not in Tokyo."

"We have a beach house in Miami, so to Florida?"

"Lead the way." Hori said as Meida called for the family's private jet to set a course for the states.

_**A/N- That's a wrap for this chapter! More to come real soon so stay tuned!**_


	40. Uncovering family conections!

_**A/N- As I promised, here's the 2**__**nd**__** of 3 chapters to come this week! It's pretty short but hey, a chapter is a chapter! Not all of them are going to be 4-5000 words!**_

Vincent stared at the ceiling in the guest bedroom he was forced to take refuge in as he heard the loud and happy buzz of the entire family and CJ downstairs. The fact that he had a chance to rendezvous with Teal was what kept his sanity from these clowns. Vincent swatted a mosquito as he began to visualize his plan out loud to no one in particular. "When we go out to eat on the French Quarter tonight, they will all be distracted and having a good time. I'll get CJ to revert back to Guinea Pig form, grab a small bag of my things and stow away on a plane to get there. Sounds simple enough."

"That won't work." A voice said, interrupting Vincent's train of thought

Vincent turned to see none other than Jonny and Ignoramus. "Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Jonny and this is my mamodo Ignoramus."

Before he could say anything else, Vincent already grabbed the Brown spell book laying on the nightstand. "CJ!" he yelled

"Hold on, we have no desire to fight you, as a matter of fact, we're here to help you."

"Not interested." Vincent said flatly

"I think you'll be very interested." Jonny said, handing something to Vincent

Looking down at the unexpected gift, Vincent saw that it was a plane ticket to Houston. "Look, I would love to be anywhere that's not here but Houston isn't—"

"When you get to the Houston airport, tell the fine folks at the front desk that Jonny sent you and everything else will be taken care of."

Before Vincent could open his mouth to argue, the pair was already gone. Vincent sighed as he put the ticket and spell book back on the nightstand and locked his window.

[_Meanwhile, a few miles away…_]

Solin walked through the streets of New Orleans. It only took a couple of hours flying in with Lolo's private plane but he was here and that's all that mattered. He was slightly intrigued at all of the street musicians playing their butts off for pocket change; the aroma of Cajun food filled his nostrils. The water flowing off of the canal walls was all soothing to him. He did not know nor care too much about comfort but this was too good to pass up, even for him.

Solin stopped in his tracks as an iron gate stood before him. He saw a large brick building resembling a Gothic Cathedral. Looking to his right, he saw a playground with numerous children running and playing. What caught Solin's eye however was a small girl picking up what appeared to be a large bag of marbles. "I did not know the little girl was quite the gambler." He then sifted through his jacket and looked at the photo in his hand. "There's no mistaking it." Solin walked on the playground crouched down so he would be eye to eye with the little girl. Before he could speak a word, the spell book tucked under Solin's right arm began to glow with bright silver light.

"_No…this isn't possible."_

"Let me see that bright book!" The little girl said, grabbing the book from Solin's grasp

"Little girl, do you know how to read?" Solin asked looking up at her

"Are you kidding? I'm the best reader going to the 2nd grade!" she said proudly as she opened the book

"Don't read that book—"

"_Rayo Bolt_."

Solin turned his hand towards the gate and very small ice spikes emerged from the ground, thankfully they were only three, four inches high. To his own astonishment, Solin saw the ice he shot up was not black like it was when Lolo casted the spell…instead it was a crystal blue color. Solin had no time to reflect on what just happened as the other children were all staring at him. The girl looked stood there with her mouth hanging open. "This is a magic book." She said with glee

"Sort of." Solin said as he grabbed the little girl by the hand and hurried away from the playground and went to a secluded area behind the orphanage. "Kid, I don't know how you're able to read my book, but it isn't a toy."

"Kid? I'm no kid! My name is Sara!"

"I'm Solin. Anyway, I am on a mission right now."

"A mission? Can I come?"

"That's why I'm here I have these papers and—"

"The nuns don't keep track of us, they'll be happy when they see there's one less mouth to feed." Sara said

Feeling that now was as good of a time as ever, Solin pulled out the photo he found in Lolo's office. "Do you know who she is?" Solin said, giving the photo to Sara. Sara looked at the photo and saw that it was a picture of Alana in her maid outfit smiling. "Yes! She's the lady in my photo pouch; the book is filled with a bunch of letters. I can't really read cursive well yet, but I can tell that it was written to some person named Diary. I always ask who this Diary person is but the nuns always laugh when I ask. It's annoying."

"Where is this book at?"

"In my cubby upstairs. I always look at it during reading time."

Solin placed Sara on his back as he climbed into the nearest window. Looking up, he saw what appeared to be a small classroom. "What room is this?"

"This is the detention room the older kids get put in by the nuns when they misbehave in class."

Solin and Sara left the room as they were now in the middle of a large hallway. The floors were covered in red velvet carpet; numerous candles were lined up all over the walls. Solin turned to his right and saw a large golden chandelier draped over the center point of an intersecting hallway.

"Where is your cubby at?" Solin asked

"That way." Sara pointed towards the intersecting hallway. Still carrying her on his back, Solin sprinted up the hallway and was now at the middle of the intersection. "Go right." Sara said as Solin dashed to the right. Coming to the end point, there were three staircases, one going towards the right, one going towards the left and one going straight up the middle. "Take the middle one." Sara said as Solin went up the stairs. Going up the stairs, Sara immediately hopped off of his back and opened a nearby door on the right. Solin looked inside and saw row after row of cubbies. There had to be at least two hundred of them. The corridor stretched for many yards as far as Solin's eyes could see. "Over here!" Sara called as Solin followed her voice and found her.

Sara pulled out the book and handed it to Solin. The blue leather cover on the book felt somewhat velvety and smooth in Solin's icy fingertips. He opened the cover and saw the pouch full of pictures Sara had mentioned earlier. Solin opened up the pouch and removed a couple of photos. They were mostly of Alana at various places but one suddenly stuck out to him. She and Lolo appeared to be sitting down at a table together. Both of them were smiling. "I have been Lolo's partner for years and not once have I seen him smile like this…he only smiled when blood was being shed, but he looks…happy." Solin reached inside for another photo and saw that it was yet another picture of Alana holding an infant. "I think I understand now." Solin said, putting the photos away and looking back at Sara.

"What?" Sara asked

"This woman in the photos, her name is Alana and she's your mother."

Sara's eyes were as wide as donuts. "My mommy? I guess it makes sense because I have her book. Where is she? Is she dead?"

"I don't know to be honest. That's actually what I'm doing on my journey, I'm looking for her."

"Then I MUST come with you!" Sara exclaimed as Solin nodded in response

"Solin…I have another question, is the man in some of the photos my daddy?"

Solin did not immediately answer. Now that he thought about it, Lolo saying Alana was an old lover of his, the fact that he sent Solin out to find her and Lolo's face being in some of these pictures. Most importantly, the fact that Sara was able to read Solin's book. Lolo never mentioned having a daughter before, why would he hide that from Solin? Could it be possible that he himself does not even know?

"_So that's it…whenever a human partner is killed or incapacitated, their closest living descendent assumes the role as bookkeeper. Lolo is in a coma and therefore incapacitated, and Sara being his daughter is able to read my book!"_

"That is correct." Solin said

"I see."

"Sara, can you read anything else in the book?"

Sara opened the book and scanned the pages. "Nope, only the first part."

"_This means my spell power reset if Sara could only read my first spell. In other words, I no longer have Titan-status. Back at the mansion when Lolo fell into his coma, I felt the book's power fade away at that point in time. I didn't think much of it until my book began glowing when I got near Sara. There are still questions that remain. Why was my ice crystal blue instead of the usual black when Sara casted the spell? What will happen when Lolo wakes up from his coma? Will the book's power go back to him?"_

"Sara. Let's get a move on, we won't find your mom by hanging around here." Solin said leaving the room.

After checking Sara out of the orphanage, Solin and Sara continued down the street of New Orleans, Solin quickly grabbed Sara and jumped out of the way as the ground in front of them exploded, sending rubble and broken concrete everywhere.

"Yo Angie, you was right about this fool having first class sense." Beat said grabbing his headphones

"This boy is dangerous Beat, stay focused." Angie said, unsheathing her katana

"Don't start trippin' Ang. I know he's the Ice Titan."

Solin turned to face his attackers. Angie, and Beat along with their bookkeepers Rachel and Aaron.

"Solin the Ice Titan, hand over our brothers and we might let you live." Rachel said with the book opened and glowing

"Solin, they have magic books too!" Sara exclaimed in awe

"Sara, stay behind me at all times. I want you to keep the spell book open and read the silver part whenever I tell you to or if you see me in danger. Got it?"

"Okay!"

"Rachel, the Ice Titan is no pushover. We felt his demonic pressure miles away back at the reunion, for mamodo to have that strong of a presence, we knew they had to be strong."

Solin was getting annoyed at the conversation. Little did they know, he did not even finish Slash off. The battle got interrupted by Blue the Machine Titan and Arkham the Hellfire Titan.

"I don't have time for this." Solin said, not going to tell them his spell book reset.

"Well, you're going to make time." Angie said, fully exposing her Katana

"_Shuranu!"_

Angie's katana glowed a bright red as she swung it, intending to behead Solin. Solin however, had other plans as he caught the powered Katana with his bare hands, stopping it. Solin saw Angie look towards Beat saying something he could not hear and was engulfed in an explosion. The smoke cleared and though his legs were burned, Solin was still standing. "I see. The katana was only a diversion, while the intention was to blow me up."

"Damn it!" Angie exclaimed

Solin faced a team battle with two experienced high leveled members of Nana's Trio and was at a massive disadvantage, his spell power reset along with a book keeper with no battle experience that also happened to be a seven year old girl. As if the day could not get any harder for him.

_**A/N- I don't have anything to say really, just read and review! The third chapter for this week will come soon! So stay tuned!**_


	41. The true faces behind the light!

**A/N-** _**Yeah...I forgot my laptop and couldn't do 3 in a week. Oh well! Enjoy the chapter.**_

_"Bijurono!"_

Two guns appeared in Beat's hands, blades sharply extended through the bottom and were loaded and ready to go.

_"Shuranu!"_

Angie's katana glowed a bright red once again as both members of Nana's Trio were on opposite sides of Solin. "Sara I want you to read the first spell as soon as they move. Even if they were to back up and run away, cast the spell as soon as you see them move."

Sara quietly nodded as Solin kept his eyes straight ahead. Like Beat mentioned earlier, his senses were first class. He may have just one spell now, but Solin retained his battle experience. Solin felt Beat and Angie still standing adjacent from him and in a split second, he heard Beat pull the triggers, sending powerful shockwaves towards him. Without a second to spare, Sara screamed at the top of her lungs.

_"RAYO BOLT!"_

Solin quickly placed his hands on the ground as large ice spikes rose around him, forming a ten foot crown around Solin and Sara. The sound waves Beat shot off, rocked the icy fort but they were safe. Sara looked impressed by the icy blue wall of spikes surrounding them.  
>"Pretty..." she said<p>

"You can play with the ice later, for now I need to think of a way to get us out of this."

Solin quickly glanced up and saw a chunk of the ice wall slice off and break into the ground. Aaron's voice echoed multiple Shuranus as Angie chipped away at the ice. On the other side, multiple explosions rocked off of the ice as Beat and Rachel were also putting in effort.

"Sara, how much energy from within do you have?"

"I am not entirely sure what you're talking about."

"Ok...how are you feeling?"

"When I said a spell for this ice wall, I got really tired, but I still can run around a little."

"Alright. I want you to cast the spell again, I can beat both of them with some concentration."

Solin glanced up and saw yet another chunk of ice explode off of the wall. "It's not going to hold up much longer, if Lolo was still my partner, I would have destroyed their books in one spell. That doesn't matter right now though, I need to focus in order for this to work."

With all of the noises from Angie and Beat's spells destroying the crown of ice spikes, piece by piece, Solin was admittingly having a little trouble concentrating. He quickly shook that off however, and grasped his focus. He closed his eyes and felt a cool sensation throughout his body, SOlin's body temperature dropped as he reopened his eyes, now a glowing blue color.

"Sara, cast the spell now."

Sara nodded, as she placed all of her energy from within that her little body contained into the silver book as the light glowed very brightly. "RAYO BOLT!"

Solin, now floating in midair, sitting Indian-style with his eyes still glowing blue put both of his hands togeether. Outside of the crumbling fort of ice spikes, Beat and Angie were still on the offensive. "Yo Angie, let's go in for the kill. I'll drop down a mad explosion to bring this thang down. You snatch the girl and the book."

"Beat you idiot! Watch out!" Angie yelled, jumping out of the way and grabbing Aaron in the process, not even responding to Beat's suggestion.

Just as she said that, a large spray of long, thin ice spikes shot out of the ground and impaled Beat, sending him into a nearby wall. More long, thin ice spikes rose out of the ground in rapid succession. Angie pulled back Aaron and now Rachel as she jumped and weaved through the spikes. SHe set down the two humans and ducked just as an ice spike attempted to impale her through the head as it came through a nearby wall.

The remains of the ice wall that surrounded Solin and Sara crumbled. At that moment, Angie saw Solin whose eyes were still glowing a bright blue and floating in the air.

"It can't be...I only heard stories back at the Mamodo school we went to but I didn't think I'd see it up close."

"Angie, what are you talking about?" Aaron asked, concerned

"Solin...the Ice Titan. He went into Tao Mode."

"Tao Mode?"

"Tao Mode is a special ability. When Solin is under duress and/or when he gets in tune with his senses by meditating, he enhances his spell power with psychic abilities. Tao Mode actually reduces the user's speed and physical strength abilities, but their spells and mental power become devastating. I am not entirely sure of the full extent of Tao Mode and I doubt Solin does either."

"So he can use psychic spells too?"

"No. From what I researched back in the Makai before I came to Earth, it was noted that very few mamodo have achieved Tao Mode, which requires years and years of strict meditation and training. Even then, it is virtually impossible for most to accomplish. Most mamodo die during the training alone, the fact that he was able to activate it and use it on Beat is a feat all in itself."

Mentioning Beat, Rachel ran over to his nearby body to check on him. Quickly opening his bloody shirt, Rachel saw the spikes did not impale his heart or any vital organs. "Don't start tripping...I'mma be fine. The ice will just melt on its own." Beat said as he coughed up a little blood.

Helping Beat onto his feet, Rachel and Beat made their way back to Angie and Aaron. They glared at Solin who now awakened from Tao Mode in a much weaker state than before. "I'm pooped." Sara said, plopping her weight right onto the ground.

_"Good news is I still have Tao Mode. However, it drains me when I use it as opposed to being with Lolo when I could use it at any given time as long as I want. How far have I fallen in terms of power?"_

"Do you still wish to fight me?" Solin asked coldly

Angie backed away without saying anything. This shocked both Aaron and Rachel, who knew this was out of character for Angie of all mamodo, to be intimidated by an opponent. "We'll let you go for now, but this isn't over." she said suddenly

"Before you leave, I do not know where your brothers are, because I had nothing to do with the disappearing." Solin remarked

Angie, Aaron, Rachel and a now injured Beat fled the scene. As they walked away, Angie couldn't help but ask herself whether or not there was something different about Solin. Sure, she never met him in person before today, but comparing the stories back at school and the research she did, it did not add up.

_"Why didn't he finish us off? What is his ulterior motive? I expected more...but I don't know what to think."_

Thankfully, they didn't realize how much weaker Solin had actually gotten. "Are you alright kid?"

Sara nodded as Solin picked up the little gil and put her on his back. He had no idea where they were gonna go from here, but he shrugged and pulled out a cell phone. Solin dialed a few numbers and a few minutes later, a limo pulled up the street. "Hello Master Solin." The chauffer said

Solin nodded in acknowledgement as the two got into the luxury car. "Where to sir?"

He had to admit he had no idea where to go. They couldn't go back to the mansion since Lolo was in coma and if he was awake, knowing he had a daughter would put him in another coma. Plus, he did not want enemy mamodo to tack him down due to his powerful scent. Of course, if he had to mow down opponents, he had no qualms against that. Just not where Lolo was vulnerable.

"Take us anywhere that is not here." Solin said

"Well, Master Hajime has a beach house in Miami."

"Fine. Take us there."

Meanwhile, Vincent and CJ in guinea pig form, got off of the plane inside the Houston airport and retrieved their luggage. Next, he went to a nearby kiosk and looked around. "Jonny sent me."

"Ah, ? One second please." the receptionist said with a smile as she picked a phone and pressed a few buttons. Ignoramus suddenly appeared behind Vincent, much to his surprise. "Why the hell are you sneaking up behind me?!" Vincent shouted, about to hit Ignoramus with a suitcase.

"I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENTTTTTT TOOOOO MAKE!" Ignoramus shouted with glee

"Don't care." Vincent said

"BUT YOU GOTTA CARE! YOU JUST GOTTA!" Ignoramus whined

"No."

Before Ignoramus could continue, Jonny walked out of the elevator. Vincent noticed a lipstik mark on Jonny's neck but did not say anything. "Sorry, I got held up." Jonny said, wiping his neck.

"Whatever. What do I have to do to get to California?"

"Just follow me. We're going to go on my band's jet. I initially was going to have you help me out here in Houston, but there was this gig in San Diego, we just couldn't pass up and since I'm such a nice guy, I figured you could tag along and go see Teal."

"How do you know Teal?"

"Research. I also- where's Ignoramus?"

Vincent turned around and saw Ignoramus was nowhere to be found. "Let me guess, you want to go look for him?"

"Nope." Jonny replied as they continued their way to the band's private jet. Getting to the private gate, Vincent came to a halt when he saw Jonny's jet. It was about as big as a typical 747. The paint job gave it a snow white coating with golden rays of light extending over the wings and painted on the decal. Vincent also nothed that the words "Golden Clowns" were written on the other side of the jet in cursive letters, which he assumed was the band's name.

"Go ahead, take a look inside." Jonny said motioning Vincent to the door

Vincent had to admit, he was impressed by the luxuries inside. Multiple flatscreen computers lined the walls. Video games for every system in the corner, lounge chairs instead of regular seats, there was even a jacuzzi! "Don't get too excited now, we're having lobster in a bit." Jonny said, before going back to the front of the plane.

Vincent sat down in a nearby lounge chair, he opened his pocket and woke CJ up. CJ switched into his human form and was mesmerized at the luxurious jet. "Holy shit..."

"HOLY SHIT IS RIGHT GUYS!"

Vincent facepalmed as that familiar, annoying voice echoed throughout the plane. Ignoramus ruffled CJ's mousy brown hair and sucked in air before continuing. "Like I said earlier..I GOTS AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE!"

"Oooooh, what is it?" CJ asked as Vincent rolled his eyes

"I am no longer going by Ignoramus...you guys will now call me -." Ignoramus suddenly stopped and ran to the very back of the plane, he turned to the right and disappeared.

"What? What?" CJ asked, getting excited

Suddenly, a drum rolled out and Ignoramus rolled the drum forwards before tripping over his untied shoelaces. "I had to do a drum roll before the announcement."

"As I was saying, you guys will now call me IGNOR!"

"Ignor?" Vincent said dumbfounded, reminding himself why he was much better off ignoring the foolish mamodo.

Before Ignor could say another word, Jonny came onto the intercom. "Attention ladies, we are about to take off in a few minutes. Also, Ignoramus, I need to have a word with you up front."

"MY NAME IS IGNOR NOW!" Ignor shouted at the intercom before scurrying up front and running face first into a wall, then stumbling up front.

As Ignor got to the front of the plane. He glanced at the robot pilot, starting to fly the plane. He saw Jonny sitting down on a lounge couch, with multiple women in bikinis surrounding him. they all put their seat belts on as the jet took flight. When the jet stabilized in air, Jonny then spoke. "Did you leave the clues like I asked you to?"

"Of course." Ignor said in an unfamiliar, serious, stuck-up tone much deeper than the voice everybody else normally heard

"I received word from Hatcher that Slash awakened from the tank." Jonny said revealing to wine glasses and a bottle of champagne.

"Its good to see that Hatcher's recovery medicine does in fact work."

"I knew it worked, I just wanted to see to what extent. Hence why I didn't answer Slash's distress call right away and allowed him to almost get himself killed by Solin, of course I also wanted to test the limits of his strength too."

"Putting this stuff on the Black Market for a few grand per vial would make us a killing." Ignor said with a chuckle

"I agree. By the way, did Skyde retrieve the tablets we left in Japan? It is time to do some more research on them"

"Actually yes. He, Maxwell and Claire all said the mission was a success. However, I do have an idea on who to recruit next." Ignor said, filling his and Jonny's glasses with champagne.

"I'm listening."

"I noticed him back at the cathedral while they were fighting the bishops that worked for that fool Chase. He did not fight during that time, but I have observed him in battle numerous times from afar. His speed is quite impressive, his name is Kai."

_**A/N- Well that's the end of that. What are Jonny and Ignor's true motives? Why do they have an interest in Vincent? Why haven't we seen Ignor in battle yet? What could they possibly want from Kai? What the hell is going on here? Find out on the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution!**_


	42. Arashi and Kira! The quiet menaces!

_**A/N- I normally wait a few days before I release a new chapter, but I've been writing and scheming like crazy, especially since my rule is to always stay between 8-15 chapters ahead of what I submit on this site. (I.e. this is chapter 42, so I am working on anything between chapters 50-57 right now) Enjoy!**_

Jonny's jet touchdown in California as soon as nightfall hit. He stretched as he nodded to the robot pilot and stepped off of the plane. CJ, still in human form and Vincent also got off of the plane Looking at the caramel-skinned bookkeeper and his guinea pig-boy mamodo, Jonny looked back at the plane entrance. "Ignor, stop fooling around and get off of the plane!"

Just as Jonny gave the order, Ignor tumbled down the steps with multiple cases of luggage flying everywhere. Shaking his head, Jonny ordered Ignor to pick up all of the luggage. "We are in Hollister, California. You will meet up with Teal here and I already reserved a hotel for you and CJ." Jonny said, giving Vincent the necessary paperwork. "Leaving so soon?" Vincent asked with a heavy dose of sarcasm

"My band has a gig in San Diego, they are already there waiting for me. However, I will be giving a small show here in Hollister in a few days. So, try not to get in any trouble."

Arriving at the hotel room, Jonny made sure Vincent checked in and was shown to his room. Ignor was already inside with Vincent and CJ's belongings. "I AM A GOOOOOOOOD BOY!" Ignor exclaimed, popping his thumb in his mouth

Ignoring him, Jonny turned to Vincent. "Have fun and-"

"Vincent! CJ!" an excited voice exclaimed

They turned their atteention to see none other than Grace at the door. A rare moment, but her crystal blue eyes were opened and observing Jonny and Ignor.

"It's been awhile." Vincent said in a more positive tone

"GRAAAACCCCEEE!" CJ exclaimed, hugging the teenaged mamodo girl

"Teal will be here in a minute. I got the call from Vincent and told Teal right away. She's quite happy to see you Vincent."

"Heh." Jonny scoffed

"Who are these guys?" Grace asked

"I am Jonny Greenburg and this is my partner, Ignoramus."

"JON-NY I DON'T NEED YOU INTRODUCIN' ME! MY NAME IS EUGENE IGNATITUS SAVALL THE THIRD!" Ignor exclaimed holding up four fingers

"But you can call me Esteban." Ignor said in a Spanish accent, now face to face with Grace, kissing her hand

"Um..."

"Hey Grace I got lost and-"

Before Teal could finish her sentence, she gave Ignor a right hook to the jaw. "Hands off her, you big geek."

"OWIE, THAT HURT! NOW I GOT A BOO-BOO ON MAH CHEEK! YOU BIG OLD MEANIE! FINE, YOU CAN CALL ME IGNOR!"  
>Ignor exclaimed, wincing in pain<p>

"Please forgive my mamodo, he's an idiot and we usually ignore him." Jonny said in a sympathetic tone

"It's...it's okay." Teal said nervously

"My name is Jonny Greenburg, you must be Teal. Vincent has told me so much about you."

"You're a damn lie-" Vincent started before Jonny quickly back kicked him in the groin to shut him up

"Oh. Wh-what did he tell you?" Teal asked

"I know you're into boxing. I'm a sucker for tough girls, maybe we should spar sometime, I don't know if you can keep up with me."

"Maybe. Don't underestimate me, I kicked a lot of guys' asses before."

"I find that quite sexy in a woman." Jonny said in a feral voice

"It's time for you to go Jonny. Your band has a gig in San Diego remember?" Vincent said in an angry tone, now catching his breath

"You're right. Come along Ignor, we can't keep the band waiting. I'll see you around Ms. Teal and I won't forget our sparring date."  
>Jonny said with a wink as Ignor followed behind him. "BAI GUISE! AND BAI GRACE, YOU ARE THE MOST BOOTIFUL WOMAN IN THE WHOLE ENTIRE HUMAN AND MAMODO WORLD! MWAH!" Ignor bellowed, blowing a kiss as Jonny yanked him along<p>

"Good riddance." Vincent said under his breath as he slammed the door. He figured that now Jonny was out of the way, he and Teal had some catching up to do.

[_St. Louis, Missouri]_

Ishimaru and Josh were on the game system going at it hard. The competition was fierce and they played it to the point of the game overheating, Salad Fighters was the latest and hottest fighting game on the market in the US, Europe and Japan. Josh remembered pre-ordering it before he went on the foreign exchange trip. Josh was playing as the Orange and Ishimaru was the Celery. "You can't handle the Vitamin C!" Josh shouted as the Orange spat a stream of acidic orange juice onto the Celery, slowly eroding and Chainz shot down the stairs as the older boys were into the video game.

"Josh when do we get to play?" Jyan asked

"Never. Now go watch Praying Mantis Joe." Josh said, waving them away

"That doesn't come on until Saturday. Let us play! You have two more controllers."

"I'm kicking butt right now, no."

Ishimaru had to try and finish the fight quickly before he lost. Almost as if it were a miracle, a glowing salad bowl dropped down on-screen, the celery quickly nabbed it and split into multiple sticks.

"FINISH HIM!" the screen ordered

The multiple celery sticks impaled the orange before absorbing them. The Orange then expanded and expanded until it burst and orange juice and seeds splattered all over the screen. Orange rinds rained from the sky.

"Celery wins! FRUTALITY!"

"HA!" Ishimaru gloated

"See what you made me do?! I knew I should have gotten Tomato." Josh yelled, throwing down the controller in frustration

They were suddenly interrupted with a ring at the door. "Jyan, get the door."

"Why do I have to?"

"Just do it."

Jyan mumbled a few curse words under his breath. He opened the door to see two figures before him. The boy on the left was of average height, around five foot eight with a slim build. His attention focused on his short black hair with silver streaks, he had matching stormy grey eyes. Jyan did not swing that way but he had to admit his slightly tanned skin made him handsome in a weird kind of way. Though in his opinion, he could do without the dark blue t-shirt, black pants with chains dangling on the sides which he once heard Josh call Tripp Pants and silver sneakers.

"We already donated to that Goth kid foundation. We ain't donating anymore money." Jyan said as he started to slam the door on his faces. "Do I look like a goth to you? Jyan turned the boy on the right, he was about to make another remark but then quickly realized that the other boy was a mamodo. His short silver hair, very cold blue eyes and snow white skin made it blatantly obvious. Jyan slowly backed away but noticed that the boy wasn't another goth kid from that charity when he saw his baggy white t-shirt with a purple outline of an eye on it. He figured that eye was a symbol of sorts, maybe his spell power revolved around it somehow. Jyan made a mental note of that for later reference. The mamodo boy wore matching purple shorts, and white tennis noticed he was around Chainz's height, 4'8 was his guess.

"Judging from your reaction, you must be a mamodo." the human boy said

"_CHIKERU!"_

Jyan's eyes faded out as a blast of blue aura was released from his mouth. The boy and his mamodo jumped out of the way as the blast blew up a fire hydrant and a geyser shooting up from the sidewalk.

Josh and Ishimaru appeared from around the corner with their books opened and glowing. "What do you want?" Josh snarled, ready for a second blast

"Do you really want to fight a 2 on 1 battle?" Ishimaru asked, ready to cast a spell with Chainz

"Chill out, I didn't come here for a fight. I happened to see the brown haired guy in Osaka and I followed him here to America." the human boy said as he and the mamodo came in and closed the door.

"You can't just invite yourselves into my house!" Josh shouted

Their conversation was interrupted when Ishimaru heard Skypre ringing on his laptop. "I'll go answer it." Ishimaru said as Chainz, Jyan and Josh kept their guards up.

"Hello."

"Hi Ishi!" Haley said waving

"You pick a hell of a time to call."

"Anego?"

"Katsu?"

Ishimaru turned around to see the human boy behind him. "What the hell? You guys know each other?!" Ishimaru asked, dumbfounded

"Ishi, that is Katsu Arashi, he goes to Suki Tech with me. He's only 16 but was able to graduate high school early and enroll there."

"If he's such a nerd, then why did he call you Anego?" Ishimaru asked, crossing his arms

"I'm no Japanese expert, so inform on what an Anego is?" Jyan asked, now plopping down on the couch

"Anego is what gangsters call an older sister figure." Ishimaru explained

"Ohhh, so Haley's a gangster then!" Jyan said

"No. It's just what Katsu calls me. It's a long story really, as a matter of fact. How about Katsu tags along to Arizona with you guys?"

"How about he doesn't." Ishimaru said

"If that's what you want Anego, that is fine with me." Katsu said

"Alright, see you guys in a week!" Haley said, before hanging up

"So...if you're Arashi. What's the kid's name?" Josh asked, pointing the mamodo boy."

"His name is Kira." Arashi replied

"How are we going to get there? We used all of our money to fly here from Japan, so we can't afford more plane tickets and trains-"

"My parents leave an emergency car in the garage." Josh said, cutting Ishimaru off and opening the kitchen door leading into the garage. Josh flipped on the light-switch as they gazed upon the old van sitting before them. Ishimaru had to squint but the van appeared to be a dark brown color with untinted windows. Peeping through the glass, Ishimaru saw a couple rows of old leather seats. Looking around the van, he noticed dull gray hubcaps, dusty tires and a slightly rusty tailpipe. "You think this could take us all the way to Arizona?" he asked, shrugging

"It should. It's kinda old but it is reliable."

"Well, I don't have an American driver's license but other than driving on the left side instead of the right, there's not much difference in driving. On top of which, I can obviously read and speak English. So I shouldn't have much trouble following the signs either." Ishimaru said proudly

"I think we should drive in shifts, so we won't have to stop much." Arashi suggested

"Sounds good to me." Ishimaru said, but Josh however, did not share the same thoughts.

"I just turned 15 and haven't had time to get my permit yet so-"

"Shut up, you're driving the damn car too."

After spending the next day packing and gathering money from their savings, along with a ticket for Jyan and Chainz climbing The Arch and making a scene, they were ready to head out. Ishimaru decided to start the driving as he buckled his seat belt, Josh called shotgun and kicked Jyan out the way, was next in line to drive. Arashi, quietly stared out of the window. Chainz and Jyan were in the very back of the van making spitballs. Kira was already asleep.  
>After Ishimaru backed out of the driveway and got down the street. Their Road Trip to Arizona began.<p>

They however, were not alone. In the bushes meanwhile, two men happened to watch the entire debacle from afar. "Yo Zander, that redhead the tall Japanese dude was talkin to was fine as hell."

"Focus on our objective Ethan."

"Heh, you callin' me by my government name. You must be serious."

"Yeah. Now that The Iron Prince's brother showed his ugly mug in America, I can take him out and send a message, that Zander is not to be fucked with."

"Aite, but how we gonna follow them if we ain't got no car?" Ethan asked

"Follow my lead."

Zander looked around and got into the middle of the street. He laid out on his back and was carefuly not to get his face dirty. Afte ra few minutes a blue Sedan came to a sudden halt. A soccer mom emerged from the car and ran over to Zander's side. "Oh my goodness! Are you okay?"

Ethan quickly ran and got into her car. Zander got to his feet and also hopped in as Ethan quickly drove off down the suburban street. "That's my car!" The woman screamed

"How am I supposed to pick up my kids now?"

"That was a classic." Ethan said laughing

"I invented that kind of stuff back home in the Makai." Zander responded as they sped down the freeway, making up for lost time in their pursuit of Ishimaru and co.

_**A/N- I know it's a short chapter but there's much much more to come obviously! Stay tuned and give me more delicious reviews!**_


	43. There's no power like Kira power!

_**A/N- That moment when you get a notification in your email telling you that a new Iron Revolution chapter is up...**_

Ishimaru had been driving for about six or seven hours. It was somewhere in the middle of the night, Ishimaru having no idea specifacally what time it was since it had been the least of his concerns. He knew that there was some progress in his work seeing as how he drove through the entire state of Missouri and was now halfway through Oklahoma. Looking towards his sides, he saw that there wasn't much being featured on the highway, just an occasional farm and grass. Nothing special.

"I'm hungry!" Jyan whined

"I'm tired!" Chainz said, pouting

"Eh." Kira said, staring out of the window

_"_Maybe it would be a good idea to stop and get something eat and rest up." Arashi suggested

"That'll make the trip even longer." Josh replied, now opening the road map

"Why don't you use a navigator?" Jyan asked

"A man doesn't need a fancy gadget to tell him where to go. He uses a picture of the terrain and his instinct." Josh said proudly to which Ishimaru and Arashi agreed to with a nod

The van continued darting up the highway as another hour came and went. Ishimaru's eyes grew heavy and his butt was numb. Maybe it was a good idea to stop for the night. He saw a sign up ahead. "Big Al's Diner & more, 3 miles ahead..." He remembered studying US measure units back at school, but Ishimaru didn't overtly remember them off the top of his head.

"Josh, how far ahead is 3 miles?"

"About 2 and a half minutes away from here."

Ishimaru continued ahead and saw the place up ahead. He saw the small diner along with a few other buildings behind it. Pulling into the parking lot, the group finally got out and received a long-awaited and well-deserved stretch. Chainz and Jyan raced inside with Kira walking behind them. Ishimaru, Josh and Arashi walked inside about a minute later.

Meanwhile as the unsuspecting group were seated at their booth, Ethan and Zander pulled the stolen Sedan into the diner parking lot. "Yo Big Dog, there's the van."

"Let's hurry up."

Ethan quickly got out of the car and got under the van. After about ten minutes, he came out from under the van. "Remind me on how this works again."

"Yo ass needs to learn how to pay attention. I rigged the bottom of the van with a timer bomb. In one hour from now, these fools will be singing I believe I can fly when the van goes up in flames."

"I got it now. The explosion will take out the Iron Prince's brother and not only will I send a message to all of the other mamodo left on Earth, but I'll also send a message to that bastard that Zander is not to be messed with." Ethan and Zander retreated to the sedan as they waited for Ishimaru and the others to come out.

* * *

><p>In the diner, they were having no luck in deciding what they wanted to eat. "It all looks so...appetizing." Ishimaru said as he looked at the exquisite choices of cow brain, liver &amp; onions, ham hocks and some goat steak.<p>

Chainz and Jyan however, did not seem to be as concerned. They were looking over the booth as they watched a woman gag and spit out her coffee. Kira meanwhile, was staring out of the window, as if he was focusing on something. They erupted into laughter while receiving a death glare from the woman. "Switching the sugar for salt is a classic." Jyan said as his laughing subsided. The woman and a young girl that was with her got up and stormed out of the diner, giving the group one last death glare as she slammed the diner door.

In the end, Ishimaru and the group ordered milkshakes for the group. Chainz and Jyan slurped theirs down within seconds. "Josh, are you gonna finish that?" Jyan asked, dipping his hand in the whipped cream of Josh's vanilla deluxe.

"Not anymore." Josh growled sliding it to Jyan. Chainz however, grabbed his straw and was already slurping it down. Jyan however, was not going to let Chainz drink all of the vanilla goodness. He grabbed his straw and they were drinking up the milkshake amongst a bunch of snickers from Ishimaru and Josh. Arashi himself chuckled a little, earning a stare from both of the other older boys.

"What?"

"It's just that you've been mostly quiet since we been on the road." Ishimaru replied

"Well, I'm not much of a talker or a people's person. Neither is Kira as you can tell."

"After hanging around us for a while, you guys won't remain that way." Jyan piped as he and Chainz both got up and ran to the jukebox.

After almost knocking over the jukebox and breaking it. Chainz and Jyan were dragged out of the diner by their respective book owners and were loading back up into the van. "Arashi, it's your turn to drive." Ishimaru said, tossing him the keys as he climbed into the middle row of seats next to Kira. Josh turned on the light by his seat and looked at the map before turning it off. "Alright, get back on the highway and head straight and get on the interstate in about 20 miles."

Arashi nodded as he started up the van, as he backed out of the parking lot, a loud boom echoed through their ears. The Can shook and collapsed to the ground. "That didn't sound good!" Chainz yelled as they all got out to check. To their horror, all of the wheels came off of the van, the breaks collapsed, the alignment was off, van entrails were everywhere. "What are we going to do now?" Josh asked, crossing his arms. He knew he couldn't call his parents without receiving a tongue-lashing, but knew he did not have much of a choice.

"Actually, we're in luck." Arashi said, pointing up

The others turned to where he was pointing at and saw the small print on the Big Al's Diner & more sign. Jyan revealed a pair of reading glasses and put them on as he squinted.

"It says...diner, hotel and auto repair. Ohhhhhhhhhh."

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." they all said in unison

"That's what they meant by more." Kira said in a quiet voice

After racing back into the diner, they learned that the building behind them was the a 24-hour auto shop and could have the van fixed by tomorrow morning. Chainz and Jyan did not even bother waiting for the tow truck, they simply picked up the van and Kira picked up the tires and multiple auto parts and hauled it all to the garage in time to see the mechanics' eyes nearly pop out of their heads. After moving the damaged vehicle, they checked into the hotel that also happened to be next door. To their surprise, the floors were made of velvety carpet, a golden fountain of a cupid child pissing water, a high tech internet cafe among other amenities were present in the lobby.

"Now THAT is classy." Jyan said, admiring the fountain

"Since we have the repairs to pay for, we can't afford to stay here." Josh said, looking at the emergency credit card his parents gave him before they went away

"So...what can we afford?" Jyan asked as he glanced out of the window

[_Motel 5 1/2..._]

"This. Place. Sucks." Jyan grunted as he plopped onto the couch as multiple cockroaches scattered out everywhere, causing him to quickly jump up.

"Stop complaining. The Motel 5 1/2 half a mile up the road from the diner was all we could afford." Josh snapped

Before Jyan could open his mouth to argue, a loud crash was heard outside. "Let's check i tout." Ishimaru said as he, Josh and Arashi all revealed their spell books.

* * *

><p>Back at the diner parking lot, Zander suddenly woke up and saw that the van was nowhere to be found. "Damn, Big Dog! Big Dog! Wake up!" he said, slapping Ethan<p>

"What?"

"We fell asleep and they're gone."

"What?!" Ethan snarled getting out and seeing for himself that the van was gone, what he noticed however, was the imprint of bomb residue scatted onto the ground. "The bomb went off in the parking lot but it couldn't have blown up the van. The piece of crap must've malfunctioned...that's the last time I buy an Ace product."

"They couldn't have gotten far. Do you sense their presence nearby Lil'?"

"Yeah, they're up the road."

Ethan sped the sedan out of the parking lot and up the street to the Motel 5 1/2. After finding a parking space, they got out and made their way onto the motel grounds.

"We're gonna have to do this the old fashioned way and just burn the damn books ourselves." Zander said in a tense breath

Ishimaru, Arashi, Josh and their mamodo were still looking for the source of the noise. Kira suddenly fell over and grabbed his shoulder. "Kira, what happened?" Arashi asked

"I don't know, it felt as though a bullet hit me in the shoulder." he explained

Another blur appeared but Jyan ducked out of the way just in time. "Show yourself!" Jyan demanded

The blur stopped and revealed itself to be a girl about 4 feet tall with blonde pigtails, piercing lime green eyes. What made her especially frightening, were the horns seen sticking out the top of her head and her protuding razor sharp teeth. It was obvious she was a mamodo not only because of the horns but also the lines streaking down her face.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Karla." She said, curtsying in her pale blue dress, revealing orange and yellow stripped stockings and black leather schoolgirl shoes. Karla then pointed towards the side as the woman from the diner revealed herself. She appeared to be in her 40s, with frizzled red hair and an ugly lookd on her face. Her odor of cigarettes and coffee filled their nostrils, much to their disgust most notably, she carried a mustard yellow book in her purse.

"Say hello to Mary, also known as the woman who had salty coffee. Thanks to a certain mamodo who thinks he's quite the comedian.:"

"What can I say I'm Jyan the-"

"Oh shut up. I know who you are, you're Jyan the Jackass of all trades. All you did back at school was disrupt class with your non funny pranks. It is a great coincidince that you show up to the same place as me. It means fate has chosen me to burn your book."

"Jackass of all trades...wait a minute that was YOU?" Chainz exclaimed, looking at Jyan

"Yeah. My name was well known at the Upper School and Middle School." Jyan said proudly

"Of course. Those pranks were classics." Chainz said

"Wait a minute, you guys went to the same school?" Josh asked

"Well basically yes. The academy in our town was the equivalent to what a K-12 private school would be here in the human world. However, it was divided into a lower school for the elementary students, a middle school for the Jr. High students and an Upper School for the High School students. We all shared a courtyard, lunchroom and all of that jazz. For example, I'm almost 13 but before I came here I was going to the middle school while Jyan is almost 9 and he was obviously still at the lower school." Chainz explained

"We can talk more about that later but anyway, I don't even know who you are." Jyan said dismissively

"UGH! I sat at the front of the class! Remember the time the school flooded because you thought it was funny to put firecrackers in the toilet?"

Chainz and Jyan both started laughing as soon as Karla mentioned that. "That was a classic." Chainz said, high-fiving Jyan

"Though personally, I would have used a spell to blow up the toilets." Chainz critiqued

"It's funnier when somebody unsuspectingly sits on the toilet as the firecracker goes off-"

"SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!" Karla shouted

"Again, don't really remember the geeks at school." Jyan said innocently

"Ugh, no more talking! Mary, let's mess up their faces!"

"_Amu Zagur!"_

Karla's began swinging her fists as they eventually became two blur. She disappeared and reappeared trying to punch Jyan, but everybody got out of the way in time as she punched the ground, making a huge crack in it.

"Fine, if you want to fight, then so be it. I got a new sixth spell I've been wanting to try out anyway." Jyan said, cracking his knuckles

"Wait! You have six spells? I still only have five!" Chainz said, astonished

"Yeah, I've always been one spell ahead of you." Jyan replied happiy

"Damn, I'm going to have to work harder now."

"SHUT UP AND FIGHT ME!" Karla shouted

"Jyan, Josh, if you don't mind. Allow us to take care of her. You guys along with Chainz and Ishimaru should go clean up that other mess." Kira said as Arashi opened the gray spell book.

"Alright." They said as they hurried off

"Mary, I don't know who these weirdos are, but let's use them as a warm-up!"

"_Amu Zagur!"_

Mary sped off as she reappeared and tried to punch Kira. Kira however, dodged the blow and Mary destroyed another cunk of the ground with her powered up fist "You're fast, but I've trained with a much faster mamodo, so your hits won't land on me." Kira said coldly

"We'll see if yo're this arrogant after we take it up a notch. Mary!"

"_Go Amu Zagur!"_

Karla disappeared and reappeared in Kira's face. She swung multiple, bullet-like punches at Kira but he dodged every single one of them. Mary quickened her punches even faster as Kira ducked and sidestepped all of them without moving his arms from his side. Kira jumped back and smirked as he looked towards Arashi. "Don't take your eyes off of me!" Karla yelled as she leapt into the air, ready to land a devastating punch onto Kira's face.

_"Midero!"_

Karla paused in midair as she felt her body unable to move. "What the hell is going on?" she said looking around in horror. Kira placed his fingertips on his forehead and sent Mary flying into the ground. "My spell power is telekinesis and other psychic powers. My spells work best on those with physical-based spells. Like I said earlier, your speed is great but it isn't elite like another mamodo I know.

"Shut up! I studied hard to be in this battle and honed my speed to be the best. I am faster than anybody!" Karla shouted, her eyes bloodshot She looked like she snapped mentally

_"Ganzu Zaguruga!"_

Karla ran towards Kira at blazing speed. "Eat my fists! I will beqat you until your body is recognizable, then I will burn your book and eat the ashes!" she shouted maniacally laughing. Karla swung her fists with such speed and fury that they became multiple fireballs due to the friction. She leapt into the air and rained down the fury on Kira.

Arashi had to admit he pitied the poor, crazy girl who had absolutely no chance at winning and decided not to put this off any longer. "Kira, one shot is all we need."

"Right."

_"Midareu!"_

The eye on Kira's shirt glowed a bright purple as a large beam shot out. Karla was blasted with a direct hit and was sent flying into Mary. The powerful beam knocked the mustard book out of Mary's hands and covered itself in purple flames. Arashi closed the spell book and they walked over to the fallen Karla and Mary.

"No matter how strong or weak an opponent is, we always respect them. You are not weak or slow, it's just that I trained with the fastest mamodo I have ever seen." Kira said to the fading away Karla

"Before I go back to the Makai, who was this mamodo?"

"His name is Kai, demon of the wind."

"No way..." she said as she faded away and the book was only mere ashes at this point. Arashi then picked up the now unconcious Mary and placed her in her car, put the keys on her lap and closed the door.

"Shall we catch up with the others?" Arashi asked

"Nah, they will be alright."

"Something on your mind?"

"When I was fighting Karla, I didn't fully realize how much Kai actually made me better with all of those sparring sessions."

"Yeah, if it wasn't for training with Kai and learning how to combat his speed, we would have had a lot of trouble with that girl."

"It'll be good to see them again in a few days."

* * *

><p>Ethan and Zander meanwhile, had no luck finding Chain and the others. "Big Dog, let's get back to the car and-"<p>

"Where do you think you're going?"

They turned around to see Chainz, Jyan, Josh and Ishimaru standing there. "How stupid did you think we are?" Jyan asked

"You would think they would learn how to cover their scent better."

"What do you men cover my scent better?" Zander snarled

"For starters, we knew you guys were watching us back in St. Louis before we even hit the road. Then we felt your presence when you guys were following us for hours." Chainz said slyly

"Then we pulled into the diner and you tried to kill us with a bomb but Kira used his telekinesis to depower the bomb, but he couldn't fully disarm it and it damaged the van. We then stopped masking our scent when we came up the street to this run-down motel where we knew you guys would turn up by following us." Jyan said, picking up where Chainz left off (_**A/N- Go back and read where they were in the diner, the hotel scene and also read right before Kira fought Karla and it will all make** **sense**_)

"To make a long story short, it ends here." Ishimaru said

"So which one of us gets to fight him?" Chainz asked

"We shall settle this like men...by playing rock-paper-scissors."

After a few minutes of a rock stalemate, Jyan changed to scissors, causing Chainz to win. "Damn it! I knew I should have stuck with the rock."

"Lil'Z, i don't think these fools know who they messing with." Ethan said, revealing a dark gray spell book.

"Chainz, this is our debut fight in America, let's be swift, strong and merciless." Ishimaru said, opening the bright green spell book.

_**A/N- Alrighty, this mini-arc with Zander and Ethan comes to its climax. Chainz and Ishimaru are about to have their first fight in America. Kira makes quick work of his opponent and we get to see more action in the next chapter! Those of you whose characters haven't debuted yet, be patient. I promise you, everybody will get their screentime. R&R and stay tuned for another chapter later on this week!**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Stats-<strong>_

_**Name- Karla**_

_**Partner- Mary Jameson**_

_**Element- Speed and her fists**_

_**Ranking-51st out of 100**_

_**Book Color- Mustard**_

_**Book burned by- Kira and Katsu Arashi**_

_**Spells-**_

_**Amu Zagur- Karla boosts her speed as she delivers a bullet-like punch to the opponent**_

_**Go Amu Zagur- Stronger version of Amu Zagur**_

_**Ganzu Zagurga- Karla increases her speed tenfold and fires a barrage of punches on the opponent at speeds so fast, her fists turn into flames.**_


	44. Chainz vs Zander, Jonny vs Vincent!

_**A/N- Oh look, another chapter is out.**_

"Chainz, this is our debut fight in America. Let us be strong, swift and merciless." Ishimaru said opening the light green spell book

"Big Dog! Let's show these fools NOT to cross Lil'Z the wrong way." Zander said

_"Biku!"_

Zander tossed a blast of shadow energy. "Chainz, counter it! The fifth spell, _Hokaisho!_"

Chainz opened his mouth as a concentrated white beam was released, hitting the shadow bolt directly and canceling it out. As small explosion of smoke kicked up in the air. "Chainz, go get him." Ishimaru ordered

Chainz charged directly inside the smoke. He saw a shadowy figure up ahead, and leaped into the air out of the smoke. Chainz swung his fist, focusing a lot of his strength into his fist. "This fool ain't about to touch us, _Kushield_!"

Zander placed his hands forward as a shadow barrier was erected over them. Chainz's fist sent cracks throughout the barrier, but did not break it. Chainz focused his fist again and created more cracks in the barrier. "Damn it! I'm focusing my strength into this barrier but it still won't break!" he growled, frustrated as he knelt onto the pavement, trying to figure out his next move.

"We got you beat!" Ethan jeered

Ishimaru took one good look at Ethan and could have sworn he was stuck in the middle of the early 2000s. He figured he played some football in high school judging by his moderately muscular physique and the white tank top complimenting it. He noticed that he had a dark red letterman jacket over it at one point during the night but considering that it was July, it was pretty redundant. His light blue baggy jeans were pretty noticeable too. He had no idea about his hair color nor could he make eye contact due to his flatbill hat and sunglasses.

"You just scream douchebag." Ishimaru said sarcastically under his breath. Yep, he's been hanging out with Josh too long.

Chainz on the other hand, was still kneeling on the ground, panting. Even though the barrier was cracked and worn, it was still up. To Chainz's surprise Ethan canceled out the shield by closing the book. He then reopened it and flipped a page in the spell book. "Lil'Z, should I go ahead and use it?"

"Nah, Big Dog. Save it for now, I want to use that for the finale."

"Alright then, _Giloco!"_

"Finale? What the hell..." Chainz began to say but ducked as a much bigger blast of shadow energy shot forward, sending his sliding into the pavement. "Chainz!" Ishimaru yelled, running over to him. Chainz was motionless for a few seconds as Ishimaru made it to his side.

"Don't start kissing up on me, I'm alright." Chainz said getting up. Ishimaru noticed Chainz has multiple scratches on his neck, a bloody gash on the right side of his face and a busted lip. Ishimaru had to admit it looked as though he spilled cherry kool-aid all over his face. Nonetheless, Chainz stood up and stood tall.

"I'm going to do something I haven't done since I have been on Earth." Chainz said darkly

Chainz undid the buttons that kept his leather jacket rolled and strapped up at the elbows. To everyone's surprise, Chainz removed his jacket and tossed it towards Jyan on the sidelines. Revealing his plain white t-shirt and his arms which would be considered pretty well toned for a 12 year old boy.

"The reason I almost never take off my jacket, is because of the pride I feel when wearing the white cobra emblem on my back. I have to prove myself worthy of wearing that symbol, which is why I never run from a fight nor a challenge. Death before Dishonor is something that the Cobra Clan hold to their hearts at all times. In other words, if you don't stand for something, you fall for anything."

"Lame." Zander said dismissively

"Let me make this easier for you. I am frustrated that I haven't fought on the level I am capable of **and I am going to take it all out on you**."

"_Giloco!"_

Zander shot out another large blast of shadow energy. This time however, Chainz cartwheeled out of the way. He then ran forward as Zannder opened his palm. "Ethan! When he gets close enough, chant the-" Zander did not finish his sentence, Chainz swung his fist upwards and punched Zander in the upper throat and lower jaw area, sending him tumbling into the concrete parking lot. "Ishimaru, I don't need any spells to deal with this clown. I'm putting all of my energy into these two fists."

"Chainz, I understand your plight, but we are a team. You never do everything on your own, so there is no reason to start now."

"This is a matter of Pride, Ishimaru. I shouldn't have to rely on spells all the time, I got this covered."

Ishimaru did not respond to Chainz's statement. He just hoped he was right for his own sake. Zander slowly got up and Ishimaru finally got a good look at the mamodo boy. He looked like he was stuck in the early 2000s wearing his baggy dark blue jeans with a white wife-beater showing off his moderately toned muscles which rivaled Ishimaru's somewhat chiseled physqiue. Black sweatbands with white stripes were on each of his wrists and top top things off, he wore black converse. It was also impossible to read his eyes, because of the shades covering them. and a black flatbill hat with a white E on it. Several chains were decorated on his neck like a 90s rapper.

Zander tossed his now broken shades and bloodshot eyes could be seen. "You're a damn fool. You should have finished me off when you rocked my jaw, but you guys decided to start babbling. Now your ass is going to pay the price."

"Hold on, what do you want with Chainz?" Ishimaru asked

"Back in the Makai, the Iron Prince harassed everybody in my neighborhood. Including me and my friends..."

"Iron Prince...Slash?!" Chainz exclaimed, he was already mad but considering this was all because of Slash was ridiculous

"Everything is getting all blurry and wavy again, it's flashback time!" Jyan cheered ecstatically with a heavy dose of sarcasm

_[Flashback, Makai...almost two and a half years before the battle for king started]_

_"So what do we do with it?" Asked a girl  
><em>

_"Let's buy all of the candy we can eat." said another boy  
><em>

_Zander and a few of his friends were holding a small bag of coins they found laying around. The children had a hard time deciding what to buy with it but in the end were deciding on candy. They were walking to the candy store when a loud motor could be heard all the way down the road. The children stopped as the motor got louder and louder. Suddenly, Slash riding his demon motorcycle sped up the street, snatching the bag of coins. The children were in shock and horror.  
><em>

_The following week at school, Zander excused himself from class to get to the bathroom for an emergency pit stop. He wanted to wait until his class was over and get back to the Lower School immediately, but as mentioned before, it was an emergency. As he finished his business at the urinal, he saw Slash smoking a cigarette and mumbling to himself.  
><em>

_"Stupid Chainz, I should have hit him with that pipe when I had the chance and-" Slash turned to glare at Zander  
><em>

_"Another kid from the lower school in the middle school bathroom? Your lunch money, my hand. Now."  
><em>

_Zander hesitated and on impulse, fired a blast of shadow energy at Slash, making an explosion and knocking Slash into the wall, cracking it. The smoke cleared and Slash had a small cut on his face. He rubbed the trickle of blood on his face and slowly got up. Zander backed away and tried to run out of the door but Slash was faster and grabbed him.  
><em>

_Before Zander knew it, his pockets were cleaned out and he had a trashcan on his back resembling a turtle shell. All of the middle school aged children laughed at him, including Slash who had his arm around some Blue haired girl. Zander wondered how she could see if her eyes weren't opened. After Zander's humiliating crawl down the hallway, his friends helped him wrench the trashcan off of his back. "Damn him! I will start studying and training so I can get a spot in the upcoming battle a couple of years from now and I will teach The Iron Prince not to fuck with me!"  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

"I'm no Slash fan myself, but I don't think any of that was personal...just a wrong place, wrong time thing and you got the short end of the stick." Ishimaru suggested

"Shut up! He was obviously thought he was tough shit but I trained for the moment I ran into him and beat him down with all of my power. However, when me and Ethan were in St. Louis, I saw the Iron Prince's brother and I had a better idea. Why not take out his brother and send him a message that I haven't forgotten and am a force to be reckoned with."

"I hate to break it to you, but Slash doesn't give a damn about me and vice versa, your quest has been in vain. On top of which, I still have a lot of frustration left."

"We've talked long enough. Ethan use the next spell!"

_"Furqu!"_

The shadows below Zander expanded and branched off into snake-like segments and connected to Chainz's shadow. The segments wrapped around Chainz and extended themselves around his neck. "Chainz!" Ishimaru exclaimed

"I'm alright...I can't..move...it's getting tighter..." Chainz said between breaths

"_The shadows come from the ground and he uses them to immobilize and choke the opponent. There has to be a way to break free..."_

Chainz continued struggling as the shadow trap strengthened its' grip. Ishimaru knew he was on the clock and had to think fast before Chainz was crushed. "If only there was some way to break...wait a minute that's it!"

"Chainz, look down, I have an idea!"

He did as he was told and looked down. "The first spell, _Kai Lei!"_

Chainz shot the much wider but weaker laser from his mouth, destroying a good portion of the shadows from under him. He then closed his eyes and focused. He felt a lot of strength from within build up in his small yet strong body and with one good push, he broke out from the shadows wrapped around his neck and torso, freeing himself.

"Impossible! No mamodo has been able to escape from that! No one!" Zander shouted

"That's because you didn't run into me. The one who's going to be king." Chainz said with a grin

"No...no! We still have one spell left! Ethan, do it!"

_"Ruzilo!"_

Ethan's body covered itself with shadows, the shadows looked like black flames and in Chainz's opinion, it was a beautiful sight to see. After the helmet and body armor formed, a small black sphere rose and expanded into a sword. Zander swung the sword around and looked at Chainz with malicious intent. "With one swing of this sword, you wand your book will be destroyed!"

"I overcame all of your previous spells and will do the same with this one. I tried to do everything on my own and I let my pride get in the way of that before now. Thanks for humbling me by trapping me with your shadows. If it wasn't for that, you likely would have won."

"Spare me the lesson talk and die!" Zander roared as he swung the large sword at Chainz

"Ishimaru, let's take him down with one final clash!" Chainz shouted

"_LEI HOKAISHO!" _Ishimaru shouted as the green light from the spell book illuminated the entire parking lot, kinda making it look radioactive.

Chainz opened his mouth as a massive white laser cobra emerged and shook the ground. Its piercing red eyes glowed, its hood fully opened and wide jaws revealing two powerful fangs pulsating with energy. The laser cobra bit down on the armored Zander and the powerful laser easily eroded away his sword and armor. "So much power..." Zander said in awe as he already began fading

"Daaaaaammmmnnn." Ethan said as he turned to run away. Unfortunately, the laser cobra exploded and he fell onto the ground, the book was caught up in the explosion. White flames blanketed the dark gray spell book and Ethan blacked out.

The smoke cleared and only ashes remained of what was once Zander's spell book. "Ishimaru, thank you for getting me out of his trap."

"We're teammates and we're friends. It's what we do."

"I hate to ruin such a beautiful moment, but I think we need to get out of here before the cops show up considering all of the racket and collateral damage you did." Jyan said crossing his arms

"I thought I'd never say this...but I agree with Jyan." Josh replied looking around

"Alright, but where's Arashi?"

"Behind you." Arashi said standing behind them

"When did you get there?"

"A few minutes ago."

"Right..."

Just as the boys ran down the street back to the diner, multiple cop cars drove right past them, going to the Motel 5 1/2. They reached Big Al's Diner & More. And caught their breaths for a moment. The loud crows of a nearby rooster indicated morning time and to their dismay, the sun rose up a few minutes later. Later on that morning, Arashi was driving down the highway while Ishimaru, Chainz, Josh and Kira were all fast asleep. Jyan refused to fall asleep and played with a Praying Mathis Joe action figure he got out of the kids meal at the diner.

"I just thought about something, I thought Josh said he didn't want to pay for the repairs and that his parents would be pissed about the costs."

"He didn't. We used that Ethan guy's credit card."

"When the heck did you get that?"

"When Chainz was fighting Ethan's mamodo. I took his wallet and snatched his card."

"I almost feel bad for the guy."

"Oh, there's no need to. The cops arrested him after we left for stealing that car he followed us in and for other various things. He'll be in jail for quite a while."

Jyan looked out of the window and saw a black and white sign with the number 66 on it. "Route 66... whatever that is, I hope it's interesting."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in California. Vincent sat with Teal on the beach watching the sunrise together. The past few days were the best days of his life. No Rachel or Beat annoying him, no Ishimaru to argue with, no Grandma punching him, and CJ kept his distance plus had Grace to play with. If it was up to him, these days would never end...as a matter of fact, he could secure a potential future with Teal by popping the question and asking her to be his girlfriend. He wasn't one who openly expressed his feelings and wore his heart on his sleeve...no, he was one of those rough-around-the-edges types. "We've been in our siwmsuits all night, let's go get changed, grab Grace and CJ so we can all have breakfast together." Teal said, the morning sun giving a faint glow off of her skin.<p>

"Actually, I was thinking that we can go somewhere nice this morning...just the two of us."

"Oh...what did you have in mind?" Teal said with a smile

"Well for starters I-" Vincent was cut off by a familiar whiny nasally voice

"GOOOOD MORRRRRRNIIINN GUISE!" Ignor yelled, faceplanting the sand.

"Shit." Vincent mumbled

"Good morning beautiful." Jonny said, kissing Teal's hand and handing her a white rose.

"Hello Jonny." Teal said

"Jonny, back so soon?" Vincent growled shoving Jonny

Jonny stumbled a bit and gave Vincent a death glare but quickly regained his composure. "Don't be so rude Vincent, but for Teal's sake, I will forgive you this time. The band's concert in San Diego was lovely and I came all the way to NorCal to check up on you guys. Plus as a celebration, I am taking you all out to Beachfront Cafe for breakfast this morning."

"You bastard." Vincent growled. How dare he come in and try to make a move on Teal and flaunt his money by taking everybody out to an expensive restaurant he could barely afford for two people, though knowing Teal they would've gone dutch anyway.

[_Beachfront Cafe..._]

The Beachfront Cafe got its namesake because of its location. It was easily the finest restaurant in all of NorCal. **(_A/N- For those of you unaware and non-Americans readers who may not know, NorCal is an abbreviation for Northern California and SoCal is the abbreviation of Southern California.)_**

CJ ws happily munching away at the various overpriced food on the table. Vincent on the other hand, did not eat a thing. He sat on one side of Teal while Jonny sat on the other. Every chance they got, they continued to 1-up each other. For example, when Jonny opened the door for Teal, Vincent would trip him and pull out her chair. This process went on back and forth much to CJ and Ignor's amusement. Ignor was sitting close to Grace, for some strange reason he touched her long light blue locks of hair, every opportunity he could. "Pretty...pretty." he continued murmuring to himself. This made Grace fairly uncomfortable, but she decided to let it go for now.

_"Ignor isn't really right in the head and it would be mean if I yell at him and hurt his feelings, so I'll just be nice and something else will capture his interest soon...I hope."_

"So Teal, a friend of mine is a promoter at this little venue in town. He called me just a little while ago and told me that their scheduled band canceled out their show. He heard I was in town and requested my band come and fill in. I couldn't say no to a friend."

"Oh, well I'm sure your band will do great tonight."

"I woud be honored, if you come out and watch me tonight."

"Jonny...I would love to.

"ACTUALLY, Teal is booked for tonight. We have a sparring match tonight int he ring." Vincent interuppted

"Vince..." Teal began to say

"Save it." Vincent said

"Vincent, you can come to if you want." Jonny said, rolling his eyes

"It'll be a cold day in Hell before that happens." Vincent said, getting up from the table and storming out

Teal frowned at Vincent's sudden departure. "Jonny, I DID set up a sparring date with Vince, and-"

"Say no more. Go to him Teal." Jonny said

Teal nodded as she got up and left. Jonny paid the bill and looked at the teenage mamodos. "Ignor, I have to go prepare for tonight's show, hang out with them, I'll see tomorrow or whatever."

"SURE THING JONNY!" Ignor said waving, while he had a crayon up his nose

The mamodos retreated back to the hotel suite Jonny arranged for Vincent and CJ. CJ was in his room enjoying the vast variety of toys and other trinkets provided by the staff at Jonny's request. Meanwhile, Grace was sitting on Vincent's bed, sifting through a magazine. She saw the the door open a little as Ignor came in. "WATCHA DOIN'?" Ignor asked in a childish manner

"I'm reading a magazine."

"CAN I SEE THE PWETTY PICTURES? PWEASE?" Ignor said batting his eyelashes

"Okay..."

"HUZZAH!" Ignor said as he jumped on the bed. He snuggles up to Grace and put his head on her shoulder. This made Grace very uncomfortable, he needed to keep his distance. "_He doesn't know any better...he couldn't POSSIBLY know anything about that sort of thing...could he?"_

Grace's thought process was abruptly interrupted when Ignor began running his hand through her hair, he guided his lips to her neck, trailing downwards with kisses. Grace had enough, and clocked him in the head with the table lamp next to her on the nightstand. "I knew something wasn't right with you, you perverted bastard." She said as she got up to leave.

"You're not going anywhere bitch." A surprisingly deep, elegant voice said

Grace quickly turned around to see Ignor sitting upwards, a noticeable lump was protruding from his noggin. "Here I was, trying to be gentle with you. I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way, which of course is what I prefer."

"You're speaking in complete sentences now?" Grace gawked

"I act like a retard because it throws off idiots like you."

Grace would have been happy if Teal was here so she could use her spells on this creep, but since she wasn't...hand-to-hand combat would have to do. Ignor charged at Grace, tackling her. She kneed him in the stomach, knocking him back. Grace gained the upper hand as those boxing lessons from Teal was paying off. Grace went on the offensive, she threw multiple jabs across Ignor's face, sending into a wall. She delivered one jab into his stomach and another in the eye. She then grabbed him by the collar of his polo shirt and slammed him into the corner. Ignor slumped onto the floor. He was motionless for about a minute or so.

Believing victory was hers, Grace turned and made her way to the door. Before she could even blink, she found herself pinned onto the bed. Ignor's hot, sharp breath glided down her neck. "You're probably not going to enjoy this, but I don't give a damn."

"NO!"

Grace freed one of her arms from Ignor's grasp and grabbed his neck. She flipped him over and slammed him on the bed. "I don't think so." She snarled, her light blue eyes opened and angry. "All I gotta do is squeeze tighter and I'll break your neck-"

Ignor kneed her in the stomach and regained the upper hand. "I admit, I underestimated you. This time I won't only use a quarter of my strength." Ignor said in a clenched voice, he held one of Grace's arms and pinned the other behind her back. Grace gasped at Ignor's statement. "So this whole time, you weren't even using half of your strength...it can't be..." Ignor pressed down on Grace's pressure point one her neck with his free hand, causing her to black out. Before he could do anything however, he was interrupted by CJ's sudden entrance.

"What the heck is going on in here?!"

"OH SOWWY CJ! WE WERE WRASTLIN AND IT WENT TOO FAR! HYUCK!"

"I'll say. Grace fell asleep."

Grace and Ignor's fight left a huge mess of the room. All of the furniture broken, the sheets torn to shreds, the walls cracked. Repairs of the room were going to cost a fortune. "NOT A PROBLEM!" Ignor exclaimed, running to the hotel phone in the living room. Returning to the heavily damaged, bedroom, CJ had a questionf or Ignor. "Who did you call?"

Before Ignore could open his mout to answer, a hotel maid, a repairman and a plasterer all came into the room and the room restored to normal within a few minutes. Ignor gave them a wad of cash as they left. "Anything is possible when you have money." Ignor said, not realizing he was talking to CJ in his real voice

"Whoa, you never talked like that before."

"OH, THATS JUST ONE OF MY CELEBRITY IMPERSONATIONS, I GET CAUGHT UP IN THEM SOMETIMES! HYUCK"

"Oh ok." The guinea pig boy went back to playing with the toys in the other room, oblivious of what went on in his partner's bedroom. Before Ignor could do anything else, the door flew open as Jonny and Teal returned from their sparring date.

"Vincent, it will be fun, come on and go."

"No Teal, I'm not going."

"He's trying to be an adult here and make up for those childish games you two were playing at the restaurant. Give him a chance."

"Fine. I'll go."

* * *

><p>Teal and Vincent arrived at the venue a little late and the place was easily sold out. People were jammed across the railings, on the floor of the stage and if ti wasn't for Jonny reserving a table for Teal and Vincent, there would have been any way they could have gotten in. Ignor was backstage with Jonny and CJ decided to stay at the hotel and watch over a still unconscious Grace. After a stream of opening acts to get the crowd warmed up, Vincent had to admit he was enjoying himself. It would have been an excellent date if they weren't there because of Jonny Greenburg.<p>

"Next up, the moment you've all been waiting for, our surprise main act. You saw their Reunion concert in San Diego on pay Per View...THE GOLDEN CLOWNS!"

A tidal wave of screams and applause erupted as Jonny and his band appeared on stage. Jonny winked at Teal. (Vincent shattered his mug) The band began playing their usual songs and it went better than anticipated. The concert was drawing to a close two hours later, Jonny took off his electric guitar and put on his acoustic guitar instead. He slowly walked off the stage and parted the crowd. "This next song is for a special girl that I've been admiring in secret." Jonny began playing a soft melody on his guitar, his rhythmic steps making his way towards Teal as Vincent pulled her out of the concert by hand. Her hand quickly and smoothly let go of his and she was face to face with Jonny. A spotlight envelops them as the whole crowd goes silent and forms a circle around them.

"The one I wanted…the one I admired…the one I love_._ I just can't keep my eyes off you…"

Vincent clinched his fist. "Fuck this…I'm out." Walking away, he turned around and saw Teal's body and glared at Jonny's face as he sang to her.

Vincent was pacing down the sidewalk at a fast rate. He can't even remember the last time he was this pissed. Hell, he would rather be at the family reunion than dealing with this crap. "Vincent, wait!" He turned around and saw Teal there.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry..."

"Sorry isn't going to cut it, go be with your boyfriend Jonny."

"I never thought you would be this jealous of Jonny."

"Jealous? JEALOUS?! YOU THINK I'M JEALOUS?!" Vincent exploded, people were now staring

"If the shoe fits." Teal said earnestly

"AND WHAT IS THIS FRIENDLY BULLSHIT? YOU THINK A GUY WHO KISSES YOUR HAND, GIVES YOU A ROSE, SINGS A FUCKING SERENADE TO YOU IN A CONCERT AND FLIRTS WITH YOU CONSTANTLY IS JUST BEING FRIENDLY?! REALLY TEAL? REALLY?"

"I can't believe you're acting this way."

"THIS WAY?! SO I SHOULD BE OKAY WITH SOME GUY WALTZING IN OUT OF NOWHERE, FLIRT WITH THE GIRL I LIKE IN MY FACE, TRY TO MAKE ME LOOK LIKE A DAMN FOOL AND I'M SUPPOSED TO BE OKAY WITH THAT?"

"Vincent I-"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY RIGHT NOW!"

"Will you just listen to me?"

"I AM NOT GOING TO TRAVEL WITH YOU AT ALL THIS SUMMER! I WON'T TALK OR EVEN LOOK AT YOU WHEN YOU COME TO EAST TOKYO THIS FALL! I DON'T NEED YOU MESSING AROUND WITH MY EMOTIONS, YOU WHOR-"

Teal slapped Vincent in the face before he could finish his rant. He could see tears forming in her eyes as she looked down. "I was going to tell you that after Jonny finished his song, I turned him down backstage. I thought about you and how you felt earlier when Jonny was flirting with me, when I sparred with you earlier, I realized what I was looking for was right there in front of me the whole time and I was coming to apologize to you for being so inconsiderate, but maybe I was wrong. It was a mistake to turn down Jonny for you."

Vincent said nothing. He shut down completely. Without even turning back, he walked down the California streets. He currently had n destination and quite frankly liked it that way. Teal sat on the sidewalk and began sobbing, she saw Jonny's white and gold stretch limousine pull up. Jonny rolled down the window and looked at the crying Teal.

"You're way too pretty to cry." Jonny said, opening his door.

Teal didn't respond to the comment but giggled at the remark. "There's no reason for you to be sitting on the sidewalk, come inside my limo and we can cruise, go to the beach or even run off to LA." Teal got into the limo with Jonny and aid her head on his shoulder.

_**A/N- Longest chapter I've written in awhile but I had fun with this one. If you like drama, then you're going to be in luck. If you don't like drama, then you're reading the wrong story. R&R and see you guys early next week!**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Stats-<strong>_

_**Name- Zander**_

_**Partner- Ethan**_

_**Element- Shadows**_

_**Ranking-50th out of 100**_

_**Book Color- Dark Grey  
><strong>_

_**Book burned by- Chainz and Ishimaru  
><strong>_

_**Spells-**_

_**Biku- Zander makes a shadow bolt.**_

_**Kushield- Zander make a large shadow dome-like barrier that covers them completely.**_

_**Giloco- Stronger version of Biku**_

_**Furqu- Zander traps opponents with shadows. They come from ground and wrap completely around the foe. To either almost strangle them or immobilize them.**_

_**Ruzilo- Zander's strongest spell, he makes a large shadow sword, along with armor. Armor and sword look like it has black or more of purple fire coming off of it.**_


	45. Identity revealed! Light Titan emerges!

_**A/N- I don't have much to say other than that I'm having a really exciting time writing this stuff. I am currently in the process in writing the outlines for the chapters that will be released in November and December. I anticipate this story won't end until May or June 2013. It may be sooner than that, but I seriously doubt it. Time will tell though. FYI, as you noticed in the previous chapter, only 50 mamodo are left on Earth. I will be closing down OC submissions permanently in a few weeks from now for obvious reasons. So, if you still want to submit an OC, you have until the end of October because once the deadline passes, I will NOT take any more. No exceptions. Depending on the circumstances and volume of submissions, I will likely create other mamodo myself, to fill in any gaps I may have. Enough of my babbling, enjoy the chapter.**_

The California sun rose and illuminated the clear blue skies. CJ woke up from under a pile of toys and noticed it was quiet throughout the hotel suite. "Vincent!"

No answer. "Vincent!" He called again. Still no answer. CJ walked and looked in the bathroom, the bedroom and the kitchen. His human partner was nowhere to be found. He heard a tap at the door and quickly scampered to open it. "Good morning Grace!"

"Hi CJ. Did you sleep well?"

"Like a baby! Have you seen Vincent anywhere?"

"No. As a matter of fact...I haven't seen Teal either. That's the reason I came over, I thought she was here."

"Nobody's here but me!"

"Well, what do you want to do then?"

"Let's go to the park! I haven't been outside in what seems like forever."

"Alright."

CJ ran into his room to grab his red baseball cap and left the suite with Grace for some fun in the sun.

* * *

><p>"Get out of here you bum! It's 10 am."<p>

Vincent lifted up his head, only to cringe as the sunlight burned his eyes and face. "Ughhh." he groaned

"You heard me, get out of here."

Vincent looked over at the fry cook who was cleaning up the grill. "You had 35 inferno wings and three root beer specials, you passed out due to the sugar overload, the alcohol content combined with the extreme spiciness of the wings. You were laying face down for hours and I cut you off. It's time for you to hit the streets."

Vincent mumbled a few words under his breath as he left the Bar & Grill and walked down the sidewalk. He walked aimlessly for about half an hour until he came across the city park. Vincent figured he could find a bench to rest his tired and somewhat aching feet upon. He let out a big sigh as he rubbed his face. The bristly hairs making up a five o'clock shadow was likely due to stress of last night and the very little sleep he gotten at the Bar & Grill.  
>"I should check on CJ, he's the only one that cares about me."<p>

Vincent however, did not have to go far as he saw him swinging on the metal swing set while Grace pushed him. Just as Vincent got up to approach them, Ignoramus falls out of the tree above the swing set.

"OUCHIE!" he yelled in his annoying nasal voice

A flood of anger rose up in Vincent like shaken soda can. "If that mamodo is here then..." before he could finish talking to himself, Jonny showed up a few yards away from the bench and swing set holding Teal's hand. She had a small blush on her face as she held onto Jonny's arm tightly. Jonny gently tapped Teal as she let go and ran up to Grace. Teal and Grace distanced themselves a bit as they were having conversation, which Vincent had to admit he was curious about. However, he glared at Jonny and noticed the white spell book with golden edges in his hand. Vincent saw CJ wave at him. Without saying a word, Vincent gave CJ a look, and in turn he followed behind him.

Vincent walked up the path to where Jonny was standing, he appeared to be talking on a cellphone. "Yeah and make sure you take him out as soon as you get to the mountains." Joonny looked at Vincent and waved him away. Vincent still did not say a word. "You know what, I'll call you back." he said as he hung up his phone.

"Ah yes, Vincent. How good to see you."

Vincent did not greet him in return.

"The concert was very lovely, such a shame that you left early."

Vincent did not respond to him.

Jonny paused for a second and smiled. "She's not innocent anymore Vincent and I have nobody to thank but a loser like you. " he said as he started to laugh in Vincent's face

"_Fogar_." Vicent said under his breath

In a flash, CJ charged at Jonny, the flaming armor nearly scraping the spell book in Jonny's hand. CJ however, was stopped in midair. He looked down and saw that it was Ignor himself. He used his foot to hold back CJ, Ignor then kicked CJ back into Vincent.

"Well what do you know, if you were a second or two quicker, you would have burned the book." Jonny said smiling

"Vincent, why did you make me attack Jonny and Ignor?" CJ asked, confused

"Oh, so you don't know already?" Jonny asked intrigued

"Ignoramus, I think we should tell them who we really are before they die." Jonny suggested with a smile

"Sure. I'm surprised they even got this far." Ignor said in a deep yet elegant voice

"Die? What do you mean die?!"

"My name isn't Ignor or Ignoramus. My name is really Treachor and this is my actual voice. Being a buffoon was only a facade so we could work behind the scenes."

"We? What are you getting at?"

"There's something else you should know, Jonny's name isn't really Jonny Greenburg, it is actually Mark Miller and I think you have heard of his father and grandfather."

"Wait, you mean the Miller family..." Vincent said raising his brow and finally breaking his silence

"Miller Family? Fill me in here Vincent." CJ said

"The Miller family were an infamous family of serial killers. They often locked up their victims and tortured them before they were murdered. However, the police put both remaining Millers on death row and later executed them. There were reports of a little boy as well and he became a ward of the state. If what he's saying is true, that little boy is him." Vincent said in a grim voice

"That's right. We only told you this because its entertaining to see our victims learn one of our secrets right before we kill them."

"What makes you think we're going to die?" Vincent said, opening the brown spell book

"You have no chance against me. I am Treachor the Light Titan, I am also known as the Light Jester. The Light Society is my Earthly kingdom"

"Light Titan...no way, I heard Beat and Angie talking about the Titans awhile back and how they were likely in the battle for king."

"Honestly, I thought it was obvious. The gold cards, the golden rays of light painted on the private jet, the band is called "The Golden Clowns" for fucks sake. Now you guys know of my group, the Light Society. To be honest, we thought that you guys figured it out a while ago." Treachor said, rubbing his chin

"Your demonic scent is not very strong. I can't imagine you being a titan and you don't have any friends, so I couldn't imagine you leading a secret society."  
>Treachor smiled at this response and within a split second, CJ suddenly fell to his knees. "Damn it! You gotta be kidding me..."<p>

"CJ!"

Vincent looked over at his fallen partner. CJ was mesmerized at the pure strength exerted from Treachor's presence. The former Buffoon they all mocked and laughed at was really a Titan. Mark opened the white spell book with the beautiful golden trim on the edges as a golden light sparkled from the book.

"Mark, give me a spell so we can blast these losers to kingdom come." Treachor said as he began maniacally laughing.

"Luzar-"

"Hold on! Close the book." Treachor commanded

Mark closed the book as the sniper-like radar formed in Treachor's left eye shifted back to normal. "CJ! Vincent!"

They turned to see Grace coming towards them. Treachor looked at Grace and smiled, going back into his Ignor persona

Grace stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw Treachor. Her mind quickly began racing after she realized that scent belonged to him. _"I felt that demonic presence all the way on the other side of the park. He's powerful...I can't take him on. Especially not after what happened in Vincent's room. If I wasn't strong enough to hold him off for as long as I did, who knows what would have happened to me. I gotta tell Teal what happened that day, they are a dangerous pair."_

"Grace you run too fast...I know you're a mamodo but sheesh." Teal said panting and trying to catch her breath

"Hey there beautiful." Mark said, smiling and walking over to Teal.

"Hi Jonny." Teal said, embracing him

At this point, Vincent was too numb to care. He looked at Grace and considered talking to her, but ultimately decided against it. "Come on CJ, we're leaving." Vincent said

"Why are we running away? Titan or not, I want to kick his ass."

"CJ, do as I say and come on."

CJ paused for a moment and started to walk away with his book owner. "It's a shame we didn't get to kill you, but in the end, it doesn't matter. Not too many people are going to believe you any way. It will be your word against Mark's. Good luck with that." Treachor said, waving

CJ and Vincent were out of the park and back at the hotel suite. He quickly packed their belongings and left the suite. CJ tried to grab as many toys as he could but after Vincent scolded him, he decided against it. CJ felt something in his jean pocket and dropped the toys on the floor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the note, CJ looked over it and saw that it was in very elegant cursive. "I can't read this." he said, going into the other room, giving the note to Vincent. Vincent read the note and without another word, folded it and placed it into his pocket.

He did not answer any of CJ's numerous questions as they checked out of the hotel. They went to the local bus station and purchased a ticket. CJ went back into his guinea pig form and climbed on top of Vincent's shoulder. He got on the bus on the way out of California, Vincent turned on his cell phone. He dialed a few numbers and placed the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" a familiar female voice answered  
>"Rachel, where are you and Aaron at?"<p>

"Miami beach and yourself?"

"I'm on a bus heading out of California. I purchased a ticket to Carson City. When I get to Nevada, I'm going to change my ticket to Miami. Me, you and Aaron have a lot to talk about."

"Okay, who are you and what have you done with my brother?"

"Long story." Vincent said

CJ poked his head up. He was surprised that Vincent was actually seeking his brother and sister when it was usually the other way around. Vincent let out a deep breath as the bus surged up the dirt roads.

_**A/N- I know, I know. Short chapter. I'm sure you guys figured it out a while ago that Ignoramus is the Light Titan. As you can see above, for now on I will refer to him and Jonny by their actual names, Mark and Treachor. Always be on the lookout for possible foreshadowing, I like to abuse it. See you guys later on this week! Keep feeding me delicious reviews!**_


	46. Demos unleashed! Trouble for Slash?

_**A/N- I have the best fans in the world. A midnight release of a new chapter go! go! go!  
><strong>_

"Now stopping at the Miami Terminal, all passengers please exit the bus and retrieve your belongings."

Vincent yawned and stretched as he heard the driver's voice on the intercom. He grabbed their luggage from the side of the bus and went inside the station. Eighteen hours on a bus going cross country and occasionally changing buses so he wouldn't have to stop for the night, took a bit out of him along with not getting much sleep that fateful night. "Over here!"

Vincent turned and saw Rachel and Aaron standing there waiting for him. Vincent hauled his tired body to his sister and adoptive brother, "I'm surprised you called us, for you of all people to come to us...it must be big."

"We can discuss it after I get some more sleep." Vincent said, yawning

Vincent fell back asleep in the car ride to the beach house. He woke up later on that evening and looked around at his surroundings. The room was plain and white paint covered the brick walls. He looked out the window and saw the waves crash onto the sand, the buzz of numerous people still hanging out on the beach. Looking on the nightstand CJ still in guinea pig form, was running on the exercise wheel inside the tank. He was in the zone and did not notice Vincent was awake. He opened the door and went downstairs where Rachel, Angie, beat and Aaron were sitting. He pulled up a chair and joined them.

"All right, no small talk. Let's get straight to the point." Vincent said abruptly

Aaron and Rachel nodded in response.

"Back in California, I encountered a mamodo who went by the name Ignoramus but revealed to me that it was simply an alias. His real name turned out to be Treachor."

Angie's eyes widened at the name.

"Treachor also called himself the Light Titan."

"Damn it."

Everybody turned to look at Angie.

"Treachor...is a monster."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked

"Well, in the Makai, Treachor was known to be a psychopath. He was expelled from the school he went to, and was sent to a military academy that doubled as an asylum."

"How do you know this?" Vincent asked

"I was going through a phase at Nana's orphanage and ran away from there. I was busted stealing some food at a shop, because I wasn't very elusive at the time. I was classified as a delinquent and was sent there for a little bit. It's a miracle I didn't turn out twisted and sadistic like most of the kids there..but it still scarred me for life." she said, looking down

"I'm sorry." Rachel said

"No, it's all right now...that was many years ago. I don't know very much about Treachor, he was separated from the rest of us most of the time, because he was too unstable. After they deemed me "reformed", I came back to the orphanage and didn't really hear much about him until he escaped. Why King Zatch the Appeaser would even give him a spot in this battle for king is a mystery to me. Vincent, Treachor is not the only Titan. There were three others."

"Three other Titans? Explain this to me."

"I talked to Slash recently, he mentioned a mamodo named Blue who has the Title of Machine Titan, Arkham who had the title of Hellfire Titan before he was defeated by Blue. He mentioned the Light Titan but he had no idea who it was. There's also something else that you should know."

"What is that?"

"Slash fought the Ice Titan and was defeated."

"What? How?"

"Slash told me that he went to the Sahara and encountered him. Slash fought past his limit and barely made a dent on Solin, the Ice Titan. Solin completely obliterated him."

"His book was destroyed?" Aaron asked

"If Slash's book was destroyed, then how would I know all of this?" Angie asked rhetorically glaring at her book owner

"Anyway, his book would have been destroyed but he said Blue attacked Solin but in turn was interrupted by Arkham. Solin fled the scene and Slash was heavily injured and watched the fight between Arkham and Blue. Slash said that Arkham, the Hellfire Titan, barely made Blue sweat. Blue burned his book."

"So this Machine Titan Blue, was able to easily handle another titan? How strong is he?"

"I don't even think I want to know. Beat and I also fought Solin, the Ice Titan...he is indeed powerful and his demonic scent was overwhelming, even for us but something was different about him. Slash described his ice as black and ominous, his face awful and eyes a glowing red. However, when we fought him, his ice was a crystal blue and he was serene. Beat and I were gaining the upper hand on him, but Solin the Ice Titan meditated, activated Tao Mode and blew us away. Interestingly enough, he did not come after us, he let us escape. Slash said that Solin would not let him retreat or back-peddle, he was hellbent on destroying him."

"That sounds interesting, but I honestly don't have the answer to what happened."

"Neither do I, but heed that as a word of warning regarding the strength and ddanger of the remaining three titans."

Vincent nodded and told them about everything that went down with Teal and Jonny and why he needed to get away. "CJ found this note in his pocket from Grace. She said in the note that Treachor attacked her and that she had a bad feeling about him in general."

"As long as Grace is there, she can protect Teal." Aaron said shrugging

_"Obviously I still love Teal...but the thought of being together with her right now isn't very appealing._.._I need to get my mind off of her completely."_

"Rachel, I want you guys to put me and CJ through the toughest training regiment you know of first thing in the morning."

"First thing in the morning? Screw that, you're getting started now." Aaron said throwing Vincent over his shoulder

* * *

><p>Angie on the other hand, went to Rachel's laptop and turned on the webcam. "You pick a hell of a time to call, especially when I'm about to go out for morning exercises." Slash said backing away from the camera.<p>

"You think you're so strong." Angie teased, seeing Slash's shirtless body.

"Heh, whatever. Anyway, what did you call for?"

Angie told Slash what Vincent told her and what happened when she fought Solin.

"I knew those bastards couldn't be trusted."

"Well, I think you're ore concerned about Grace possibly being in the clutches of Treachor."

"Shut up." Slash said as he hung up

Slash and Kiichiro were back in Japan. They had retreated to Mt. Fujiyama where Slash had been training for the past few weeks. Slash overlooked himself in the mirror before heading out. Like Angie remarked earlier Slash was shirtless, he had a scar over his abdomen where he was gored by his own lance. He noticed that ever since he left the tank Mark and Treachor put him in, Slash's physical abilities increased tenfold. He tugged at his black gym shorts and tied his black tennis shoes as he went outside the cabin. Kiichiro sat there on the porch, waiting for her mamodo to come outside. "Ready?"

"Yep."

Kiichiro hopped on Slash's back as he began sprinting through the wooded area. He couldn't get the loss to Solin out of his mind. Slash had encountered a few mamodo when he returned to Japan and easily defeated all of them. Slash loved the peace and quiet of the mountainside as opposed to the noise he always heard in Tokyo. Slash suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked around.

"What's wrong Slash?" Kiichiro asked

"All right, reveal yourself. I know you're there." Slash said flatly

"Very well then."

Slash turned and saw a teenaged boy and girl standing before them. Looking at the horns sticking out of his shaggy blonde hair, Slash immediately knew that the boy was a mamodo. He towered at six feet tall which bested Slash by five inches, the black trench-coat concealed his body and he wore matching black cargo pants. What threw Slash off however, was the fact he was wearing samurai sandals carved from wood.

Slash glared at him and he glared back. His bloodshot green eyes would have shot fear into the hearts of most mamodos, but not the Iron Prince. Slash had initially forgot about the girl but glanced at her. She looked like she was cutting class, judging by her schoolgirl uniform. Her bobbed black haircut and goofy grin made her resemble many human girls Slash had seen over time. Yet, her permanently blushing cheeks reminded him of Kiichiro's.

"You're Iron Prince Slash." the boy said in a clam yet heavy voice

"And who wants to know?"

"They call me Demos Valseer and that is my partner Becky."

"Get lost. I have other things on my ind."

"I'm afraid I will have to deny your request. An old associate from the asylum asked for a favor, I complied and he sent me here to take you out."

"If your associate wanted to do me in, why couldn't he come here himself and do so?" Slash asked crossing his arms

"From what I know, he's quite the busy man. He couldn't be arsed to come all the way out here to deal with you. He had his fun when he watched Solin the Ice Titan make you squirm."

"So those bastards Jonny and Ignor...I mean Mark and Treachor sent you after me?"

"They're the ones."

"Well, I suggest you better tell me where I can find them. I got some business with them.:

"If you want to know that, you're going to have to work for it." Demos said, throwing his trench-coat aside revealing a white tank-top, it was evident he was locked up at one time considering the chains wrapped around his biceps and shackles around his wrists. Slash noticed that the chains were broken but the cuffs were in tribal tattoos decorated his arms, thick elaborate lines that went down his arm, parallel to each-other and then forked off into a spade pattern.

"Kiichiro, you already know what to do."

Without hesitating Kiichiro hopped off of Slash back and scaled a large rock. She sat on top of the rock and opened the now glowing cerulean blue spell book. Becky opened the slate-colored spell book in response. Slash pulled out his black gloves fro his shorts pockets and placed one on each hand. He yanked the glove on his right hand as tight as he could and made a fist. Slash punched the ground and set off a tremor, a crevice extended from where he was standing all the way to Demos's feet. In response, Demos countered by lifting a massive boulder and tossing it at Slash. Slash punched the boulder, breaking it into tiny pieces.

"Enough of the pissing match, let's do this!" Demos roared

Both heavyweight mamodo disappeared and reappeared. Slash punched Demos multiple times and sent him back a few feet. Demos on the other hand, grabbed Slash by the neck and slammed him into the ground, sending rocks and chunks of earth flying everywhere.

"_Hokeigo!"_

Slash opened his hand as the spike ball and chain collided into Demos's stomach, releasing his grasp from Slash neck and back a few feet. Slash got to his feet as the spike ball dissipated. "My first spell Hokeigo outclasses my brother's which in his case, is his third spell. I would estimate that is the equivalent of his Hokaisho and Jyan's Chikelga which are middle-tier spells." Slash said to himself as he also commended Kiichiro for seeing an opening

"Slash, take him down! _Gazurogaruga!_"

Slash's hand sparked with white energy as he summoned a lance from the ground. Slash ran forward and leaped into the air, ready to gore Demos and pin him into the ground, similar to what he did to Solin in the Sahara but this tie, he will aim for the heart.

"_Tsuruku!"_

Demos's body began shining and appeared to become tanner than it initially was. Slash slammed the lance into Demos's chest only to hear it clang and bounce off of his hard skin. "What the hell..." Slash began to say as Demos slugged him, sending him skidding through the mountainous terrain. Slash got to his feet and picked up his lance. "So the spell hardened his body to the point where my lance can't pierce him...well in every armor, somewhere there's always a chink."

Slash charged at Demos head on, Demos charged at Slash too. The two heavyweights were on the verge of clashing again and it was possible that neither of them would live to tell the tale about it.

_**A/N- Hooray, Slash is back! He's been absent for like 10 chapters, so now you guys know what he's been doing this whole time. It's refreshing to see somebody who didn't hop on the "Going to America" bandwagon. I've been in a pretty good mood all week and I'm excited for Pokemon Black and White 2's English release coming in about a week and a half from now. I gotta reserve a copy whenever I get a chance. As a result of my good mood, I think I'll release a third chapter this Friday. A rare moment indeed since my rule is two chapters a week, but think of it as me making up for that unexpected 2 week hiatus when I had to get another laptop charger. See you guys on Friday or early next week!**_


	47. Slash vs Demos, a new power awakens!

_**A/N- Came down with a cold last week and was locked down with homework. What more fun can I have other than releasing another chapter of Iron Revolution.  
><strong>_

Slash and Demos charged into each other, this may not have been the best tactic for either side. Slash's lance bounced off of Demos's skin and Demos got a fist into Slash's rock hard abs. Slash slid on his feet and turned around to face his opponent. _"Thanks to the training I've been doing in the mountains since I came back from the Sahara, my physical and mental abilities have increase by a significant margin. I hope I can make quick work out of this guy like I did the other mamodo I fought when I came back to Japan."_

Slash clutched his lance as Demos charged at him head-on resembling a bull but with the force of an eighteen-wheeler. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" Demos screamed in a bloodthirsty voice

Slash however, did not budge. He continued gripping his lance tightly as white energy sparked from his hand, the iron tip of the lance began glowing with the white energy as the sparks from Slash's hand grew. Demos slammed his heavy fist into Slash's face and sent him crashing to the ground. Demos grabbed Slash's head, ready to crush his skull into powder, but suddenly his hand loosened and eventually relinquished his grip. Demos tumbled backwards as he looked down and saw why Slash did not dodge him. Cracks trickled down to his waist and blood oozed out of his stomach and dripped on the rocky ground. It took him another minute due to the shock to realize that Slash gored him with the lance, he penetrated the armor-like skin and got to his internal organs.

"This is blood...my blood...no mamodo has ever made me bleed...I...I...I am going to kill you." Demos said in a hateful voice as he puled the lance out of his stomach and snapped the solid iron in half. Demos toss the bloody lance and glared at Slash. His already bloodshot eyes became even redder.

"_Amu Tsuruku!"_

Demos's arm hardened and morphed into what resembled solid bronze. His arm then split into three large segments and his fist extended forward connected to a bronze chain.

"Kiichiro, hurry!" Slash shouted at the small child

"_Gigano Hokeigo!"_

Slash's hand opened as a giant spikeball connected to a thick chain shot out of his hand. The giant spikeball and large fist clashed, sparks shot everywhere, hitting and warming up a few rocks. "Evenly matched. In which case, his spell is the equivalent of a strong Gigano-level." The spell canceled each other out and dissipated. Demos continued roaring, expressing his desire for bloodshed. Slash yanked on the gloves covering his hands as tightly as he could once more as he got down on a knee. Like a fully-loaded truck, Demos charged at Slash again. Slash nodded towards Kiichiro as the blue light from his book began glowing.

"_Ganzu Gazoruk!"_

Metallic film covered Slash's fists and small spikes extended from the knuckles. Without hesitating, Slash began punching the ground in rapid secession, massive spikes rose out of the ground, but it didn't impact Demos's momentum in the slightest. He pushed through and broke many of the metal spikes that shot up from the ground. "He's already bleeding and is too pissed off to feel pain. There's nothing that can hinder him, he is a fighting machine." Slash said solemnly

Getting through the spikes, Demos tackled Slash as they both flew into and broke numerous trees, tumbling down the mountainous slope. Slash grabbed onto Demos's shoulders and used his foot to flip Demos off of him. Slash got up and feel the numerous cuts on his back, he felt the blood drip down like sweat. At this point, it was likely a mix of both. This wasn't the time to think about his own potential injuries, Slash had to win this fight.  
>He looked around and could not see Demos in sight. He was a few dozen yards away from Kiichiro, so using spells was out of the question for the time being. Slash decided to make his way back to his book owner before Demos beat him there and burn the book.<p>

He got back to the top of the slope and began sprinting. The area around him was nothing more than a blur as he took long, powerful strides. He saw Demos making his way towards Kiichiro. Damn it, he beat him there. Demos was approaching her as he was deciding on her fate. "After I destroy the book, I will destroy the little brat too." Kiichiro backed away off from the rock and held the book tightly in her mouth as she climbed even higher up the rocky terrain.

"No, Kiichiro!"

Demos was coming closer and closer to her. "I think twisting her arms until she screams will be amusing." Kiichiro looked and saw she didn't have elsewhere to go as she climbed over the higher rocks. It wouldn't take Demos more than a couple of minutes to reach her. She kept the book close to her body and saw her very short life flash before her eyes. Slash wouldn't make it in time to protect her, Demos was much faster than him. She wouldn't blame Slash for her death, she was only a liability in the first place anyway. Her fatalistic thinking stopped for a second as she saw a bright light from the cerulean spellbook. "The book hasn't glowed this brightly since the day I met Slash..."

_[Flashback, 8 months ago...]_

_"Don't worry sweetie, we will be back this afternoon."  
><em>

_"Mommy, you and Daddy have to take me with you!"_

_"No Kiichi-chan. We have some things to do, I'm sorry we don't have anymore money since daddy's company went bankrupt, but we are finding new jobs as we speak. Someday, we will have a new house and we will buy you all of the toys in the world. Now be a good girl until we come back."  
><em>

_Kiichiro sat on the swing that morning as her parents left the park. She and her parents slept in a different place every night. Her father told her that they were on an adventure to find the perfect home filled with all of the toys she could play with. She just turned seven years old a few weeks ago and was very happy at the cupcake her parents got her that day. She felt as though she was the luckiest girl in the world, her parents being her best friends and always being together, searching for the home filled with toys.  
><em>

_The morning soon shifted to afternoon and eventually sunset. Kiichiro still sat on the swing waiting for her parents to arrive. She saw a bunch of shady looking men and teenagers hanging around in the park. They had stacks of money and were playing with with dice and looking at a white powder. "Why are the playing with dice and no board or pieces. I want to play until my mommy and daddy come get me, plus they have sugar too! No fair." Kiichiro hopped off of the swing and approached a group of the shady characters.  
><em>

_"Let me play with the dice." she said  
><em>

_"Got any money?" one of the men asked  
><em>

_"No. I want to roll."  
><em>

_"Get lost." one of the others said_

_"I'm noot going anywhere until you let me play!" Kiichiro shouted, kicking one of the men in the leg.  
><em>

_"You little brat!" he roared, pushing her on the ground and cracking his knuckles  
><em>

_Before the man could do anything, he fell to the ground with a thud. The other men looked around and saw a muscular boy with slick hair standing before them, he held a cerulean blue book in his hand. "I didn't kill the fool, but you should know better than picking on a little ankle-biter."  
><em>

_One of the other men, revealed a knife and charged at the boy. The boy simply sidestepped him and gave him a heavy-handed uppercut to the jaw. He glared at the other shady characters as they quickly fled, dragging their unconscious leader and crony away.  
><em>

_"Thanks..."  
><em>

_"This isn't your kind of place to hang around at this hour kid."  
><em>

_"This wasn't my choice, I was waiting for my mommy and daddy to show up and besides, you should tell me your name."  
><em>

_"My name is Slash."  
><em>

_"I'm Kiichiro."  
><em>

_"No need for you to get into more trouble here especially if the come back, so I'll take you to the poli-"  
><em>

_Slash stopped mid-sentence as the book in his hand glowed with blue light. The park was brighter at night at that moment than it had been in years._

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

Kiichiro looked down at the book as she opened it. "A...a new spell."

Kiichiro suddenly felt her ankle being dragged and to her horror, saw Demos get a full grip on it. "SLAAAAASSSSHHHH!" she screamed as she fought for dear life, only for Demos to squeeze harder on her ankle. "I can crush your bones easily, but that would be no fun." Kiichiro looked at the still glowing book that was leaving her hands, it was her last hope.

"THE NINTH SPELL, _HOKEKERUK!"_

Kiichiro felt Demos drag her body off of the large rock as he grabbed on tightly. She knew she was done for and she closed her eyes to accept her fate. fter a few moments, she felt nothing. "_Am I dead?"_ she wondered

Kiichiro opened her eyes to see the cerulean spell book in her lap and that she was not in the arms of Demos. Tiny spikes were portruding out of her rescuer's arms. A dark bluish aura emitted from his body and his face looked familiar but his eyes were glowing white.  
>Her rescuer stop and his tracks and let her on to the ground. Kiichiro looked up and saw that it was none other than Slash himself!<p>

"Slash...but how?"

"Hokekeruk is an enhancement spell, my speed and strength are temporarily multiplied and I was able to snatch you from the hands of Demos at the last moment. Working to gain this spell was my main reason for coming to the mountains in the first place."

"I see...but I put all of my strength from within into that last spell. There's no way we can continue to fight them."

"No need to worry about that right now..."

_[Flashback...a few minutes earlier]_

_"THE NINTH SPELL HOKEKERUK!"  
><em>

_Slash heard Kiichiro's shrieking voice as his feet began moving even faster than before. Small spikes grew out of his arms, a surge of power flowed through his veins as a blue aura was emitted from his body. He found himself in front of Demos and quickly snatched Kiichiro out of his grasp. Slash gently placed her back on top of the rock and the spell book in her arms. In a flash of blue light, he disappeared and reappeared in front of Demos punching him in the face. Slash then punched Demos into a tree and with his speed boost, quickly grabbed Demos and took him high into the mountains before he could make a move. Slash dropped him from the upper slope as he crashed into the ground. Following in his wake, Slash slammed his foot into Demos's already damaged stomach, covering himself and the ground in Demos's blood.  
>He looked towards Becky and decided to make his way towards her.<br>_

_"This match is over." Slash said, walking towards her.  
><em>

_Slash however did not make it to her, as he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Demos was standing! There was a massive hole in his stomach to where you could see all the way through him. Blood trickled out of his mouth, blood smeared all over the chains and tribal tattoos on his arms. "Mark and Treachor are in America, California to be more specific. At least, they were there last time we talked to them."  
><em>

_"All right. Now I know where to head next, nobody sets me up and lives to tell about it." Slash said, turning around and walking away  
><em>

_"We need to finish our battle." Demos said, spitting out a chunk of blood.  
><em>

_"We'll have our rematch." Slash said  
><em>

_"Until then, nobody burns your book but me." Demos growled  
><em>

_"Same goes for you." Slash said in response as he jumped back on the rock and held Kiichiro in his arms.  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

__"So that's what happened." Kiichiro said as they walked back to their cabin

"Yeah, after I recover and rest up. We head out across the Pacific immediately."

After a week of resting and light exercise, Slash was fully recovered. He sealed up their cabin and left Mt. Fuji. After another day of walking, they came across a cargo shipped marked for the California bay. They climbed in a large crate and were loaded onto the ship as their voyage across the ocean began.

_**A/N- So Slash vows to take down Treachor the Light Titan. Will he get his revenge or will he bite off more than he could chew? Is Treachor and the Light Society the only threat to worry about? Find out in the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R folks!**_


	48. A surprise in the town square!

_**A/N- This week has been going by SLOWLY! I finished all of my assignments for the week...well I have one quiz that's due on Sunday but whatever. Going to my university's football game this Saturday, so plenty of drinking to get done. Then of course Pokemon Black and White 2 will be out this Sunday. I pre-ordered White 2 and have been looking forward to this game for MONTHS. I have rambled on long enough, enjoy the chapter.**_

Slash slowly opened up the large crate he and Kiichiro stowed away in. The Pacific was a beautiful sight to see, seagulls crying swooping around. The sunlight sparkled and reflected off of the water. Slash laid against the crate, his back parallel with the side. He let out a deep breath, he had to admit what Angie said to him about Grace being in the hands of Treachor bothered him. Of course, if he openly admitted that too Angie, she would never let him live it down. Of course, she couldn't be one to talk, considering the way she's been eying her own bookkeeper. Slash chuckled to himself and shook off these thoughts. "There's no way that I love Grace. What we had needs to stay in the past where it belongs...I had to walk out on her...power is everything and hatred is the key to unlocking power."

Slash saw that Kiichiro was fast asleep still on the inside part of the crate, he figured that he wouldn't disturb her. "At least, I don't think I love her..." Slash said looking out into the sea.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Blue walked into a laboratory, numerous tubes and beakers filled with obscure liquids were scattered all over the place. Broken glass was piled into the trashcan. Syringes with needles in every size were lined and stacked up neatly. Blue continued down the lab and noticed scalpel, scissors and thread on the table. A man wearing a black lab coat quickly turned around and saluted Blue.<p>

"What brings you down here sir?"

"I just came down here to check the status on the vessel."

"Sir, the vessel is progressing steadily. The corpse you retrieved from the Saharan battlefield is an ideal fit."

"Of course, everything I plan is mistake-proof. What about the mamodo I found at the Ryukyu Islands after that fool Chase was defeated?"

"The noxious gas has mutated the subject's body and his DNA has been rearranged. According to our tests, his spell power has also been mutated, I suggest artificial enhancements."

"So, you want another check with plenty of zeros." Blue said, showing an evil smirk

"Quality doesn't pay for itself." the scientist replied

"Alright, I'll tell Elisabeth to get the cash forwarded to your account." Blue said, walking out of the lab.

Blue's fortress was massive, not only was there a laboratory on the bottom floor, but there were multiple staircases, corridors, traps and puzzles. He walked back into his throne room and saw four shadowy figures with glowing red eyes standing before him. One of the figures resembled a large alligator, another resembled a dragon-like figure, the third figure appeared to have wings and armor on and the fourth of the shadowy figures was dressed in robes and floating on a broomstick.

"I am pleased to see that my generals arrived in a timely manner. I called you all to assembly to conduct business as usual, any news to report?"

The dragon-like figured cleared his throat and spoke. "From the intel gathered by our field agents, it seems that the Light Society has been quite active as of recently and are already making their move. Shall we prepare to confront Treachor?"

"No. The Black Corps does not need to make any moves right now. The Light Society is making a mistake drawing too much attention to themselves, so we will continue working under the radar. I did not choose this remote island as a base just for the hell of it."

"Understood. Anything else sir?"

"All I want you four generals to do for now, is to keep track of the squads of freelancers that have been assigned to each of you. I will continue to monitor The Light Society and Treachor's further actions. You guys are dismissed for now." Blue said as the Four Generals saluted him and left. He got up from his throne-like chair and rubbed his shaved head before getting lost in his own thoughts. _"I know Solin lost his Titan status when his book reset and his partner changed. It's impossible to be a Titan and not sense a drastic power shift like that. Of course, he is another matter. Treachor's next move will be an interesting one."_

* * *

><p>"Here we are boys, Arizona!" Josh exclaimed as the crossed state lines and drove into a city called Scottsdale. "This place has some serious loot." Jyan said, slipping on a burglar's mask before getting slapped around the head by Josh. Surprisingly they had no other problems, no enemies or anything the rest f the way to the state. The road trip was exhausting but they made it, the boys parked downtown and began walking around the city square. Ishimaru suddenly topped in his tracks as he heard a familiar voice. "Ishimaru, you guys!"<p>

"Anego?" Arashi asked looking shocked when he saw the owner of the voice

Haley and Kai stood before them. However, they both were wearing white jumpsuits with gold stripes intersecting at the middle of their shirts, they even had matching white shoes. "What's with the getup?" Chainz asked crossing his arms.

"Oh these uniforms? Pretty cool huh? We joined this organization called the Light Society." Haley said beaming with pride.

_**A/N- This is the shortest chapter I've written for this entire story, but it is one of, if not the most important one, So many seeds have been planted, so read more carefully than usual. I know. I know. You guys are thinking why in the hell did Kai and Haley join the Light Society. Well, I got some 'splaining to do next week, so speculate til then and 2 more days! R&R folks!**_


	49. Into the lair of The Light Society!

_**A/N- White 2 is fucking awesome! The Light Society reminds me of Team Plasma from BW1 and The Black Corps reminds me of Neo-Team Plasma in BW2. (BW2 spoiler)  
><strong>_

"Light Society? What is that?" Ishiamru asked

"It's an organization dedicated to making the world a better place." Haley replied

"I'm still lost here."

"Follow us." she said, motioning them. They walked down the town plaza, passing numerous shops and cafes. After walking for half a dozen blocks, Haley finally came to a halt. She stopped at a hole-in-the-wall cafe and opened the door, setting off a bell. Looking around, the boys saw people sitting at the tables, sipping cappuccino and talking amongst themselves. Haley went behind the register, smiled at the cashier and typed in a few keys. A click was heard and the register slid open. She reached inside and flipped a switch, she motioned them to continue following her as she went into the storeroom. As they went inside, they saw a large floor tile slide open, revealing a descending staircase. The group made their way down the stairs and into an underground tunnel. After about a minute of walking, a heavy white door with a golden sun painted on it stood before them. Two tall men with similar god and white jumpsuits on held AK-47s as they pointed them at the group.

Haley and Kai raised their right hands. "Let the light illuminate the darkness of ignorance in the minds and hearts of the masses."

The guards lowered their guns and opened the doors, and let them in. "These are our guests, please allow them in." Haley said as the guards let the boys through.

Behind the doors revealed a large chamber made of pure white marble. Hundreds of golden chandeliers draped on the ceiling, the numerous tables covered in white satin cloth. The floors were a brilliant carpet of goldenrod. What stuck out most however, were the hundreds of men and women dressed in gold and white jumpsuits, a moderate buzz of murmurs echoed throughout the chamber as they all sat at the tables talking amongst themselves.

"They are all humans..." Chainz began to say, looking around

"Believe it or not, Kai is only one of three other mamodo in the entire Light Society...four if you count our leader, The Light Jester."

"The Light Jester?"

"The Light Jester is the king of the Light Society and of course, our boss. He is the one who recruited us, we found gold cards and decided to investigate further into this and we eventually were confronted by him."

"I remember seeing a gold card in my locker after practice." Ishiamru said

"Well, it is likely that you were evaluated as a potential recruit for the Light Society." Haley said, shrugging

"I see. So, what made you bring us here?" Ishimaru asked

Before Haley could open her mouth and answer, a large screen lowered down and powered on. A familiar-looking mamodo was sitting in a golden throne, dressed in an even more elegant white and gold robe. He wore a sun-like crown on his head, the golden capes reaching the floor."Is that Ignoramus?" Chainz asked, scratching his chin

_**"Greetings my beautiful society. It is I, your benevolent king. I am happy to speak and see your bright and cheerful faces. I am sure you all are spreading the light everywhere you go, you are illuminating the darkness of ignorance and intolerance. I truly believe in my heart that you are spreading truth. To that...I say keep up the good work. Today however, is no ordinary day, no. Today is the day, a member of our fellowship who has gone above and beyond** **his duty of spreading the light will be appointed into Acehood. Brother Kai, I request that you and your partner Sister Haley come to the throne and prepare to officially undergo the ceremony. Keep in mind that o_**nce you become an Ace, you are an Ace for life. You are part of my personal command and will take a leadership role amongst your brothers and sisters. I will arrive shortly, until then eat, drink and be merry!**_**_**_"_**

The crowd roared and cheered as they all raised their fists, chanting "Spread the Light!" repeatedly.

"Acehood?"

"Under the Light Jester, the Light Society is commanded by Admins formally known as Aces. The Aces of the Light Society are part of The Light Jester's personal guard and carry out any and all direct commands from The Light Jester. Aces can also oversee their own objections as well. Kai is being sworn in as an Ace and the real reason I invited you guys to Arizona, was not only to see Kai's ceremony but to also recruit you guys into the society."

"Haley, I understand you guys want to do the right thing, I really do...but this place is a cult. This isn't right." Ishimaru said, shaking his head

"How is this a cult? Tell me something that we're doing wrong here? Look, I didn't expect you to fully understand, which is why I was not upfront with you in the beginning...but I didn't expect you of all people to rush to judgement so quickly. Leo yes, but not you Ishi."

Ishimaru did not immediately answer Haley. The Light Society was strange to him, but she did have a point. He did not see anything illegal being done and they were doing good deeds. "Sorry, but I don't trust this organization."

"I think the real question is, why is that mamodo your leader? The very few times, we have seen him, he was a buffoon."  
>Chainz remarked<p>

"You don't know anything about The Light Jester. He is a mamodo named Treachor and he earns his name the Light Jester due to his manipulation of light energy. If you want to know more, stick around and wait for him to arrive and appoint Kai." Haley said bluntly

"Fair enough." Ishimaru grunted

"Kai, can you at least tell us how you and Haley joined The Light Society?" Chainz asked

Kai, was sitting quietly the whole time, finally broke his silence and began. "Well, it all started when we were still in Japan..."

_**A/N- Yep, another really really short chapter. I promise that I will make it up to you guys later on this week when I finally give you a full explanation on what's going on. R&R!**_


	50. Kai! The newest Ace of the Light Society

_**A/N- 50th chapter and over 200 reviews! Thank you guys so much! You guys are awesome! Pokemon White 2 is amazing, though I'm about to beat the league. I hope the postgame storyline is long... Anyway, like always, thoughts, spells and flashbacks are always in italics. **_

"Kai, can you at least tell us how you and Haley joined The Light Society?" Chainz asked

Kai was sitting quietly the whole time, finally broke his silence and began. "Well, it all started when we were still in Japan..."

_[Flashback about two months ago...]_

_"Good work Kai! You broke all of the targets faster than last time, I think it's a new record."_

_"What can I say, it's all in the wrist."_

_Haley and Kai wrapped up another day's worth of training as the sun was setting behind the buildings. It had been quite a while since they had really worked on accuracy, but it was evident that Kai did not miss a beat. They walked away from the empty lot and up the street back to Haley's apartment. "Kai, we are going stateside in a few weeks from now to visit my parents. I also would like for you to meet them too, it will be a fun trip and-"  
><em>

_Haley did not finish her sentence as Kai immediately stopped in his tracks. He tapped Haley as she pulled out the spell book. "Relax, we have no intention to fight." a voice said  
><em>

_Haley and Kai turned and saw Mark and Treachor standing before them.  
><em>

_"Allow us to introduce ourselves, my name is Jonny Greenburg and this is my mamodo partner Ignoramus."  
><em>

_"You really expect me to believe that's actually your name?" Kai asked, glaring at Ignoramus_

_"Looks like nothing gets past you." Ignoramus smirked  
><em>

_He took a deep breath and continued on. "Very well then, Jonny and Ignoramus are simply aliases we use. My real name is Mark Miller and his real name is Treachor, we are looking for allies to join our cause."  
><em>

_"Give us a good reason to team up with somebody who won't even use their real names and besides, we already have allies." Kai said dismissively  
><em>

_Mark let pit a deep sigh and rubbed his chin. "It's not like I have a choice but to use an alias."  
><em>

_"What do you mean?" Kai asked  
><em>

_"Like said earlier, my name is Mark Miller and I'm an American. It's obvious that the girl is also an American...Haley is it? Well, I'm sure you heard of The Miller family."  
><em>

_"Yeah..." Haley said, a bit annoyed now  
><em>

_"Well, people obviously don't have the warmest reaction when they recognize my lineage and I was given an assumed identity."  
><em>

_"You don't say." Haley replied sarcastically  
><em>

_Sorry, but I don't keep up with human affairs, what are you guys talking about?" Kai interrupted impatiently  
><em>

_"The Miller family was a family of serial killers who tortured and brutally murdered their victims. They were known for conduction numerous cruel experiments for reasons unknown. About ten years ago, there were only three members left, an old man, an average-aged adult and a little boy. The old man and the younger man were finally arrested and later executed and the little boy was taken away as a ward of the state. Apparently, that little boy is this Mark guy in front of us."  
><em>

_"I see. What is this cause you speak of?"  
><em>

_"So, after you find out my lineage, instead of running away in fear or attacking me, you listen for my reasons? This is quite remarkable."  
><em>

_"Who am I to judge? However, I am not really interested in helping your buddy Treachor become king."  
><em>

_"No. Our cause is far greater and far more important than winning a silly tournament. This tournament is only a platform to be used for the big picture."  
><em>

_"Explain."  
><em>

_Mark motioned to Treachor as he cleared his throat and began. "Mark and I lead an organization known as The Light Society, we operate mostly underground for now, but a lot of our promotion is through music. I'm sure you heard of The Golden Clowns."  
><em>

_"I've heard a song here and there." Haley shrugged, not trying to seem impressed that she was talking to the lead singer and his mamodo partner.  
><em>

_"Well, a lot of the band's lyrics is advocating reform of the justice system and spreading light upon ignorance. Our themes are all direct referenced to The Light Society. We are dedicating to fight for the justice of both humans and mamodo. We handle some things with an "any means necessary" type of approach, I will not lie to you, some of our tactics are unorthodox."  
><em>

_"So you want to be a kind king and bring justice to the Makai. As I recall, King Zatch the Appeaser was spouting off the same hot air and we all know how that turned out." Kai retorted harshly  
><em>

_"The King's heart was in the right place, but he was too nice. No, my...I mean The Light Society's goal is to put a king in place that will be loving yet stern at the same time."  
><em>

_"Good luck with that, but we're not interested." Kai said as he motioned to Haley and began walking away  
><em>

_"Look, how about you come along for a trial session. Before you make your final judgement on us, come see us in action, maybe lend a hand?" Mark asked  
><em>

_Kai really had some loafing around to do, but even he knew that he was still somewhat interested in what they had in mind. "I'll take a look, but I'm not promising anything."  
><em>

_"Fair enough, but out of all of the missions various Light Society members conduct, this is one in particular that I think you may be interested in."  
><em>

_After a few minutes of walking, they came across a lrge buildding. The heavy door before them was covered in chains and padlocked/ "What is behind this door?" Kai asked  
><em>

_"I'll explain that later, but for now, we need to open this door. I saw your speed earlier and was wondering if you're able to rip this to shreds"_

_Kai looked at Haley and back at the numerous chains. He closed his eyes and focused, with a few lightning-fast swipes, all of the chains broke into tiny pieces, both padlocks shattered as well. Kai pushed the door open as they went inside. Multiple cameras rotated on the ceiling, other than those, the long corridor was empty, the floor sparkled and shined as if it was just waxed and clean merely a few hours ago.  
><em>

_"We need to get to the end of the room, think you can handle it?"  
><em>

_"Is that a challenge?" Kai asked, stretching  
><em>

_"And if it is?" Treachor asked, smirking  
><em>

_"It obviously isn't as easy as it looks. Of course, when you have the speed and balance I have, it's pretty basic regardless."  
><em>

_Kai hopped up and landed on the side of the wall. He dashed up the wall and in a few blurs, destroyed multiple surveillance cameras. Kai continued along the wall, and landed at the end of the hallway. The sides of both walls opened up as multiple lasers shot out, intersecting each other. Kai quickly hit the ground and dodged their path. He slid under the forthcoming lasers and rolled to the right away from the next set. He looked up and saw a switch near the wall adjacent to where he was currently located. Kai rolled and backflipped, hitting the switch as he stood up. The lasers suddenly shut off, and the cameras that weren't destroyed by him earlier, deactivated.  
><em>

_Mark, Treachor and Haley caught up with Kai at the end of the room. Treachor motioned them over to him and revealed an ordinary painting of a little girl herding her sheep. Treachor removed the paining from the wall and revealed a built-in safe. He placed the combination into the wall and opened the heavy iron door. Haley and Kai couldn't belive their eyes, wad after wad of cash filled the safe.  
><em>

_"No way.." she began to say  
><em>

_Mark and Treachor began shoveling the cash into a large sack and finished doing so within the span of a few minutes. Haley was in complete disbelief. "Let me get this straight, we just helped you guys commit a robbery."  
><em>

_"This wasn't necesarily robbery, this is the house of a drug lord. We are simply taking this dirty money and giving it back to the community where it belongs."  
><em>

_"Regardless, this is stealing." Haley said, crossing her arms  
><em>

_"Which is better, using this money for feeding the hungry, providing school supplies for needy children and so on or letting a guy like this use this money for no good?"  
><em>

_Haley paused for a minute. Even though she didn't agree with doing this, even she had to admit that Mark had a point. "How do we know you can be trusted?"  
><em>

_"I'm not supposed to do this, but I will take you to one of our bases and show you where the money goes. If you start to see things our way, then I encourage you to join us."  
><em>

_[Light Society satellite base]  
><em>

_Just as he promised, Mark and Treachor took them to the nearest base. Looking around, one could tell there were so many things going on at once. Children learning how to read, hot meals being prepared and served, clothes being given away among many other things.  
><em>

_"You see, Treachor and I built this whole organization from the ground up. Our message is being reached on a global scale, I ask of you to join us. Help us spread the message, this is your calling."  
><em>

_"Why do you want us to join you so badly?" Haley asked  
><em>

_"The potential within you guys is like no other. Believe it or not, out of the entire organization, counting Treachor, there are only four other mamodo. That alone, hould prove to you that this isn't just some ragtag alliance thrown together to win a tournament."_

_"Kai, what do you think?"  
><em>

_"Well, we could do a lot of good with the resources they have. I'll accept for now."  
><em>

_"If Kai is in, then so am I."  
><em>

_"Excellent. Of course, I can't give you guys any preferential treatment. You will have to start from the bottom and work your way up. Of course, I don't expect you guys to face much difficulty. I expect great things from you two."  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

"So again, explain to me what exactly we are doing wrong?" Haley asked

Before anyone could open their mouths to argue, Mark and Treachor appeared. Like the others, they were also wearing gold and white jumpsuits. Treachor however, wore a gold and white motley-patterned cape over his jumpsuit extending to the floor. On top of his head, sat a golden jester's hat with white bells dangling from them. He and Mark sat on their thrones.

"The ceremony shall commence!" yelled a Light Society member

"What the hell...that's Ignor!" Jyan exclaimed

Treachor turned and looked directly at Jyan. He waved his hands to stop the fanfare. "At times, I am the buffoon you all know as Ignoramus or Ignor. However, most of the times when you idiots aren't looking or paying attention, I am Treachor. Acting stupid was the ideal ploy for me to use when I was observing and evaluating potential members. Perhaps I played the part a bit too well, but nonetheless I gathered all of the info I needed and there is no reason for me to continue being Ignor. Continuing on with the ceremony, KAI!"

Kai walked forward and knelt before Treachor.

"I officially grant you the Title of Ace. You may officially take your post with the other Aces."

Three other mamodo, also dressed in Light Society garments stood before the crowd. One of the mamodo was a girl with a normal shade of tan skin, her blue hair and eyes appeared to be as icy as her heart was. She stood there at attention, waiting for an order. The second mamodo was a boy who also had tan skin, but instead was complimented with messy black hair and black cat ears which interestingly enough, opened from the side instead of the front. The third mamodo boy, was the most menacing out of the three. The gold and white striped beanie on his head, covered his eyes, but stands of white hair covered a lot of his forehead too. He wore a grin of sharp teeth extending from his mouth. His bronzed skin blended in nicely with the color scheme.

"Kai, it's great that you're officially an Ace now." The boy with the beanie said

"Glad to be here Skyde."

"Maxwell and I are also glad to be working alongside you now." the girl said

"Thank you Claire."

"Kai, I also officially appoint you as the leader of The Aces. In this organization you are 2nd only to me and you lead in my absence."

"Understood."

The boys were in disbelief. Nobody could honestly believe what was unraveling before them.

"So these are the ones Kai reported to us." Skyde said, looking at Kira, Chainz and Jyan

"Reported? What do you mean?" Kira asked

"When you fought the Chess Pieces, Haley secretly recorded your fights and sent them back to us directly. She was hellbent on proving that you guys could be assets to our cause." Skyde said

Haley felt multiple sets of eyes glaring daggers at her. "Haley..how could you..." Ishimaru began to say before turning away

"Don't act so surprised. Why else did you think you received the golden cards? Haley reported data on not only Chainz, Jyan and Kira. But also CJ, Slash, Hori, Grace, Angie, Beat and others. It is unfortunate that she was never honest with you about it, but it is what it is. Will you join our cause to spread justice?"

"Go to Hell." Chainz barked

"No thanks, but I don't mind sending you there myself! Marlo!"

Skyde's bookkeeper Marlo, came out of the audience of Light Society members. He leapt into the air and frontflipped, landing next to Skyde. He brushed his shaggy blonde hair away from his face, revealing his grayish-blue eyes and pale skin.

"_Amudey!"_

The entire base began shaking as the floor began to split. Chainz clutched the carpeted floor as he was being forced backwards by the seismic waves.

"Skyde! Enough! Do not fight here! There is a time and place for everything." Treachor snapped

"Anego, please leave this place. This talk about doing good is a bunch of bullshit. This is nothing but a cult, you saved me from myself once and I want to save you from yourself." Arashi pleaded

"Haley, if you won't come back willingly, I won't hesitate to force you to come back."

" I shouldn't have recorded you guys without your permission, but I knew there was no way you would understand our cause. If you aren't with us, then you are against us and impeding justice."

"Mark, you and Treachor obviously brainwashed them! There is now ay in hell, Haly and Kai would join something like this."

"No Ishimaru, I'm not brainwashed. I joined them on my own free will. I really want you guys to give us a chance. We gave them a chance and we joined their cause."

Ishimaru however, did not respond to Haley. He simply turned aroun and walked away. Arashi, Josh, Jyan and Kira followed suit. Chainz however, stood there for a few moments longer. He glared at Treachor, then at Skyde and lastly at Kai. "Chainz, if you get in our way. I swear, I will hunt you down and burn your book." Kai snarled, taking Chainz by surprise

"I will save you from yourself, even if that means burning your book." Chainz said regaining some of his composure as he turned to leave

"Ishimaru." Chainz said

"What?"

"I think we should go find Leon and Toshiro, maybe they know something we don't."

"Good idea."

_**A/N- Sorry for only putting out 1 chapter this week. I've been pretty sick as of recently. No worries since I've gotten a lot better. Yes, Kai and Haley have done a heel-face-turn, or have they really? Is the Light Society truly evil? Or maybe it's just one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch? Find out what happens in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_


	51. A surprise talk!

_**A/N- I don't have any comments right now.**_

"It's almost morning..." Ishimaru yawned and murmured to himself as he noticed dawn approaching

A few days have passed since their encounter with Treachor and The Light Society. Ishimaru was driving the van down the Arizona highway, the massive rifts of the Grand Canyon was on both sides of them. Judging by the dusty blue sky, it was around four o'clock in the morning. Most of the boys in the van were asleep, save for Ishimaru, Chainz and now Josh. Chainz was bothered by what went on at the base, but he didn't want to discuss it with anybody at the moment. He noticed Ishimaru pull into a rest stop as he stopped the van and switched places with Josh. Ishimaru was fast asleep before Josh could even get back on the highway.

Chainz went back to looking out of the window and saw numerous miniature mechanical suns float into the canyon. "Those suns, could that be who I think it is..."

After pondering for a moment, Chainz shook the thoughts out of his head and turned away from the window. Josh glanced up at the rearview mirror but went back to driving without saying a word. After a few more minutes of driving, Chainz noticed that Josh stopped a donut shop. "You want to come in?" Josh asked

Chainz shrugged and got out of the van. He and Josh both ordered a few glazed donuts and sat at the table. "You've been pretty quiet these last few days." Josh said, taking in a large swig of coffee.

Chainz shrugged as he looked down at his food. He wasn't hungry, too much on his mind. "A lot of things are on my mind right now. That's all."

"I see."

"There's no point of me keeping all of this bottled up inside. I have too many enemies."

"Too many enemies? Explain."

"Aside from the typical run-of-the-mill mamodo, I have Slash to deal with. Now, there's Treachor, his entire organization and now Kai. On top of which, I'm still not satisfied with my current strength level. There's no way I can deal with Slash or The Light Society at my current level. This stress is way too much, I don't think I'm cut out to be king anyway. Hence, why I never even mentioned what kind of king I wanted to be in the first place."

"Well first thing, how did you and your brother become enemies in the first place?"

"We obviously weren't always adversaries. This all has to do over control of our clan. There are other factions who want the throne of Clan Lord but none of them stand a chance. The only true competitors for control are me and him. Our father is the one who drawn the lines for this to happen..."

_[Flashback, Makai, 6 years before start of the battle for king...]  
><em>

_"Father, please let Slash come back to the Main House." Young Chainz pleaded with his father  
><em>

_"Silence! I have my own plans for your brother, you need not worry about that. You have your own potential to awaken."  
><em>

_"Potential? What do you mean? Slash is the strongest."  
><em>

_"As far as brute strength and natural abilities go, yes Slash is stronger. However, you have the ability to use laser spells like me and iron spells like your mother. You have other hidden abilities as well, but that power can only be harnessed by you only. My job, is too bring out all of the potential from within. With the right conditioning and grooming, you can finish the job and seize the kingship for me and the clan."  
><em>

_"Yes father." Chainz said, nodding  
><em>

_Their conversation was ended as Slash appeared in the doorway, he knelt before Lord Galeno and stood up. "What do you want? This better be good."  
><em>

_"Father, I ask of your permission to return to the Main house."_

"Slash, you have received orders not to return to the house. You are insubordinate and are no longer my heir from this moment onward."

_"Father, please give me a chance to prove my worth to you."  
><em>

_"Build up your hatred and seek out power."_

_"Wh-What do you mean?  
><em>

_ "Your will and resolve are weak. You have too many emotional attachments to this life. To you, fighting is simply a sport and you value the virtue of love too much. Cut ties with your friends and those you care about, steel your heart and be prepared to fight your brother in the future. Of course, you will never get things done, you do not desire power. You have to gain a lust for power, hatred and destruction. Embrace those three things and only then will you get your chance to convince me to change my mind about picking Chainz over you as heir."_

_"Where would I train?"_

_"Look, I can't decide everything for you. Go on a pilgrimage or training journey. Study and gather strength from your travels. Chainz on the other hand, will get personally trained by me."  
><em>

_"Why...why him? Why does he get what I desire? Why must he get hand-outs?"  
><em>

_"Slash, get out."  
><em>

_Slash glared at Chainz and back at his father. Chainz could never forget the hurt that filled his brother's eyes. Slash did not say a word and simply turned and walked out of the room.  
><em>

_"The day will come where you two will fight, one cannot live while the other still stands."  
><em>

_"What do you mean by that, father?"  
><em>

_"You'll come to understand those words someday."  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

"That is the fateful night that officially set everything off." Chainz said, looking down

"I see. Well, I guess you can say I know how you feel to an extent." Josh said

"How?" Chainz asked

"Well..." Josh began but was interrupted by a loud honking noise

They quickly turned to see that not only had the sun risen, but Jyan was in the driver's seat honking the horn. Josh and Chainz got up from the table and went outside. "Wrap your secret date up! It's time to hit the road!" Jyan yelled, honking the horn again

"Josh."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for listening. I think we have more in common than we initially thought." 

"I think so too."

"Maybe there was a mix-up when it came to matching partners." Chainz said jokingly

"Who knows? Just don't lose hope, it would be a hell of a fight if you and Jyan fought each other in the final battle." 

"Well, if it happens, I'm going to win hands down."

"No way."

Jyan honked the horn three more times.

"Let's get going. We also shouldn't make a habit out of this." Chainz said

"Agreed."

Josh and Chainz rejoined the others back in the van as Josh back out of the parking lot and got back on the highway. "All right, let's get back to finding Leon and Toshiro."

"I'm also eager to get some training done as soon as possible." Chainz said, reclining in his seat.

"_The only problem now...is what if we have to look for them in Phoenix. The state FBI office is there dammit." _Josh thought to himself, as he subtly clutched the steering wheel to the point where blisters began to form on his hand.

_**A/N- All right, I shed some more light on the backstory between Chainz and Slash's relationship and why it is the way it is today. I will go ahead and let you guys know that this won't be addressed again for a while. The focus is going to shift away from these guys for the next couple of chapters but not for long. Just remember that everything is this arc are like a bunch of threads that are being spun into a web. (best analogy I can think of.) See you guys later on this week! R&R!**_


	52. A big day for Azure!

_**A/N- I hope everybody is having a good week.  
><strong>_

"Sola!"

"Sola!"

"Sola! Wake up!"

Sola slowly opened her eyes as her vision cleared and saw Lily hovering above her. She sat up and looked around, they were still sitting in the warehouse. However, she looked down and noticed that she was free. No ropes, no nothing. "How...did we get untied?"

"Azure will explain everything to you." Lily said, holding up the spell book to Sola's shock and surprise.

Sola nodded and got to her feet. She walked over to where Azure and Rika were now sitting. "What happened?"

"Well, when we were still in the truck, I kept pulling on the rope my hands were tied with, I kept working on the rope until it broke. I began searching throughout the warehouse and saw both of our spell books on the table. So I grabbed them and made my way back here. Here's what was weird though, I saw multiple mechanical suns floating throughout the warehouse. However, they didn't swarm me nor attack me. I'm sure that it's a mamodo."

"So, you think the suns are mamodo?"

"No, not the suns specifically but I think they are part of a mamodo or at the very least, are controlled by one."

"Makes sense. So how do we get out of here?"

"I think there's an exit on the other side of the warehouse, there's only one way to find out." Lily said

Azure nodded quietly as they prepared to leave the room they were stuck in. "_I was also really scared but somehow I did it..."_

The group walked down the long hallway. Other than it being dusty and freezing due to the air conditioning, everything was fine. "I don't see any suns." Azure said as they continued forward. After about a minute or so, they came to an intersection. "Which way do we go Azure?"

Azure was not sure where to turn but he decided to trust his instincts. "That way." he said, pointing to the left path. They traversed the hallway but their path was suddenly cut off by three suns. The orange mechanical suns with yellow edges moved and surrounded them at three seperate points. The shutters opened, revealing a ruby-colored core. The core began glowing a bright red, much to Azure's dismay.  
>"HIT THE DECK!" he shouted, shocking everybody<p>

Just as they landed on the floor, the suns fired a red laser from their cores, blowing up chunks of the walls. "We have to make a run for it!" Rika said, getting to her feet and clutching Azure's spell book tightly to her chest. The group began to sprint down the hallway as the suns continued firing lasers at them, missing but getting close to hitting them. "I see a door up ahead!" Azure said pointing forward as he picked up the pace and slammed his body into the door, sending it flying open. Rika, Lily and Sola came in after Azure but the warm wind suddenly made her realize that they were outside!

"We...we made it out."

Their celebration did not last long as a mound of sand rose and formed on the ground. The mound split open and a girl along with a teenaged boy floated out of the ground. The most notable thing however, was that they were surrounded in a bright orange aura. The girl's eyes glowed a menacing orange color, Azure couldn't tell what color her eyes were due to the glow of said eyes. Her head was covered and waist-length orange hair, a wild yellow streak ran down the middle of her hair. The orange gown she wore flapped and blew in the dry wind the yellow pants she wore underneath her gown bit at her red sneakers. Azure immediately knew she was a mamodo, not only because of the orange aura and glow from her eyes but because of the two horns sticking out of both sides of her head.

The teenaged boy also floating with her had to be her book partner due to the red-orange book in his hand. he was definitely nowhere as eccentric in appearance as the girl. His long, wavy brown hair and tan skin due to the Arizona sun made him look like any other person from the desert. Azure noted the boy wore a tight gray t-shirt, khaki cargo shorts and brown flip flops as well.

The girl and the boy finally landed on their feet and the orange glow suddenly faded away. Azure say her large, friendly and happy orange irises. "Hi there, my name is Solaria and this is my partner Calvin!" She said pointing the boy holding the book

"Uhhh..." Azure began to say

"Oh, don't worry. We have no intention to fight or anything."

"So were you the one who kidnapped us in Japan." Sola said bluntly

"Yeah, about that..." Solaria said chuckling

"Disrupting our lives is not funny!" Sola barked

"Oh no, this isn't a funny laugh...it's a sheepish one." Solaria replied

"Start talking dammit."

"Look, I thought Azure was the Ice Titan when I saw you guys training in Japan. I didn't want to get into a big fight so, I ambushed you guys. By the time we got back to America, I realized Azure wasn't the Ice Titan so I didn't burn your books."

"Ice Titan?" Azure asked

Solaria explained to Azure and his group who the Four Titans were and about Arkham getting his book burned by Blue.

"H-How do you know all of this?" Azure asked

Solaria did not immediately respond to Azure's question. She waved her finger as four suns floated towards her.

"See these small mechanized suns? Well, I can control them like they're my arms and legs, my spell power is based around using these. I have my suns patrol the desert at night and gather intel on other mamodo among other things and I can see what my suns see whenever I focus and meditate, hence why I was underground and why my eyes were glowing when I arose. It takes a lot of concentration and energy in order to do so. Well, one evening a few weeks ago, my suns were patrolling , I came across two mamodo having a conversation about the Titans. One of them was a boy wearing dragon armor and the other mamodo was a boy with mechanized features. They both gave off a really nauseating demonic presence and if I'm not mistaken, they referred to themselves as Ryu and Blue. The one named Blue had to be the Machine Titan."

"Wh-What were they doing here? Are they still around?" Azure asked, now starting to get scared

"I have no idea what exactly they were doing here but they were in the Grand Canyon apparently looking for something. I have not sensed them since, but I do have a very strong feeling that they are bad news."

"I see. Well, hopefully we don't run into them." Sola said

"All right, as my apology for kidnapping you guys, I can take you to the nearest town and you guys hsould be able to fly back to Japan from there."

"That will be nice, thank you." Rika said, bowing

The group loaded up in Calvin's pickup tuck as he drove them to the nearest town 15 miles away. After reaching the small town's Cathedral at Rika's request, they get out of the truck. "I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. Remember if you see my suns throughout the desert and canyons, then feel free to give me a wave."

"Will do." Rika said

Solaria waved as Calvin drove off and left them. "Rika, can I explore the town?" Azure asked, grabbing hold of her leg

"Okay, but be back before sundown!" she ordered

Azure nodded as he ran down the road. He covered the entire town in an hour, he seen multiple shops, restaurants and the park. Before he knew it, he was on the outskirts of town and saw a figure up ahead. He figured it wouldn't hurt to see what it was. As he got closer he saw it was a small car, to him it resembled a bug. As he got even closer to the car, he saw an "WV" overlapping each other. He heard RIka mention this care before calling it something with a German name. Azure reached the car and peeped inside, surprised at what he saw.

The first thing he noticed was a small girl slightly younger than him. Her long sky blue hair was matted against her face. Azure opened the car door and pushed aside her hair, lifted up one of her closed eyelids and saw her matching blue eyes. He looked down and saw that she wore a a blue t shirt. He had to admit that he thought her white skirt would look really cute on him but he shook those thoughts out of his head for the moment. As if his body went on auto-pilot, Azure slowly lifted up her skirt and saw the black shorts underneath. Looking back up towards her neck he saw a strap around it. With newfound boldness he slightly pulled her shirt collar down and saw a rather poorly carved idol.

Azure turned to the other unconscious girl who was a lot older than the other girl but definitely younger than Rika and Lily. Like the smaller girl, she had long hair but hers was black and ended at her waist. Azure lifted one of her closed eyelids and saw that they were amber. He noticed her fairly well endowed chest and out of curiosity, gave it a slight poke. He saw that she wore a blue tank top but with a brown skirt complimenting it. Azure also figured that would look cure on him if that was in his size, though he was very reluctant to lift up her skirt like he did the younger girl. Azure saw that she wore brown boots to match her skirt.

"They are really sweating, probably dehydrated." Azure said, feeling their hot, sweaty faces.

Azure then saw a sky blue spell book wedged between the driver's seat and the middle part of the car. "So, she's a mamodo...I could snatch the book and burn it as a precaution, but I don't feel that they are a threat...I guess I won't burn it."

"I could definitely run and tell Rika, but it wouldn't be a good idea to leave them here. I could carry them both but that also wouldn't be a very good idea...I know, I'll push their car into town since it's pretty small!"

Azure closed the car door and ran to the back of the car. He placed his tiny hand on the back and pushed forward, the car steadily rolled down the road and into the town.

* * *

><p>[<em>Town Cathedral...<em>]

"Wh...Where am I?"

The small girl from earlier opened her eyes as her vision cleared and she looked around. Looking down, she noticed she was laying in a cot and quickly got up to her feet. She suddenly noticed she was in a Cathedral when she saw row after row of pews. However, she was mesmerized by the beautifully glowing crystals hanging above the altar. The moonlight glowed the dark sky and reflected its radiating beauty on the crystals. She saw Azure sitting in the fron pew, staring at her."

"You're finally awake." Azure said in a soft voice

"Where am I and what did you do with Sheila?" she demanded making her way to Azure

Before she could get even halfway there, she found herself pinned to the ground by Sola, with her fan lightly touching her windpipe. "Touch him and I cut you to piece." Sola growled

"Sola! Stand down. It's okay."

Sola turned to look at Azure. "My name is Azure and this is Sola. What's your name?"

"None of your damn business! That's what." the girl snapped

"I found you and your partner passed out in your car outside of town, so I pushed your car into town and got you guys hydrated. if I wouldn't have come, you guys probably would have been done for a couple of hours later."

The girl did not immediately respond to Azure. She looked down for a moment and her face softened. "I'm Wendy and since you know I'm a mamodo, that must mean you are one too. Just my luck."

"It's nice to meet you Wendy." Azure said, a small smile came across his face

"Don't smile at me! I don't care to get friendly with somebody who captured me."

"Captured? Well, you can leave right now if you want. Your partner is talking with my partner right now actually."

Just as Azure said that, Rika, Lily and Shiela walked in. "Thank you Azure for saving us back there."

"You're welcome, Rika has always encouraged me to do the right thing." Azure said

"If there is anyway we can repay you, please let us know."

"Well...well...I want you guys to travel with us!" Azure blurted out, quickly covering his mouth

Sheila chuckled. "Well, my car is still being fixed right now, so I guess we can stay in town for a little while."

_**A/N- Annnnnndddd that's that! A lot of ground got covered in this chapter and I am pretty pleased with it. I personally like the potential dynamics of Azure and Wendy and will be playing around with this for a while, a lot of important things are coming up, so stay tuned for future chapters! R&R! I enjoy reading them! See ya early next week!  
><strong>_


	53. Protect The Crystals of Moonlight!

_**A/N-**__**It's funny how I can write chapter after chapter of a story yet I procrastinate when it comes to writing an essay.**_

"Wendy, I'm going out to shop for a few things with Rika and Lil. You behave yourself."

"Okay!"

Wendy and Sheila spent the last few days in town enjoying themselves, it was the nice little vacation they needed. Wendy went back inside the cathedral and went upstairs to the loft that happened to be on the upper floor, she was warming up to Azure and wanted to see what he was doing. Opening the door, she saw Azure laid out on the bed, polishing his toenails a royal shade of purple. "Are you painting your nails?" she said, giggling

Azure nodded.

"That is so girly, boys don't do that."

"Well, I was initially raised as a girl...it's something that's a part of me."

"Wh-Why would you be raised as a girl?"

Azure did not answer Wendy's question. He reached into his shirt and revealed a large gold locket in the shape of a heart. He popped the locket open and handed it to Wendy. Wendy looked at the picture and saw that it was of Azure and Adella back when he was dressed as a girl. "She looks just like you." Wendy said

"That is Adella, she was my twin sister."

"What happened to her, if you don't mind me asking."

Azure initially did not talk about Adella with anybody, not even Rika or Sola very much. However, he felt the need to share with somebody and at that moment, nobody was more fitting than Wendy. "She fought alongside me in battle and was my companion even here on Earth, I watched her take multiple shots to the chest and her book was burned. She sacrificed herself to protect me because I was too afraid to fight."

"I'm sorry..."

"It's alright, even though she is not here anymore physically. I still feel her presence with me in my heart. I promised her that I would become a courageous king and what she did for me will not be in vain. I admit that I am still a coward, but I know why I fight and I feel my will growing stronger and stronger."

"What about the mamodo who did that to her?"

"He was a mamodo named Chase, I went into a blind fury of rage, anger and hatred. I felt that she gave me the strength and courage to defeat Chase."

"It's great you got revenge on that bastard." Wendy said with a grin

"I don't really see it that way. Revenge only creates and/or continues a cycle of hatred and the best way to break a cycle, is to prevent one from starting in the first place."

"I suppose your right, but you won't become king."

Azure raised his eyebrows at Wendy's statement.

"Because I will win and become queen."

"Let me know when you wake up from that dream." Azure said, a small smile began to form on his face

Sola happened to be watching from outside the room. "I'm glad to see that Master Azure has finally made a friend. His growth ever since losing Adella has been remarkable but alas, he has a long way to go before he's ready for the kingship."

After talking and painting their nails, Wendy noticed Azure formed a serious look on his face. "What's up?" she asked

"Wendy, how did you and Sheila get stuck in the desert outside of town?"

Wendy was quiet for a moment. "It okay if you-"

"No, it's fine." she said

"Well, it all started when Sheila finally got her driver's permit and we crossed into Arizona going on Route 66...

_[Flashback, 10 days ago...]  
><em>

_"See Wendy, I told you taking a vacation was a good idea." Sheila said, speeding down the desert highway  
><em>

_The girls were making good timing on their way to the Grand Canyon and eventually phoenix where they would do some sightseeing before heading back to St. Louis. Wendy saw nothing interesting in the Arizona desert, just sand, red rocks and ridges. The occasional roadrunner passing by and coyotes howling. Just as Wendy closed her eyes to take a nap, she felt her partner's hand on her shoulder. She shot her eyes open and turned toward Sheila._

_"What is it?"_

_"Look."  
><em>

_Wendy looked out the window and saw that they were at The Grand Canyon. The canyon stretched for miles and miles on end, the red rocks shined in the sunlight and mound after mound of beautiful red rock could be seen as far as the eye goes.  
><em>

_"It's beautiful."  
><em>

_"Mhm."_

_However, their admiration of its beauty did not last for long. A small mechanical sun floated down in front of Sheila and Wendy. "It's a sun..." Wendy said, looking at it  
><em>

_The sun's shutter opened and revealed a ruby red core. The core began glowing a bright red light, Sheila continued staring at the sun but fell to the ground as Wendy pushed her out of the way. Wendy had great timing as the sun fired a strong laser from its core, leaving a large trail of ash across the ridge they were standing on. "Oh my God, it fired a laser!" Sheila exclaimed  
><em>

_"I know." Wendy said, panting  
><em>

_"It that thing a mamodo or part of a mamodo?" Sheila asked  
><em>

_"I'm not entire sure, but we have to get rid of it."  
><em>

_Just as Wendy said that, another sun appeared and another. Soon enough, twelve suns surrounded the pair. Each sun had their shutters opened and their red cores glowing.  
><em>

_"Wendy, it looks like we have no choice but to fight our way out. I don't know where the mamodo is, but we'll have to worry about that later."  
>Sheila said, revealing the sky blue spell book.<br>_

_"Right."  
><em>

_"The first spell, Wilasu!"  
><em>

_Wendy opened her hands as small clouds formed on each one, she swiped her hands in two different directions as wind blades were sent towards some of the suns, causing multiple explosions. However the smoke cleared and the suns were unscathed. This time, lasers even more powerful than before shot out at the two. Instead of it burning the surface rock, chunks of rocks broke front he ground and pelted both Sheila and Wendy. "The lasers have gotten even stronger!" Sheila yelled  
><em>

_"Let's try a stronger spell"  
><em>

_"Okay, I'll use the third spell! Twi Wishidon!"  
><em>

_Wendy began spinning, forming a cyclone. The suns continued firing multiple lasers at them but the cyclone-like shield took the brunt of the assault. Wendy then converted the absorbed attacks into a disk and tossed it towards the suns on her left. The disk opened and expanded, forming a small tornado, sucking in all twelve suns. Another explosion rattled the canyon along with multiple wind blades.  
><em>

_They did not wait for the smoke to clear to confirm whether or not the suns were destroyed. They hurried up and got into the car. "Step on it Sheila!"  
><em>

_"You don't have to tell me twice!" Sheila said as she floored the gas and skedaddled down the road. They were quickly back on the highway and after a few minutes, it seemed as they had succeeded. However, their relief was cut short as at least twenty suns appeared behind them . Sheila began swerving lanes as the lasers were trying to hit her car. For the next thirty miles, Sheila was playing this duck and dodge game with the suns. Sheila finally looked into her rearview member to see that the suns were finally gone but that wasn't the end tot heir problems.  
><em>

_"Damn it! I was so focused on losing those suns, I forgot about refueling the car with gas!"  
><em>

_The car sputtered and stopped as Sheila pulled over to the side of the road. "So what now?"  
><em>

_"I can call for help." Sheila said, revealing her cell phone, however there were no towers within range which meant noc alls, text, or internet and therefore made her phone useless.  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

"We tried walking but it was too ht and we got really sweaty and dehydrated. I think we were stuck in the car for about two days and next thing we knew, you rescued us."

"I see. Well those suns that attacked you are controlled by a mamodo named Solaria. She kidnapped me and Sola and brought us here from Japan. However, she let us go and-"

"Wait, you know the bitch who did that to us? Where is she! Wait til I get my hand on her."

"Calm down Wendy!" Jyan said, concerned

"Since you know her, you and I can confront her together! There's no way we could lose with our combined strength."

Azure was a little hesitant to respond, but thankfully he didn't have to as a loud bang could be heard throughout the entire loft. "What was that?" Wendy asked

"It sounds like it came from the cathedral." Azure responded

"Well, let's go check it out!" Wendy exclaimed, jumping off the bed and running out of the room

"Wendy, wait!" Azure yelled, following behind her.

The children made their way down the stairs and into the cathedral. They saw the door was on the ground, broken into a few pieces. Two figures walked in and were revealed to be none other than Kai and Skyde.

"Yep, this is the place Treachor told us about." Skyde said, showing a grin full of razor sharp teeth.

"I recognize you, you were at the castle the day we fought the Chess Master." Azure said referring to Kai

Kai did not say anything.

"Wh-Why are you here?" he asked

"I can answer that question better. You see those crystal above the altar? Those crystals are not of the Earth but of the Makai instead. They are called Crystals of Moonlight. You may have heard about The Stone of Moonlight in your history class at school. These crystals are an alloy of that same mineral. We collected these tablets because it is said that a great power unlocks when these tablets are exposed to radiation from these crystals." Skyde said, revealing a stone tablet

"That...is Latin, an ancient human language." Azure said, looking at the tablet from afar

"Correct. It basically says that a king of courage is also a king of faith. Regardless of what it says, you need to step aside so we can get this done with."

"Sorry, but you have to leave at once. I will not allow you to use those crystals for your evildoing." Sola said, suddenly appearing in the cathedral

"Sola...were you listening the whole time."

"Yes, Master Azure. I heard the whole thing and I won't stand for this."

"Actually, the tablet is in safe hands and we have no evil intent." Kai said, countering Sola's statement

"I don't believe a word you say!" Wendy yelled as she ran forward and jumped in the air. Wendy swung at Kai but Skyde suddenly appeared in front of her, grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the ground, causing multiple cracks to form in the floor. Wendy was knocked out cold.

"Azure!"

Azure and Sola turned to see Rika running into the cathedral. "What is going on in here?!"

"These guys are trying to get to the crystals on the altar." Azure said

"We can't let that happen." Rika said, pulling out the blue spell book

"Well, we didn't bring our human partners with us for this one since this is intended to be a get in, get out type of mission. Regardless, we can take care of business quickly. Ready Skyde?"

"Right behind you Kai."

Azure confronted Kai and began swinging at him. Kai however, used his natural speed to dodge all of Azure's incoming blows. Skyde began making his way to the altar.

"Azure, don't let him get to the altar! _Wavariaus Runaega!"_

Azure slammed his fist onto the ground as four waves of ice splashed onto the ground and froze Skyde's feet before he could reach the altar. However, the battle was not won as Skyde simply tossed the tablet to Kai, who was far too fast for Azure to freeze him. Reaching the altar, Kai placed the tablet under the crystals. The words on the tablet glowed a bright red as they raised up from the stone and faded away.

Azure felt a red aura surround his bod and felt a strong yet painful surge flow throughout his body. The surge faded away and Azure's body returned to normal.

"That surge...what was that?"

_**A/N- Yes everybody the tablets are back! Of course I mentioned them about 11-12 chapters ago, but also remember back in chapters 24-26 when Mark(Jonny) and Slash infiltrated the cathedral in Japan to gather some of the tablets and had them at the country club in chapter 29. Also keep in mind when Skyde retrieved them in Chapter 41. Yes, many of the times Mark(Jonny) was on the phone throughout the story, he was talking to various Light Society members. He was talking to other people who aren't in The Light Society as well, but that will be covered later. R&R! See you guys later on this week! **_


	54. Two sides of the same coin!

_**A/N- How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?**_

The tablet laid on the altar motionless and empty. The radiation form the Crystals of Moonlight caused the tablet to react and release a strange power. However, why Azure felt the surge is unknown. "Skyde, our mission has been accomplished." Kai said, looking towards Skyde who broke free from the ice.

"Agreed, we need to report to Mark and Treachor what we witnessed."

Skyde and Kai left the cathedral at once and disappeared. Wendy sat up from the ground, rubbing her hand. "As much as I hate to admit, that Skyde guy caught me off-guard. I saw that red aura around you Azure, what was that?"

"I don't know, it was like a power surge, as if I had obtained a lot of power but it suddenly went away and I felt normal again. I also felt more afraid than usually then I felt really brave but then back to normal. It's hard to describe."

_[Light Society Helicopter...]_

Kai and Skyde returned to Haley and Marlo. They explained to them what happened at the cathedral and the tablet reacting to the crystal. "The strangest thing of all, was watching the one called Azure glow the same color as the words on the tablet did." Skyde said

"Maybe the tablet is connected to Azure, it would explain the energy surge he had. If that is indeed the case, the six other tablets must be connected to six other mamodo." Haley suggested

"You may be right, the best way to test this theory is to take the other six tablets to the altar and see if they are connected to other mamodo." Marlo said

"All right, so it's decided. We'll get the remaining tablets and return to the cathedral. I also suggest bringing in reinforcements, we may have more problems in the future." Skyde said, looking out of the helicopter window.

Haley however had other things on her mind. "Kai...do you think what we're doing is right?"

"Haley, what we're doing is right because we're doing it for the right reasons. Sometimes, in order to achieve something big, sacrifices have to made."

"Wow Kai, such big talk coming from such a lazy mamodo."

"I want to see a king who stands for justice and is firm on his values. Our world doesn't need another King Zatch the Appeaser."

"I thought you said he was a kind and benevolent king."

"Zatch the Appeaser had great ideals, was genuine in what he wanted to do and was strong in his own right, but he was in way over his head. He earned the name Zatch the Appeaser and had one of the shortest reigns in history for a reason."

"There's a simple solution to this and that's making you king."

"It's not really up my ally, but if it comes down to it, I'd make a pretty damn good king." Kai said grinning

Meanwhile, Skyde and Marlo were standing at a large screen where Mark and Treachor were seen on it. Skyde pressed a few buttons and began speaking. "The mission was a success, we are not sure what effects the tablet had but we want to take the remaining six to the altar for more observation. Also, it seems that the power from the Crystals of Moonlight exceed that of the Stone of Moonlight."

"Very well then, take the remaining tablets there and make sure to acquire a sample of the crystals which can be sent back to Dr. Hatcher for research." Mark ordered

"Yes sir." Skyde and Marlo saluted before turning the screen off

"I'm surprised you didn't tell him the whole truth." Haley said

"Why would I? You honestly think we fully trust them?" Skyde said, crossing his arms

"I figured as much."

"It's time to prepare our next assault."

[_Town Square..._]

Meanwhile, Azure, Wendy, Sola and their partners were all in the town square. The girls were doing more shopping while Azure and Wendy played together. "Wendy, I want to protect the Cathedral from those Light Society guys."

"Me too! I just wish we had backup." Wendy said

As if her prayers had been answered, a familiar dark brown van pulled into town. "Jyan, you are never using the map again." Josh barked, snatching the map fromm the mamodo boy. "Whatever, we need gas anyway." Arashi said, pulling into a gas station near the town square.

Ishimaru and co had been driving nonstop for days searching for Toshiro and Leon. Ishimaru initially suggested going to Phoenix, the state capital to find them but Josh was very vocal in objecting to the idea and instead gave the map to Jyan. Jyan of course, had them going who-knows-where and ended up getting them in the middle of a tiny town. The boys were tired and needed some downtime.

"I suppose we should find a place to stay for a few days until we get our energy back." Ishimaru said, stretching

"Guys, I sense other mamodo in this town. We need to be on guard." Chainz said, as he, Jyan and Kira were on high alert

Almost immediately after he said that, they were ambushed. Wendy tackled Jyan, Sola put Kira in a headlock, Chainz and Azure were rolling on the ground and Chainz gained the upper hand, pinning him on the ground.

"Ch-Chainz?"

"Azure?"

"Wait a minute, your that loudmouth from when we attacked the fortress!" Sola exclaimed

"And you're that witch who could use the fan!"

"What the hell is going on here?!" Wendy shouted

Everybody calmed down as the girls caught up to their mamodo. Wendy and Kira learn that Azure, Chainz, Jyan and Sola along with their book owners, all worked together a few months ago. After everybody became acquainted with one another, Rika suggested letting them stay at the cathedral since there were spare bedrooms and bathrooms. After returning to the cathedral, Sola explained what happened with the Light Society the day before they arrived. "Well, since we're here and have business with these Light Society clowns, this is a perfect opportunity." Jyan said, cracking his knuckles

"Don't do that! That is gross!" Wendy shouted at Jyan in disgust

"Okay." Jyan said before he cracked his thumbs

"Stop that!"

"Okay!" Jyan said as he put his finger in his nose

"So this is what they meant by jackass-of-all-trades." Wendy growled

Chainz and Azure however were quiet. They both stared at each other, no words were needed.

_"It's strange...I can see he has what I lack. He has Hope...he is strong but he doesn't even fully know it yet. It's almost as if...I'm looking at myself in a way.." _Chainz thought to himself

_"It's strange...I can see he has what I lack. He has Courage...he is strong but doesn't fully know it yet. It's almost as if...I'm looking at myself in a way.." _Azure thought to himself

_"It's almost as if the strings of fate are drawing us towards each other for some reason, as if destiny has our paths intertwined."_ Chainz thought to himself_  
><em>

_"It's almost as if the strings of fate are drawing us towards each other for some reason, as if destiny has our paths intertwined." Azure thought to himself_

_"It's as if..._They both thought to themselves at the same time in unison

**_A/N- Pretty short chapter I know, the next one will be really short too. I was going to originally make it part of this one (that should tell you how short it will be) but I have other plans, so I decided to make it a standalone chapter. Chainz and Azure technically met back when they fought Chase and do know each other by name, but this is their first official meeting and interaction. R&R and stay tuned for more!_**


	55. Unforgivable!

_**A/N- Tomorrow is Election Day, all of this finally comes to an end! I hope all of my East Coast readers who were affected by Superstorm Sandy are safe and still have their homes intact.  
><strong>_

Things have been surprisingly peaceful in the 2 days that passed since Chainz and the others met Wendy and Azure in the town. The overall quietness and the wide open spacing was far different than what they were used to. Everybody was sitting around outside talking. The children played and ran around, the humans were mostly making small talk.

"So Sheila, how do you and Josh know each other?" Ishimaru asked

"Well, me and Josh are classmates and neighbors. I have actually known for quite a long time and I was actually quite surprised when I saw him here."

"Oh, okay."

Sheila then turned around and noticed Jyan making smooching noises. As if they read each others' minds, both Josh and Sheila hit Jyan on the head with their spell books.

"Anyway, Jyan. As I mentioned earlier, I heard of you being the Jackass-of-all-trades but you honestly don't seem like much." Wendy said, folding her arms

"I advise you not to underestimate me and what I'm capable of." Jyan said, smirking

Wendy ignored Jyan for a while. "Whatever, he's full of it." She found a chair to lean in and dozed off. She was awakened by a thump on the back of her head. It felt wet and mushy, reaching into her long hair Wendy removed what she figured out to be a spitball. "Ewwww!" she shrieked

She got up and saw both Chainz and Jyan at work blowing spitballs at the townspeople. She knew Ishimaru and Josh were going to be hounded and likely fied due to their childish antics. She thought Kira and Azure were no better since they were watching in slight amusements. "Boys..."

"You guys are such little kids! This is childish!" she scolded

"You're a little kid too." Chainz said, blowing another spit ball, hitting a fruit stand.

At dinner time that evening, Chainz and Jyan did not get any dessert. They of course, did not need any at that point since they ate everybody else's before dinner was even halfway over. Both boys feigned bathroom trips and snuck into the kitchen, eating everything in sight.

Wendy pouted the entire time but chuckled to herself a little bit. "They look like they have so much fun...maybe I should give pranking a chance."

* * *

><p>The following morning, Wendy was suddenly awakened from her slumber by what sounded like explosions. Her door flew open and she saw Sheila standing in the doorway, spell book in tow. "What's going on?" she asked<p>

"The town is being ransacked by The Light Society. They firebombed some buildings and are overrunning the town."

Wendy jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed. They ran down the stairs of the Cathedral's loft and out of the building. Wendy couldn't believe her eyes. Scores of buildings were burning, food stands were now mere piles of broken wood, cars were flipped over. Screams and wails of people filled the crisp morning air as more explosions rung their ears.

"Where's Azure and the others?" Wendy asked

"They are scattered throughout the town, helping out and trying to fend off the enemy."

Meanwhile, near the Town Square, Chainz, Jyan, Ishimaru and Josh were pulling numerous townsfolk from the rubble. Some with minor injuries, others with more serious ones. They weren't sure how many casualties there were, but now was no time to check. Looking to the sky, they saw multiple helicopters in the sky, rope ladders dropped to the ground as dozens of men in gold and white jumpsuits climbed down. They brandished AK-47s as they continue making their way into the town.

"Those bastards..." Josh said, growling

Josh suddenly felt heat on his back as he turned and saw the building behind them explode. The boys quickly hit the ground as the flames erupted towards the sky. They were shaken up, but okay nonetheless.

"We have to get back and defend the Crystals of Moonlight. If what Azure said is true, then the rest of the tablets shouldn't be unlocked." Ishimaru said, noticing the large gash on his right arm. Being close to the explosion did more damage than they initially thought.

Back on the other side of town, Kai, Skyde along with Haley and Marlo were nearing the cathedral. "Overrunning the town was heavy-handed but necessary. Whatever it takes to keep the power of the tablets out of the wrong hands."

They reached the steps of the cathedral and began ascending the stairs but suddenly, Azure and Sola appear before them. "You won't go any further." Sola said, opening her fan.

Azure already had his scythe in hand as well. "I will not let evil prevail."

"When you're doing something for the greater good of everybody, sacrifices must be made. What's right isn't always popular."

"All of these people that were hurt, all of those who died... Are you telling me that this power you claim to protect is truly worth it!?" Azure shouted, clutching his scythe even harder

"I ask you to get out of the way or we will move you ourselves." Skyde ordered

Azure did not respond, instead he swung his scythe into the the steps, ice instantly covered the stairs. Sola, in response swung fan back, ready to break the ice and send projectiles towards them but Skyde had other plans.  
>"Oh no you don't, Marlo!"<p>

_"Amudey!"_

Skyde sent shockwaves from his body as the entire foundation began to shake, throwing Sola off balance and into the cathedral door. Azure fell to his knee but held onto to his scythe, which stayed implanted into the steps.

"This is..unforgivable." Azure said, a different look gleamed into his pale blue eyes

_**A/N- I bet you guys thought this was going to be a lighthearted chapter. Nope! A whole infantry division of the Light Society led by Skyde and Kai is making a full-scale assault. Will they be stopped? Find out on the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R folks!**_


	56. Friends or Ideology?

_**A/N-Well, I've been working on the climax of The Light Society conflict which will be featured in early 2013. I've still got quite a few kinks to work out, but of course, this month's chapters and December's chapters will be fairly entertaining to say the least. The next few chapters are going to be short and to the point. Though, I wonder if I should move the story up to M, the violence and stuff is going to get more intense as the story progresses, but I honestly don't want to at the same time. I want to push the boundaries as far as I can without having to go up a rating. It's like if this was a TV show, it would be something like TV-14 DLV. **_

Azure held on to his scythe as the shockwaves came to a halt. He looked up and saw not only Kai and Skyde standing before him but numerous Light Society goons with AK-47s pointing at him, Rika, Sola and Lily. "You make a single move and they shoot." Skyde said coldly

Azure said nothing nor moved an inch, knowing the consequences, not so much to him, but to Rika and the spell book. Kai and along with their bookkeepers, walked into the cathedral untouched. The two Aces set their eyes on the Crystals of Moonlight and kept forward. "Haley, get the tablets out of the bag and-" Kai didn't finish his sentence. He turned and saw Haley staring at the distraught Kira and Arashi. Haley looked as if she wanted to go over to them but decided against it in the end.

"You won't get any further!"

They turned their attention to Wendy and Sheila, who now stood in their path. In a blink of an eye, Skyde kneed Wendy in her stomach, sending her flying into a wall. "Wendy!" Sheila yelled, running to her fallen partner. She felt Wendy's head as she slowly opened her eyes. 'Wehre..where..where am I?" she asked

"It looks like you have a concussion..." Sheila said, tending to her

"KAI!"

They turned around once more to see Chainz, Jyan, Josh and Ishimaru standing at the entrance. A pile of defeated Light Society goons laid on the ground, on the stairs and by the door.

Chainz walked down the aisle in a solemn manner. "Why Kai...why are you doing this?"

"I told you already Chainz, I am doing what's right for the Makai and for Earth...and if seeking justice like this is selfishness on my part, you trying to hinder me simply because you don't agree with my views is complete selfishness on your part as well."

"I completely agree with you on that. I am being selfish...because you're my friend. However, if you want to unlock the power of the rest of those tablets and take the Crystal of Moonlight to try and access that power, you have to go through me first."

Meanwhile, Skyde and Jyan glared at each other while Chainz and Kai talked. "I'm backing up Chainz one hundred percent. I won't allow you to interfere with their fight." Jyan said

"I don't intend on interfering, but for now I'll step back." Skyde said, as he and Marlo got out of the way

Josh and Jyan followed suit, intending on not letting them out of their sight.

"Haley, we don't need to fight...I'm begging you, let's not fight." Ishimaru said, looking at her

"Ishimaru, I don't want to fight you either, but I made a promise to Kai long ago that I would help him reach his goals no matter what they may be and that takes priority over personal feelings! We will burn Chainz's book." she said darkly. Ishimaru couldn't see her face too well due to the not-so-bright lighting of the cathedral and because a lot of her hair covered it.

Hearing Haley's intent to burn Chainz's book sent a wave of rage throughout Ishimaru's body. The green spell book in his hand began glowing. "I'll suppress my anger into the book...now is the time to fight."

"Chainz, let's do this."

"Ready Kai?"

Chainz and Kai charged at each other. Chainz jumped into the air and slammed his boot on to Kai's forearm. Kai punched Chainz in the stomach with his free hand, sending him to the ground. Chainz however, landed on his feet and sent a barrage of punches at Kai. kai blocked most of them and low swept Chainz off of his feet. Chainz planted his hand on the ground and gyrated his legs, similar to a break dancer and kicked Kai with both feet, sending him sliding back. Chainz followed up with multiple punches, however Kai easily kept up. Having a size advantage, Kai picked up Chainz and grappled him, however Chainz reversed it and slammed Kai on the ground.

Kai released himself from Chainz's grip and kicked his knees in. Chainz fell to the ground with a thud and Kai took advantage. Kai sat on top of Chainz and began punching his face relentlessly. With his arms under Kai's strong thighs, Chainz had no way of defending himself. Kai did not let up either, he continued punching Chainz in the face to the point where his fists were coated in a bloody film. Even with his fists covered in Chainz's blood, Kai kept punching him. Ishimaru's fists trembled and the book rocked and shook in his hand. He couldn't watch Chainz take a beating like this and now seeing his blood splash on the carpet was too much to bear looking at.

"_Hokaisho!"_

__Chainz opened his bruised and bloody mouth as the laser shot from it and hit Kai at point blank range. The laser went through his torso and sent his flying into the air and crashing on the ground. Kai stood up and saw the hole that formed on the right side of his chest. Lucky for him, it wasn't on the other side of his chest plus if he hadn't turned away in time, his would have been burned off. Kai, ripped off his shirt, revealing the rest of his muscular upper body. Chainz got to his feet, and looked back at Ishimaru.

His right eye was black and a little swollen, blood streamed from his nose and his lip was a bloody mess. "Thanks Ishimaru." Chainz said, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Now it's time for this fight to really began." Chainz said as he began running towards Kai, preparing to mount an assault of his own.

_**A/N-Can Chainz stop Kai and The Light Society from succeeding? Find out next week! R&R**_


	57. Mission accomplished

_**A/N- Another week, another chapter.  
><strong>_

Chainz ran towards Kai to begin an assault of his own. He began to pick up speed and swung his fist back in anticipation.

"_Maxchisoku!"_

Chainz swung at Kai but Kai disappeared and a flash. He turned around and saw Kai standing behind him. Chainz swung again and again, missing Kai every time. Kai stood there as Chainz attempted to punch him. Kai ducked and moved his head in different directions while Chainz failed to even lay a finger on him. Chainz, suddenly dropped to the floor and tried to low sweep Kai like he did earlier, but with Kai's speed enhanced to the point where he could run at mach speeds, was able to foresee this and jumped over Chainz's leg.

"Don't you fuck with me." Chainz growled at Kai, then glancing back at Ishimaru

"_Hokaisho!"_

Chainz opened his mouth and fired off the narrow and heavily concentrated laser but again, Kai wasn't going to get hit by the same spell twice. He waited until it got close to hole in his torso and cartwheeled out of the way. The laser blasted through a nearby wall, forming a visible hole. "You'll have to do better than that." Kai said coldly

Chainz began boiling with anger. "Ishimaru!"

"_Hokeigo!_"

Chainz opened his hand as the spike ball and chain shot out. Kai pulled his fist back and shattered it into pieces. Chainz dissipated the spell and was shell shocked that Kai broke solid iron with his fist unassisted by a spell. Kai disappeared, seemingly back to his normal speed. Chainz looked up and saw Haley with Kai's book opened and glowing.

_"Kazedron!"_

Chainz noticed that nothing happened. This quickly changed when Kai was suddenly in front of him, using his natural speed since the spell worn off but before Chainz could do anything. Kai pulled his fist back and landed the punch directly in the middle of his chest. Chainz felt his body rock to the core, he fell to the ground and watched Kai jump back to Haley's side. Chainz tried to sit up but the sharp pain in his chest forced him to lay back down. He coughed and gageed, realizing that laying down was not the best option. Chainz struggled to breathe is if he was under water, when he finally got a breath in, the sharp pains returned and kept him bent over, on his knees.

"Chainz!"

"Ishi...my ribs...I think they are cracked." Chainz said, still hunched over in pain

"Chainz you-"

"Save it Ishi. My face is bruised and bloodied, my ribs are cracked if not broken, but I...have unfinished business." Chainz said, pointing a weak, shaky finger at Kai.

"I'm not surprised you still want to keep going, but you have been completely outclassed in this fight." Kai said dismissively

"Ever since I was a small child...I have been groomed for this battle...hour after hour of training. Learning the arts of hand to hand combat...everything I had done up to that point was to be what my father wanted me to be. I don't know what kind of king I want to be...all I was told was to win the crown for my father's usage and for the clan. But you know what...fuck that nonsense, I'm winning the crown for myself." Chainz said, standing up to his feet nd wipiing away a streak of blood dribbling from his mouth as a determined smile was now on his face.

"Nice speech Chainz." Ishimaru said proudly, he looked down and saw the spell book giving off a bright green glow.

"The book hasn't been this bright in a while...its a new spell."

"Chainz, let's do this! The sixth spell, _Hokekeruga!_"

"If you want to bring me down Kai, you'll have to do a lot more than few internal injuries." Chainz said, opening his hands as many chains came out of them. Each chain had a silver hook attached to them and went underground. The ground cracked in front of Kai and Haley as the chains shot up.. Kai grabbed Haley and jumped out of the way. He saw more chains come up from the ground and dodged them before he could tangled in them. Kai's agility allowed him to dodge each and every incoming chain. He had to find away through the chains get a direct shot on Chainz's book.

"Haley, give me a spell to cut through these chains. We can't keep dodging them."

"It looks like we'll have to use one of our newer spells in order for this to be effective, _Dio Kazeron!"_

Two bursts of wind from Kai's hands formed swords in both hands. Kai began cutting through the chains like butter, he jumped and maneuvered and the chains fell like trees. After breaking through the formidable links of iron, he swung in the direction of Chainz's book but Chainz jumped in the way and took the blow directly. His shirt and jacket were shredded completely and lacerations formed on his chiseled body but he absorbed the blow. Kai grabbed Chainz by the throat and slammed him on the ground again. A puddle of blood spewed from Chainz's mouth onto Kai's face.

"You fought hard, but you lost." Kai looked at Ishimaru as the swords dissipated. He placed his hand up towards Chainz's spell book.

"You're done for. Haley, let's finish them!"

"_Kaze-"_

_"Chikelga!"  
><em>

Kai was blindsided by a concentrated blast of blue aura and flew into a wall. Chainz and Ishimaru saw that Jyan and Josh intervened at the last second. Chainz wasn't sure if he was more relieved or more furious at Jyan and Josh for stepping in. "Sorry, but we're not going to sit here and just let him burn the book." Jyan said in a stern tone

"Don't interefere again dammit." Chainz grunted, coughing up more blood

"Now isn't the time to argue. Go aim for the book." Jyan said, as he ran towards Kai and quickly grabbed a hold of him.

"_Hokai-"_

_"_Oh no you don't!"

_"Rioru Amudey!"_

Before Ishimaru could finish the spell to burn Kai's book, Skyde placed both of his hands on the ground, shaking the entire cathedral up and throwing both Chainz and Jyan along with Ishimaru and Josh, off balance. Therefore Jyan releasing his hold on Kai.

"Haley, start setting up the tablets, we can't waste anymore time fighting these two!" Kai shouted

Haley nodded and brought the bag to the altar directly under the Crystals of Moonlight. She removed six tablets from the bag and placed them all in a line under the crystals. Haley examined each tablet and read them aloud.

"Love, Faith, Hope, Forgiveness, Compassion and Friendship...I wonder why these virtues are on these tablets. The other tablet we unlocked a few days ago had Courage on it yet it was linked to that wimpy ice mamodo. What could these things mean."

The rays of light from the crystals touched the tablets and as a result, each tablet began glowing a different color. The tablet with Love chiseled on it glowed a royal blue, the Hope tablet glowed a bright green, the Faith tablet glowed white, the Compassion tablet glowed purple, the Forgiveness tablet glowed a dark red, and the Friendship tablet glowed a dark orange.

"Ahh!" Chainz grunted as he felt to his knee.

"Chainz, what is it?" Ishimaru asked

"I don't know, it's like my body felt a surge of power for a split second then it went away."

"I felt it too." Jyan said, looking at his hands

"I don't feel any stronger and it doesn't seem to have affected us in any way, shape or form." Chainz said

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Haley picked up the now blank tablets and put the away. "So much for the tablets doing anything."<p>

"I don't know, but it seemed to affect those other three mamodo. We should hold off on destroying them for now, so we can see what effects the tablets have, if any on them." Marlo suggested

"While we're at it. Let's take some crystal and give it to Dr. Hatcher so he can study it." Haley said as Kai cut down a piece with his wind blades.

"Chainz, you got lucky today, but you get in the way of our missions again, you won't walk away, no matter what anybody says." Kai snarled

"Well, I guess I won't be walking away because after today, I can't let you guys get away with this borderline terrorism."

"Terrorism? Like I told you in the beginning, there are things about our world and the Human world that are beyond a tournament. We need to gather as much power as possible in order for our plan to be successful."

"Plan?! What plan? What in the hell could be so damn important, that you have to join a cult that commits acts of crime and violence in order for a peaceful goal to be reached? You claim that what you guys are doing is not evil, but I don't see how you can justify this."

"Like I said, do not try to mess this up." Kai said as he turned and left with the others. A helicopter came down from the sky and scooped them up. All of the Light Society grunts pulled out of the town as well, leaving nothing but destruction and carnage behind as the afternoon sun set in its place.

* * *

><p>"I think we should also study the crystal of moonlight some more. Hopefully find out what powers it could unlock." Josh said, walking towards the crystals.<p>

"WAIT A MINUTE!" a voice yelled

Everybody turned to see who the voice belonged to.

_**A/N- Jyan and Chainz failed to stop The Light Society from succeeding and the town is destroyed along with the few dozen who lost their lives plus The Light Society have their hands on some of the crystal. Where do they go from here after failing to protect the town, the crystals and the tablets from being unlocked? Who did the voice belong to? Why did Jyan and Chainz have a similar reaction as Azure did when the tablets were unlocked? Find out in the next chapter! R&R! **_


	58. The origin of the Revelation Tablets!

_**A/N- This should clear some things up.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>"WAIT A MINUTE!"<p>

Everybody turned to see who the voice belonged to. A teenaged boy and a humanoid raccoon stood in the Cathedral doorway. The boy had fair skin resembling that of a ghost. His dirty blond hair zigged and zagged all over his head in an unkempt fashion, his dark green eyes reminded Ishimaru of Chainz's spell book. Sharp, slightly crooked teeth extended from his mouth, one could guess that he would be attractive if he didn't resemble a ghoul. His short and thin frame didn't help the ghoul-like resemblance. Nor did his sense of fashion, he wore a red flannel shirt under what appeared to be a red plaid labcoat. The tattered jeans and black chuck taylors offset the grunge kid scientist look he seemed to be going for a little._  
><em>

The humanoid raccoon was also creepy looking to an extent. Ishimaru estimated he was about the size of the young tiger he saw at the zoo once but his frame was even thinner and bonier than that of the boy's. Black fingerless gloves similar to Chainz's, were on his hands or in this case, paws. He also wore a labcoat though his was a purple and black striped one, matching the scarf around his neck.

"Another mamodo." Jyan said, as Josh already had the book opened and ready to go

"We're not here to fight. In fact, we are here to help you." The boy said

"And how is that?" Ishimaru asked, also suspicious and rightfully so

"We have done research on the tablets and are willing to give you the information you seek. Come with us to our lab outside of town and I will share everything I know."

"All right, we'll come. Arashi, Sheila, you guys stay here and tell Rika and the others what happened, josh, Chainz, Jyan and I will go with him." Ishimaru ordered

Sheila and Arashi nodded in response as the boys left with the strangers

"First thing's first." The raccoon said as he cut a piece of the crystal off and placed it into a vial.

After a few minutes of walking to the outskirts of town, the boys come across a rusty windmill. The hinges were about to give way and it seemed as if it was going to come tumbling down at any moment. The wooden base was peeling and rotten, a colony of termites were crawling all over the right side of the base. "THIS is your lab?" Jyan said frowning

"Like they say, it's what's on the inside that counts." The boy said opening the door

"Oh, we never introduced ourselves, my name is Martin Hawk but call me Marty and the raccoon is my mamodo partner Sly." Marty said as he showed them a winding staircase twisting and twisting as it lead deep underground. They walked for what seemed like ages until they were at a metal door. Marty pressed a few buttons, likely entering a code, and a retina scanner appeared. Marty scanned his eye and the door opened. The lab resembled something out of a science fiction movie. Multiple computers beeped and were flashing different screens, beakers and vials decorated the tables, jars containing specimens from every walk of life were on the shelves. An MIT bachelor's and a Yale doctorate were hanging on the wall above Marty's main desk. Marty took a seat at his desk and put his feet up.

"Sly, will you do the honors?"

"Ok, well the tablets are not just ordinary stone tablets as you've already guessed. These tablets are from the Makai."

"Tell us something we don't already know." Jyan impatiently interrupted

Sly glared at him but continued. "These tablets are called Revelation Tablets. The Revelation tablets represent the Seven Virtues the original king of the Makai possessed. It is said, towards the end of his reign, he split his power within seven tablets and sealed them. Ever since, each king passed them over to the next king for generation after generation. Corrupt kings tried to unseal the tablets and use the original king's power for their own selfish needs, however the original king thought something like this may try to happen, hence why he sealed them with virtues. In order to access the power from the original king, a mamodo must display and truly understand the meaning of one of these virtues. The crystals of moonlight were able to artificially unseal the tablets, but even so, the power they possess can only be activated by those who truly understand a virtue and how it can be applied to make our world a better place if they were to become king. Otherwise, known as a Revelation Point."

"What about that surge in energy we felt earlier?" Chainz asked

"I'm not entirely sure, but if I had to guess, it could be that you guys are on the right track or have the potential to having a Revelation Point. Even if a mamodo didn't feel the surge within them when the tablets were unlocked, does not mean they don't have a chance to also ave a Revelation Point."

"If these tablets were passed down from one king to the next, then how did they get to Earth?" Jyan asked

"King Bell our current king or as you guys like to call him, Zatch the Appeaser, made an interesting decision to entrust priests from the Makai to hide them on Earth. My guess is that with all of the corruption and civil war that went on through most of his very short reign caused him to think ahead and put them here in hopes of someone rising up to bring the Makai out of the darkness."

"This sounds too good to be true." Josh said, skeptical

"It could be though all evidence is pointing to this being a very likely story. Of course, we don't know everything about the tablets ourselves and would require more research, there seems to be a quite a bit more that we don't know about." Marty said, spinning in his chair

"I'll cut you guys a deal, we will research the tablets and crystals of moonlight along with anything else you may need in exchange for not fighting each other." Sly said

"Done." Chainz said, while everyone else agreed

* * *

><p>The boys return to the Cathedral to meet back up with the others. Chainz saw a sun float by the Cathedral and stopped in his tracks. Ishimaru noticed too and decided to confront Chainz about it to see what was going on.<p>

_**A/N- I hope that answered some questions about the tablets and probably brought up some new ones. Next week's chapter will be out on Monday or Tuesday like always. Also, In 2 weeks from now, the story will be very Flashback-heavy for a while but very important as we start the upward slope on the way to the Light Society climax. R&R! **_


	59. Back to the warehouse!

_**A/N- Lol, I forgot to upload this on Tuesday, so here it is!  
><strong>_

Ishimaru loaded the last suitcase in the van and slammed the back door shut. They decided that their next destination was going to be Phoenix, the state capital. Something that Josh did not take too well. Ishimaru noticed that both Chainz and Josh were oddlu quiet and moody. Obviously something was on their minds. Ishimaru decided to see what was up with his partner first.

"Chainz, what's up? Why the long face?"

"Yeah." Chainz, said not looking at Ishimaru

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I saw a weird object that looked a miniature mechanical sun float by the cathedral. Do you know anything about it?"

"Sun? What sun? I saw no sun, you were just hallucinating." Chainz said dismissively

"Chainz, I saw you looking at it and mumbling under your breath. You got into a pissy mood after you saw it, so what do you know?" Ishimaru asked bluntly

Chainz growled but came clean. "Those suns are operated by a mamodo named Solaria. When she focuses, she can see whatever one of her suns see, so she was likely using them for recon. I've been suspicious why she's patrolling the desert."

"Well, do you now where we can find her?"

"I haven't felt her presence, so she's definitely masking it."

"I know where to find her."

Chainz and Ishimaru turned and saw Azure standing there. "She is the reason we're even in this country in the first place."

"What do you mean?"

Azure gathered everybody together and told them about the Four Titans as told by Solaria and Slash's defeat at the hands of Solin. "Who would've thought the almighty Slash would final meet his match." Jyan said with a grin. Surprisingly, Chainz was not taking any joy in Slash being brought to his knees, he was too focused. "Azure, I want you to show us the way to the warehouse?"

"Why?"

"I have some questions for Solaria."

"Alright. Let's leave immediately."

"Jyan, I may be heading into another fight, so you'll need to back me up." Chainz said, cracking his knuckles  
>"Mhm." Jyan nodded in response<p>

"We'll stay back and watch over the town." Kira said

"I agree. The least we can do is help the townsfolk and protect them just in case The Light Society decides to return." Sola said

"So it's settled. Let's move out." Chainz said as they all loaded into the van and prepared to hit the road.

"WAIT!"

Ishimaru stopped the van and looked out the window and saw Sheila and Wendy standing behind the van. Everybody got out for a moment. "Wendy, what's up? I thought you had a concussion."

"A little headache is no match to keep me down! I heard the whole thing, I'm coming with you. I want to teach this little wench a lesson anyway!"

"And how could you possibly be useful?" Jyan asked in a smartass tone

"You are so arrogant! I'll wipe the floor with that Solaria chick then, I'll wipe the floor with you." Wendy said poking Jyan's chest

Jyan did not say a word. He squinted a little as his smile grew. "Well bring it on." He leaned until he was leveled with Wendy's ear.

"Babycakes." He whispered

Wendy growled as she tackled Jyan and put him in a half-nelson. "You should have done a full-nelson instead!" Jyan exclaimed, using his free hand to reverse the grip and instead put Wendy in a full-nelson. Wendy tried to headbutt Jyan but felt their noses brush against each other. Jyan suddenly let go of Wendy, clearly in shock. Wendy flustered, glared at Jyan. "Creep." She growled, shoving Jyan on the ground and crawled into the van.

"I think I got my first nose kiss…" Jyan said, rubbing his nose as he crawled into the back of the van.

"All right, let's finally move out!" Ishimaru said as Azure began giving him directions.

**_A/N- oh no! The dreaded short chapter again! Don't worry people, the next chapter will be pretty long, so hang in there._**  
><strong><em>I never wrote about a tsundere character before, so Wendy will be a good challenge for me and I will start featuring another theme in the story that I'm not very good at. (I'm sure you all know what that is) Which is why it hasn't really been featured in the story but I want to see just how good (or bad) I am at it. That being said, it won't be overboard and it won't take away from the adventure. I essentially have to do it though since it is vital to a certain character's storyline and path to the kingship. R&amp;R! See ya at the end of the week! Happy Turkey Day!<em>**


	60. A conflicting confrontation!

_**A/N- I will have a lengthy commentary at the end of the chapter.**_

"This is the place."

Ishimaru parked the van in front of the warehouse. The drive did not take very long much to Ishimaru's surprise. Every got out and stood around in the parking lot. They went inside and felt the chilled breeze coming from the air conditioning system. The main room in the warehouse was about the size of a basketball gym, the floor resembled pavement due to the dust that built up. Hundreds of crates lined up against the wall, the pipes could be seen striated against the wall. They were rusty but held together, white fluorescent lights kept the room lit but enhanced the dull appearance.

"This place is abandoned…" Ishimaru said

"Maybe she left." Azure said, also looking around the main room

"Solaria, get out here now!" Chainz shouted as he walked into the middle of the room, not fooled by the warehouse's appearance

Just as Chainz called Solaria out, multiple suns surrounded him. They opened up their orange shutters, revealing their ruby cores. The cores glowed a bright red and fired red lasers at Chainz. Ishimaru opened the green spell book, about to chant a spell but Chainz stopped him. "There's no point in using a spell, the suns can't be destroyed by spells."

Chainz back flipped and cartwheeled away from the lasers, each of them missing him.

"Solaria, you can't hide from me! Come out you coward!" Chainz yelled, calling her out again

The suns began moving at a much faster pace. Lasers were shooting at Chainz in rapid succession; however he kept his focus and sidestepped all of them. Chainz slid across the dusty floor and slammed his hand on the ground. "Ishimaru, use Hokeigo."

"Why?"

"Just do it dammit."

"Fine then, the third spell, _Hokeigo!_"

The middle of the floor began cracking and splitting apart. It reached a breaking point as it exploded and Solaria along with her human partner Calvin shot out of the ground. The spike ball and chain was wrapped around their bodies. Solaria's eyes began glowing a bright orange and an orange aura surrounded them as she and Calvin stopped the momentum shooting them upwards and levitated in midair. Her eyes then released a bright orange flash, and then the chains broke and crumbled into pieces. They floated to the ground and her eyes went back to normal.

"It's been quite a while but we meet again." Chainz said, grinning

"Chainz, you magnificent bastard!" Solaria screamed with glee, running over and hugging him

"Okay, I think I speak for everybody when I ask what the hell is going on here?!" Jyan shouted as everybody else stood there dumbfounded

"Jyan, everybody, Solaria and I are good friends. We have known each other for a very long time. "

"Weren't you two fighting just now?" Josh asked, confused

"Solaria and I spar with each other to make sure each other's skills stay sharp."

"Hi Azure, I take it that you and Chainz know each other." Solaria said with a smile

"You could say that." Azure said shrugging

"Azure was the one who told me you were here." Chainz said

"I see. Well, you pick a hell of a time to drop in."

"What do you know about Treachor and The Light Society?" Chainz asked, his voice now serious

"I figured you didn't come in just to say hi. Well, I don't know much about Treachor other than the fact that he is The Light Titan and leader of the Light Society. He is the weakest of the Four Titans but of course, he is most certainly not a pushover. "

Chainz glared at Solaria, but did not say anything.

"Slash did not just lose to Solin, the Ice Titan. He was beaten within inches of his life. Something no other mamodo besides Clan Lord Galeno, your father has done. Slash would have been killed and his book automatically burned if it wasn't for Arkham coincidentally attacking them."

This sent a wave of shock into everybody. "Chainz, Slash could barely touch Solin. If Slash, who is widely considered to be an elite mamodo that a lot of adults have trouble with and somebody who is stronger than any of us in this warehouse, was wiped out that badly. What do you think would happen if you confronted Treachor?"

"That's not the point. I have my reasons for wanting to confront him."

"Like what?"

"I want to save Kai from Treachor philosophy and from himself."

"Chainz, I have known you for many years. You're not doing this to save Kai; you're doing this because of your ego. You were told your way of thinking was wrong and now that your ego is bruised, you want to fight to the bitter end because you truly believe that your way of thinking and way of doing things is the only correct way."

"What?! People died the day The Light Society attacked that town! We did not do enough to help them and they paid the ultimate price! Seeing your suns all over desert means that you knew what was going on and did not do a damn thing to stop it or even help! Don't you dare throw all of this onto me!" Chainz yelled

"Since when have you become such a bleeding heart? If you think it's simply The Light Society that is in the picture right now, then you are a fool. Everything that is going on right now is like an onion, the more you peel the layers, the more it stinks. But you know what; go after Treachor and the Aces. See if I care, you are asking for more trouble than what you're bargaining for."

"Whatever, I heard enough. Let's go guys and thanks for nothing Solaria." Chainz barked as everybody turned around and left. Chainz walked behind the group but stopped and turned around.

"Your right, my ego is bruised but it isn't because I was told my way of thinking was wrong. No, it runs deeper than that, but until you can be honest with me and yourself, we have nothing to talk about."

Solaria slammed the door behind Chainz so hard that the entire warehouse shook and vibrated. The entire ride back to the town was quiet. Ishimaru eventually pulled into the Cathedral parking lot and everybody went inside except for Chainz and Ishimaru. "Chainz…are you alright?"

"I'm fine Ishi. I want to increase the training intensity levels tenfold."

_[2 days later…]_

Chainz was virtually a robot over the next couple of days. He ran about a dozen miles around the town, bench pressed the van and made Ishimaru cast spells all day. He felt a little stronger but most certainly was not enough. "Ishimaru, you have to get your heart energy endurance up and I have to keep working. There's no telling how stronger my brother has gotten even though he got manhandled by Solin."

_[California…]_

Slash and Kiichiro got off of the cargo boat as they searched the Bay Area for Mark and Treachor. After hours of searching with no luck, Slash and Kiichiro began walking towards the shopping plaza. Kiichiro riding on top of Slash's shoulder's covered his eyes and not too much later bumped into some girls. Pulling Kiichiro's hands away from his eyes, Slash saw that it was none other than Grace and Teal. "Watch where you're going…what the HELL do you want?" Grace barked, her eyes opened and angry

"None of your damn business, YOU stay out of my way next time. I have important matters to attend to." Slash snarled

"You're so full of shit but of course what else is new." Grace said dismissively

Slash sighed but surprisingly said, "Not that this will do me any good but, do you know where I could find a mamodo named Treachor and his human partner is a guy named Mark Miller. They also go by the aliases Jonny Greenburg and Ignoramus"

Grace did not say a word, but the look of fear in her eyes and her trembling body was the only answer Slash needed to hear. "Tell me what you know."

"Grace is a bit scarred…" Teal said

"I don't have time for the waterworks, just tell me what I want to know." Slash said impatiently

"_Not that I'm concerned or anything..."_

Grace then took a deep breath and told Slash about Treachor's attempt to have his way with her but that she was only able to fight him off because he suppressed most of his power. She went on to tell him that he went up to about 25 percent of his strength and had her pinned down and that if it wasn't for CJ walking in, there is no telling what would have potentially happened.

"I see. I was used by them and they tried to set me up to get killed. I only came to America because I heard they were here."

"Just because Ignoramus…I mean Treachor or whatshisname is a bad guy, doesn't mean that Jonny is." Teal said shaking her head.

"No, Mark is a pretty evil bastard." Slash said bluntly

"You don't know the real him."

"If that's the case, then why didn't he tell you his real name?" Slash asked

"That's because people like you will unfairly judge him and make his life difficult." Teal countered

"Well, I guess I'll have to see for myself."

"The last we heard, he went to Arizona."

"Well, I will head there."

"Slash."

"What?"

"We're going with you."

"No, you will only get in the way and become a liability. I'm better going by myself."

"We can take care of ourselves and don't need you trying to protect us."

"I said no."

"Wherever you go, I go."

Slash stopped in his tracks and didn't say anything for about a minute.

"Fine."

"_This could be an opportunity to finally open up what seems to have been a closed door, even if it's for the last time. If there's nothing left and it truly is done and over with, I want to know soon." Grace thought to herself_

"_Why did she have to say those five words to me? I was almost out of there damn it. This is bringing back a lot of memories. I suppressed and eliminated these feelings I was sure of it. I rejected love, I cut all ties and distanced myself from it. Could I have been wrong?" Slash thought to himself_

"The next train to Phoenix leaves in thirty minutes, we better get a move on!" Kiichiro said, snapping Slash out of his thoughts as they went to go catch their train.

_**A/N- Well that's the end of the chapter. Originally, this was going to be two separate chapters but I thought against it and combined them instead. The next few weeks are going to be pretty flashback heavy so brace yourselves. However, they will be pretty important flashbacks since we look into Grace and Slash's relationship. How they met, what happened, why Slash became the way he is and so on. Slash is admittedly my favorite character to write about and I had a lot of fun writing his backstory. **_

_**Also, keep in mind that Chainz and Solaria know each other very well and there was a reason why Chainz said that Solaria wasn't being fully honest with him and with herself. I made an indication of what she potentially wasn't being honest about in a previous chapter. I will give you a hint and tell you that it was before Azure and his group made it to the town but after they were brought to the U.S.**_

_**Like I mentioned in a previous author's note, we will be going into the climax of the Light Society conflict in early 2013, which is what I'm working on now as far as writing goes. I'm thinking about making The Light Society conflict its own arc, I'll have a decision regarding that sometime around next week. R&R and see you guys next Monday or Tuesday!**_


	61. From Lovers to Enemies! Part 1

_**A/N- What is a better way to get this week started than with a brand new chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution?**_

Grace stared out the window as the train softly rumbled over the tracks. Before she knew it, a few hours came and went as they made their way towards Arizona. She and Grace were sharing a compartment and Slash was sharing his with Kiichiro. She looked over and saw Teal staring at her with a concerned look on her face.

"Teal, what's up?" she asked

"Well...what is Slash to you? I mean what happened...you know...between you two?"

"Well I guess now is as good of a time as ever." she sighed in defeat

Teal scooted closer to Grace and got comfortable. "Slash is my ex-boyfriend."

"I knew it!" Teal gasped

"Anyways..." Grace said, annoyed

"We met almost 4 years ago in Nana's village, I had been living there amongst them for a while..."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback almost 4 years ago...]<em>

_"Children, all of you give Slash a warm welcome. He has been traveling on a journey for about three years now and will be staying with us for a while. " Nana said as Slash stood in front of all the other children watching him  
><em>

_"Good morning Slash!"_

_Slash bowed in response and kept on walking. Grace gazed upon his shoulder length greyish-white hair tied up into a ponytail. His black t-shirt complimented the white cobra painted on the back of it. She noticed the sleeve of his t-shirt were cut off, revealing his lightly toned arms. His cutoff shorts moved slightly along with the breeze from the wind. She noticed the silver loop earrings that dangled from both of his ears, she felt a small blush on her pale face.  
><em>

_"The new kid looks pretty cool!" CJ piped as Grace looked at the other members of the trio.  
><em>

_"Grace, let's go say hi to the new kid." Angie suggested as the four of them walked over to Slash.  
><em>

_"Slash is it? I'm Angie, this is Beat, CJ and Grace."  
><em>

_Slash looked up and nodded in response to them. He looked directly at Grace but she noticed and quickly hid behind Angie. She poked her head out from behind Angie's shoulder and croaked out a weak hello._

_For the next few weeks, Grace avoided Slash as much as she possibly could. Every time Slash came around, she would excuse herself to do some chores or anything that was not in the vicinity. One day, she was playing with CJ, Beat and Angie in the lake near the village, dunking CJ and Beat under water and taking turns doing cannonballs. She went towards the deeper end of the lake in hopes of finding treasure or something interesting to bring back to the others. Grace swam until she felt something wrap around her foot.  
><em>

_"Why can't I get free?!" she wondered  
><em>

_Grace soon knew her answer as she felt her body getting flung into the air with tremendous force. She saw a long, spiked tail wrap around her tiny waits, impeding her efforts to get free. Turning to her left she saw a sea dragon mamodo bare its ugly sharp fangs at her. The breath of the sea creature rot of seaweed and marine animal carcass. _

_Grace turned to her right and saw that CJ, Beat and Angie were too far away from her to help. "I can't use a spell because its gripping me too tight." Grace said between strains. She continued to struggle but saw that would no longer be necessary. Slash stood on a nearby hill and began running forward.  
><em>

_"I have been practicing this spell and I'm going to try it for the first time ever. Ahhhhhhhhh!" he shouted as he galloped, a sparks of energy surrounded his hand as a nine foot long iron lance emerged from the ground. He adjusted it so he weld it with both hands. Slash leaped from the edge and ascended many feet in the air.  
><em>

_At this point, most of the children, the other women and even Nana herself were watching as Slash impaled the seadragon's mouth shut with the lance.  
><em>

_The beast loosened his grip on Grace and fell into the water with a massive splash. Before she could fall into the depths of the lake, Grace was caught in midair by Slash. He held her bridal style as he levitated through the air and reached the shore. He gently sat Grace down and was mobbed by the other children.  
><em>

_"That was amazing!"  
><em>

_"What spell was that?"  
><em>

_"You are our hero!"  
><em>

_"Slash, you are so cool!"  
><em>

_Slash shied away from the sudden attention and went back to Grace. "Are you all right?"  
><em>

_"I'm fine. Thank you for saving me." Grace said, smiling  
><em>

_Over the course of a few weeks, not only was Slash the village hero and caused the seadragon that lived in the lake to go without food for about a month, but he and Grace became inseparable. He was quickly accepted into the group of friends with CJ, Beat, Grace and Angie and all was going well. One particular evening was the next meteor shower. The entire village turned out all of the lights and soon enough, one could see every star in the sky. After about an hour of waiting, the meteor shower began. Everybody found a spot to sit or lay and enjoy the scenery. Grace and Slash sat on the hill, the same one Slash jumped from a few weeks prior to save Grace from the sea dragon.  
><em>

_"Slash, can I ask you something?"  
><em>

_"Sure."  
><em>

_"Are you an orphan?"  
><em>

_Slash did not answer Grace's question immediately, as if he was thinking about it.  
><em>

_"Sorry if I-"  
><em>

_"It's okay. I'm not an orphan, I had a clan with two parents, many brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles and so on."  
><em>

_"Then why aren't you at home with them?"_

_"My father sent me out on a journey to find power and become strong enough to be clan leader someday. He favors my little brother and he was really mad at me for not acknowledging him as being stronger than me. I was upset with my brother but I realize it wasn't his fault. I'm gonna tell him I'm sorry when I go home."  
><em>

_"I'm sure he will forgive you whenever you tell him."  
><em>

_"What about you? Are you an orphan?"  
><em>

_"No. My parents are noblemen and before I met these guys, I was pampered and sheltered all the time. I couldn't take being cooped up anymore and ran away. The servants and guards don't know where the village is and I can hide out here but I know I have to go home eventually."  
><em>

_"Oh." Slash said, looking down  
><em>

_They didn't say anything for a while but Grace broke the silence.  
><em>

_"Slash...I know the battle for king has been announced, even though there was one not too long ago."  
><em>

_"What about it?"  
><em>

_"Well, you're really strong so I know you will be in it. What kind of king would you want to be if you win?"_

_"I don't really know or care to be honest. All I want is my father's love and respect and I think being king will accomplish that. Remember what I said about my brother? Well he got our family's automatic spot for the upcoming battle, the only way I would even have a chance, is if I get a wild card spot."  
><em>

_"Well, from what I seen at the lake a couple of weeks ago, I say you're a definite lock."  
><em>

_Grace and Slash's hands brushed against each other, the pre-teens looked at each other with a small blush and scooted away from each a little.  
><em>

_[Flashback interrupted...]  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Wait a minute, this is really really cute and all but what exactly went wrong between you two?" Teal said, confused<p>

"You're pretty impatient you know, I was getting to that part."

"Okay."

"I feel like it was my fault for everything that happened."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"I encouraged Slash to challenge Chainz in front of his father."

**To be continued...**

_**A/N- No author's note from me. Lots more to go for the next few weeks. R&R.  
><strong>_


	62. From Lovers to Enemies! Part 2

_**A/N- I'll babble at the end of the chapter. Read and enjoy.**_

"What do you mean by that exactly?" Teal asked, confused

"I'll explain how it came up. Slash's stay at Nana's village was much longer than expected and a few months had passed since the day he saved me..."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...around 4 years ago]<em>

_Slash became a resident of Nana's village and according to him put his journey on hold. After much coaxing from Slash, Grace finally returned home and surprisingly received her parents' permission to stay in Nana's village on the condition she comes home every now and then and updates them with her progress. Both of them enrolled in the local consolidated school along with Angie, Beat, CJ and the other children in the village and surrounding area.  
><em>

_Not long after school was in session, the cream of the crop rose to the top. Slash and Angie easily vied for the #1 and #2 spots at the school and it was always a toss-up between the two of them when it came to their sparring matches since neither seemed to hold back when it came to the two of them. Grace was Slash's biggest cheerleader and secondary sparring partner. She was very fortunate to witness Slash perfect spell after spell. Sure they were his weaker spells, but Slash had a theory that the more effective he made his spells, the stronger they would become. His theory ended up being correct when soon, Slash's weakest spells became the equivalent of an average mamodo's middle-tier spells.  
><em>

_Slash did so well in class, he eventually became a tutor for the weaker and less experienced students. Everything was going very well until a letter arrived for Slash in the mail. Slash and Grace sat at the tree as he looked at the letter. "I'm too nervous to open it." he said with a chuckle  
><em>

_"Give it to me then, I'll open it." Grace said  
><em>

_"Never mind, I got it." Slash said, ripping the seal off and removing the paperwork.  
><em>

_"No..."  
><em>

_"What? What?!"  
><em>

_"I can't believe this..."  
><em>

_"What? What?"  
><em>

_"This can't be happening..."  
><em>

_"Dammit Slash! What?"  
><em>

_"Nana recommended me to the Elite review..."  
><em>

_"Well, yeah we already knew that..."  
><em>

_"And they approved."  
><em>

_"Yes! Congrats!" Grace said wrapping her arms around his neck  
><em>

_[Flashback interrupted...]  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Elite review?" Teal asked confused<p>

"In order to be considered an Elite, you have to go through Elite Review. Every few years, they hold it in the capital and mamodo that have been approved by the committee come from all over the Makai in order to be granted Elite status. There have been years where everybody that comes is granted Elite status, which is extremely rare, like once every few generations that happens. There are also years where nobody is granted Elite status, which is not rare but uncommon."

"I see, so does that mean there are quite a few running around on Earth now?"

"Well, on average there are 3-4 elite mamodo every battle but this time, there seems to be a few more than average. We know of Slash and Angie of course and I'm positive there are some others. However, even in an up year like this, they are still a very small, selective group."

"I see. Now continue."

"Okay."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback continued...]<em>

_"The next Elite Review isn't until towards the end of next year, so I have a year and a half to get ready." Slash said  
><em>

_"You'll get it done." Grace said, smiling at him  
><em>

_"I wish I could tell father, there is no way he could ignore that."  
><em>

_"Maybe your wish can come true."  
><em>

_"What do you mean Grace?"  
><em>

_"Well, we could go to your clan's manor, tell your father what happened and show that you're better than Chainz."  
><em>

_"You know what, you're right. I will challenge Chainz and when I bet him, I will show dad I'm the rightful heir to become Clan Lord."  
><em>

_"Let's set off."  
><em>

_Grace and Slash packed up and made their journey back to the Clan manor. Normally, it would have taken weeks to get their on foot, but thankfully Slash knew of an underground system that allowed them to get there in less than a day. They emerged from the tunnel system and found themselves in front of the manor. They walked down the long path leading to the large main house. The Serfs working in the large fields surrounding the manor looked up and stared at Grace and Slash as they murmured amongst themselves.  
><em>

_"You seem to be pretty popular around here." Grace said, looking around  
><em>

_"You can say that." Slash said as they continued forward  
><em>

_Reaching the door, Slash motioned the servants away as he led Grace down a vast hallway. After shifting through a few corridors, they stood before a massive double dour made of pure iron. A white cobra with bright green eyes with black slits was engraved and painted over the door. Slash raised his hand and placed it on the door. They took a few steps back as the cobra's eyes glowed bright green and a few clicks were heard as the doors swung open.  
><em>

_Grace was impressed with the throne room, it was as big as the one that was at her family's estate. She saw two thrones up ahead ahead which she assumed were for the Clan Lord and his wife. Before she could observe the room any further, a side door opened and out came a tall man with matted green hair and milky pale skin. If Grace had to guess, she would say he was about a towering nine to ten feet tall. His tuxedo was practically as white as his skin, however she could see a black cape draped behind his shoulders. Interestingly enough, Grace noticed he carried a black cane with a silver cobra head hooked to his belt and also notice there were multiple silver rings on all ten of his fingers. _

_Grace then noticed a small boy standing next to him. She saw the resemblance between him and Slash except that he was much shorter, about 3 feet tall. His hair, like Slash's was a grayish-white but it was short and unkempt. His large onyx eyes were happy and joyus. He, like Slash wore a black t-shirt with the white cobra emblem on the back but his sleeves were cut off and had black shorts with a matching white double stripe on the sides. _

_"So this is Clan Lord Galeno and Slash's little brother Chainz..." Grace said_

_"Father." Slash boomed_

_Lord Galeno suddenly looked over at Slash and Grace. He initially did not say anything, he looked directly at Grace but focused his attention on Slash. "Why have you come back boy?"_

_"I came back to inform you that I have been approved and will be attending Elite Review."_

_"So you're telling me that you came all the way back here just to tell me that you're going to Elite Review? You aren't an ELite yet, so I honestly do not care. Now get out of my sight."_

_Grace felt the sting of Lord Galeno's harsh words even though they weren't directed towards her. Slash however, kept his composure or so he seemed to and continued._

_"I am also here, because I challenge Chainz for the right to be the clan heir."_

_"Wait, what?" 8-year-old Chainz piped_

_"You heard what I said, fight me Chainz. Fight me right now!"_

_"Why Slash?"_

_"I want to see this hidden power you possess. Father says that you have more potential than I do and I am here to put an end to such a fallacy."_

_"Chainz will accept your challenge." Galeno said sternly_

_Much to Grace's shock, Slash charged directly at Chainz and tackled him. Within less than a minute, Slash punching Chainz without hesitating. Slash pulled back his fist and punched Chainz without taking a breath. Slash continued his assault for about another minute and stopped punching. Looking down, he saw Chainz's face was somewhat bloody and began feeling remorseful. "I let my rage take over and-" before Slash could finish, he was blasted in his chest by the laser Chainz fired from his mouth at point blank range. Slash flew back and rolled across the floor. _

_Any remorse and apologetic feelings Slash once had, vanished completely and he charged at Chainz like a bull in a bullfight. He squng his fist ith such heavy motion, a windy breeze could be felt throughtout the room. Chainz however, ducked and dodged many of Slash's heavy punches. Chainz faded to his left, causing another one of Slash's haymakers to miss. Chainz the came back towards his right and walloped Slash in this jaw, causing him to fall over and a small crack on his back teeth. _

_"Enough playing around. I have never lost a battle with this spell I've been working on."_

_Slash's slid his hand across the ground as white sparks of energy crackled around his hand. He pulled up a nine foot long iron lance but unlike at the lake, he wielded it with one hand, similar to a javelin. With tremendous force, he stabbed Chainz in the shoulder with the lance. Blood squirted all over Chainz's shirt and onto Slash's arms and face. Chainz grabbed on the lance now protruding from his shoulder and with one big and painful yank, the lance was on the ground and soaked in blood. Chainz fell to his knees and began shaking._

_"It can't be..." Slash began to say_

_Chainz looked up and his eyes were bright green and black slits formed, two fangs began growing out of his mouth. White scales began replacing his skin as Slash and Grace both stood there unable to move due to shock. Lord Galeno on the other hand, stood there and smiled. A white tail grew from Chainz's shorts as he began growing in size. Within a few minutes a white cobra about 30 feet long slithered before them. The serpent revealed its hood, showing green markings that resembled a goblin's face. Chainz, now in cobra form let out an ear shattering hiss. _

_Slash backed away in fear, not knowing what to do next. He then snapped out of his trance and saw the bloody lance he stabbed his brother with earlier on the ground about 10 yards away from him. "I have to try and take him down. No other choice, my only shot is by grabbing my lance."_

_Slash ran towards his lance but Chainz was too long and too fast. He moved towards the side but Chainz opened his wide mouth, revealing the two large venomous fangs. Chainz propped his head back and like lightning, struck and snatched Slash into his jaws._

_"SLAAAASSSSHH!" Grace screamed_

_Chainz suddenly toppled over and Slash rolled out of his mouth, covered in snake saliva but alive. Lord Galeno had his hand on Chainz's scaley back, the rings on his fingers were glowing. The massive cobra morphed back into Chainz, whose clothers were torn to shreds, so Lod Galeno put a cape over his naked body. He then turned his focus back towards Grace and Slash._

_"The winner is Chainz."_

_Slash coughed and choked but stood up. _

_"How could he transform without emoving his earrings? You rigged the match!" Slash barked_

_"I did no such thing. When his back is against the wall, Chainz has a killer instinct. He performs best under pressure and when the stakes are high. He wanted to win at all costs."_

_"BULLSHIT! You did this! You used your own abailities to help Chainz!" Slash then picked up the lance and charged at Lord Galeno, intending to aim for his father's heart._

_Lord Galeno did not move an inch. His snake tail suddenly appeared and wrapped itself around Slash's ankles and dangled him from the air upside-down. "Such long, beautiful hair..." Lord Galeno cooed_

_Within seconds and lightning-fast swipes, Slash's once shoulder-length hair was now a mere pile at Lord Galeno's feet. Slash kicked and struggled, trying to claw his way free. "How annoying." Lord Galeno said dismissively_

_In response, Slash spat at his father who did not take too kindly to that. Lord Galeno's eyes glowed a bright green and while still hanging him upside-down, he brought Slash eye-level to him. Within a quick flash, Slash's body was petrified. _

_"If you're a candidate for Elite status, then this next generation must be the weakest one yet." Galeno then saw the lance Slash tried to attack him with earlier._

_"Such a terrible way to die...this will hurt you much much more than it will hurt me." Lord Galeno said as he stood the lance up and dropped Slash on it, impaling him through his abdomen. Slash's blood spurted out like a geyser and sprayed all over the throne room._

_Grace could say nothing but felt tears roll down her eyes as she was traumatized by the gruesome battle that took place amongst family members. Galeno picked up a now conscious and horrified Chainz and began walking out of the room. He stopped and turned to look at Grace. "You might want to get him some medical attention as soon as you can. His internal organs will be shutting down soon due to loss of blood. So he'll either bleed to death or his body will fail him."_

_With that, Lord Galeno left the room with his heir. "Slash...don't die on me. I have to get you back to the village, I have to get you back. I can't lose you." Grace said as the salty tears stung her eyes. Why did she have to give Slash the idea to confront his father? She looked at Slash's wounds, there had to be a way to stop the bleeding. Grace knew that pulling the lance out would likely tear arteries and kill him within half a minute. Grace ripped and tore Slash's shirt to pieces. She wrapped the rags around various parts of his body in order to help his blood clot. After about five minute, the bleeding stopped and she miraculously put Slash on her back. _

_Grace took the underground tunnels back to the village and not once did she stop for a break. She surprisingly did not feel fatigued at all and got back to Nana's village like clockwork. After waking Nana up and handing over Slash to her. Grace collapsed due to exhaustion. Waking up the next morning, she ran to the infirmary where the other children were huddled around outside. Grace pushed her way through the crowd and was let inside._

_"Is he going to be alright?" she asked_

_"Well Grace, the only reason we were able to save Slash was because you held off the bleeding long enough to get him here." one of the nurses said to her_

_"Can I see him?"_

_"Of course, after all he owes his life to you."_

_The nurse lead Grace to a back room and opened the door. "Slash, you have a visitor."_

_Grace walked in and ran over to Slash. "Slash!" she said, embracing him as tears came down her face_

_"Grace..."_

_"I'm so sorry Slash, this is all my fault for giving you such a stupid idea in the first place."_

_"Oh please. I would have tried to go there anyway, don't blame yourelf."_

_"So, what now?" Grace asked, wiping the tears from her eyes_

_"All of them will pay and when the day if reckoning comes, not only the Cobra Clan...but all mamodo will yield to and bow before me."_

_"Huh..."_

_"As their king."_

**To be continued...**

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Yes folks, there is much more to come over the next couple of weeks. That fateful night is what broke Slash from being a powerful, yet kind and loving mamodo into the stone cold bastard he is today but like I said, much more to come. What is this about Chainz transforming and how come he has never done that in a battle yet? Well that explanation will have to wait until next week. So until then, Later. R&R folks! **_


	63. From Lovers to Enemies! Part 3

_**A/N- It's the start of a new week, which means I can post up a chapter of Iron Revolution!**_

"I see how Slash became the way he is, but what do earrings have to do with Chainz transforming and why hasn't he or Slash transformed while on Earth?"

"The earrings they wear are not normal earrings, they are made of a silver and iron alloy that suppresses their ability to transform."

"But why would they need such an ability to be suppressed?"

"Okay allow me to explain. The blood of the Cobra Clan is no longer pure. Clan Lord Galeno participated in the battle for king about 2 generations ago. It was when King Bell I, father of Zatch the Appeaser won. He met a mamodo known as Iron Maiden Kiyoko during said battle and she became his bride some time afterwards. Kiyoko had a reputation for being a pure hell-raiser and her genes along with her clan were just as dominant. Slash told me the reason they do not transform freely or take off their earrings is because of a mutation in their genes due to the mixing between Kiyoko and Galeno. Even though they can transform, the transformation is unstable and they cannot control it, which causes them to lose any sort of consciousness or reason. In other words, they would wreak havoc as uncontrollable beasts and be a danger to everyone and especially themselves. Their minds also deteriorate the longer they are in cobra form, so it's like a ticking time bomb. In exchange for a massive boost in strength and power, their brains essentially erode into jelly."

"I see, so that explains why Chainz and Slash can use metal spells and it's also understandable why they wear them" Teal exclaimed

"That is correct. However, their clans were not happy about them diluting what was once pure blood and they attacked. Kiyoko's clan disowned her and the Cobra clan tried to abdicate Galeno from being Clan Lord. Galeno however, gathered all of his loyalists and imposed a genocide over his own clan members. Eliminating everybody who stood against him. This move wiped out over 2/3 of the entire Cobra Clan."

"According to what you told me earlier, the Cobra Clan has an automatic spot in the battle. It's hard to believe they would retain that with a majority of them being dead."

"Well, they're not quite on the brink of death as a clan."

"What do you mean?"

"Well after the clan civil war and genocide, Galeno, his wife Kiyoko and all of his surviving loyalists and concubines restored an entire generation of Cobra clansmen. This newest generation includes Chainz and Slash."

"I see, makes sense."

"Galeno is the father of many children by his wife and various concubines. Chainz and Slash are held in the highest regard because they were bared by the Iron Maiden herself. At the same time however, bloodline did not matter too much to Galeno, as long as they were fathered by him, he did not care if his heir was fro his wife or concubines."

"How did he go about finding this heir?"

"When the children began developing their spells, they either could use laser spells or could use iron-based spells. What stood out to Galeno about Slash was that out of all the children who could use metal-based spells, Slash was the most proficient and being the son of The Iron Maiden did not hurt either. In turn, Galeno named him his heir. Everything changed when Chainz showed the ability to use both laser and iron spells."

"I see. So basically even though Slash is the stronger of the two by far, their father saw that Chainz had much more potential and with the right training and grooming could turn out to be better than Slash?"

"Precisely. I believe Slash figured out the same thing and is why he has a chip on his shoulder. As much as Slash won't openly admit it, he is truly afraid of Chainz turning out to be better than him. I wished I would've been more stubborn then like I am now."

"Explain."

"After he nearly died, Slash began dedicating more and more time towards training..."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback 4 years ago...]<em>

_Grace and Slash sat on the swings and enjoyed the breeze. She noticed Slash's shaved head, ever since his father butched almost all of his hair, leaving patches across his head, Slash had no choice but to shave it all off. Now, he simply just kept it shaved. Grace did ot mind and honestly thought Slash looked cute with it, still curiosity always got the best of her and she decided to ask.  
><em>

_"Slash, why do you keep your hair short now, I like it but inquiring minds would like to know."_

_"I was shamed by father, my long hair made me weak and until I consider myself strong, I will keep my head shaved."  
><em>

_"Slash, let's talk about it, have a heart to heart."  
><em>

_"No. I need to get back to training."  
><em>

_[Flashback interrupted...]  
><em>

"This eventually became the norm..." Grace said as she continued

_[Flashback continued...]_

_Eight months come and go and Slash continued being a recluse and training by himself most of the time. Occasionally he invited Grace to spar with him but it would be sporadic, serious spars and Slash would continue with another activity to improve his training efforts. Other than Slash intensifying his training, everything else was normal. Slash was still a Top 2 student, Grace still hanging around in the middle tier. Hanging out with CJ, Beat and Angie and so on. One fateful night after dinner, Grace noticed Slash did not sit down and eat with them. She saw him leaving Nana's house with a leather pouch strapped across his back.  
>He was standing at the lake on the ridge, the same one he saved her at almost two years ago. Grace quickly made her way towards him.<br>_

_"Slash, are you leaving?"  
><em>

_"Yes."  
><em>

_"Why?"  
><em>

_"My original intention was to only stay here for a couple of weeks, I ended up staying for almost two years. I was originally sent on a journey to find power. I was told to embrace some ideals and to abandon other things. After my father almost killing me in cold blood, it's time I rethink on those principles. Plus Elite Review is in a few months and I have to be fully prepared."  
><em>

_"I'm going with you."  
><em>

_Slash's face immediately shifted from serious to surprised. He quickly regained his composure however. _

_"No."  
><em>

_"I'm going with you."  
><em>

_"I said no! I need to do this on my own, you cannot go with me!"  
><em>

_"Wherever you go, I go. If you go to the ends of the Makai, I will follow you there. No matter what hell you go through, I will be there by your side going through that hell with you. You don't have to do everything alone!"  
><em>

_"Easy for you to say, how could you ever POSSIBLY understand what I go through?! You ran away from a family that loves you, I was forced out of my own home. I was forced to go on a journey, I am forced to acknowledge a now nine-year-old boy as my superior and master! I have to find my path and I have to do it alone." SLash exclaimed, turning away from Grace and staring at the full moon  
><em>

_"Slash, you aren't alone! You have Nana and all of the kids and people in the village...you have me."  
><em>

_"Grace, please stay here in the village. Please do that for me, I will come back for you, I promise."  
><em>

_Grace did not immediately say anything, she stood their silent for a moment but eventually gave in. "Okay." she said softly  
><em>

_Suddenly, Slash turned around and pulled her into his arms, forming a strong embrace. Grace returned the hug in response, she felt Slash's rough fingers glide through her soft hair. She indulged herself in the warmth of Slash's lean body which was a result of his training.  
><em>

_[Flashback interrupted...]  
><em>

* * *

><p>"I wish that moment could have lasted forever..."<p>

_[Flashback continued...]_

_"I love you Slash, please return to me safely." Grace said, resting her head on his shoulder  
><em>

_Slash did not say anything for about a minute or so but put his hand on the back of Grace's head. "I love you too..." he said  
><em>

_Slash then released himself from the embrace and left the village, continuing his journey.  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Now THAT was really romantic, when will it be my turn..." Teal sighed<p>

"Too bad things didn't stay like that." Grace scoffed

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say Slash wasn't the same guy he was when he **_finally_** came back." Grace said, forming an angry scowl

* * *

><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

**_A/N- Yeah, I decided to get an early start and upload on Sunday night. We are almost at the climax of these flashback so stay tuned later on this week! R&R folks! I might throw in three chapters for this week, we'll see. _  
><strong>


	64. From Lovers to Enemies! Part 4

_**A/N- I will have a pretty long author's note at the end of the next chapter.  
><strong>_

"W-When did he finally come back?" Teal asked, a little uneasy seeing her partner's scowl.

"Two fucking years later!" Grace shouted punching the wall, cracking and breaking it.

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback about one year before the battle...]<em>

_Grace let out a sigh of relief as she sat her tired body onto the sofa. She had endured six straight hours of training and was too tired to move. Just as she rest her tired head on the couch, one of the orphans came in and shook her. "Grace! Grace!"_

_"What..."_

_"He's back! He's back!"_

_"Who?"_

_"Slash! Me and the others were playing on the hill outside of town and we saw Slash walking up the road!" he excited child ran back outside. Grace got up and followed suit. She went out to the hill and saw the children surrounding Slash, hounding him like a celebrity on the red carpet. Grace couldn't believe that the boy in front of her was the boy she loved. Slash's hair was much longer and slicked back to his ears. His physique reminiscent to a bodybuilder, his eight-pack could be seen under the thin black leather vest, his light denim jeans were tucked inside of his black combat boots. Grace noticed that on his hands were black leather gloves, similar to those found on a biker. The skinny yet lean boy with the ponytail was gone and the young man with the slick hair and biker clothes took his place.  
><em>

_"Slash!" Grace said, wrapping her arms around his neck  
><em>

_To Grace's surprise however, Slash did not hug her back. "It's been a while."  
><em>

_The children scattered away, leaving them alone. "A while? A WHILE?! Slash, it's been two years! Not one call, barely any letters, what gives? And don't tell me about Elite Review, you told me a year and a half ago that you were granted Elite status!"  
><em>

_"I was busy and in the wilderness. A" Slash said dismissively  
><em>

_"Anyway, I am going to be in the upcoming battle for the kingship or queenship in my case."  
><em>

_"Just great. Word got to me that my brother was officially anointed as the clan representative in the battle." Slash grunted  
><em>

_"Well, there's a tournament in the next village over and the winner of the tournament is rewarded with one of the many wildcard spots in the upcoming battle."  
><em>

_"Sounds good. I'll be able to test out some new techniques and grab that wildcard spot." Slash said, tugging on his gloves as he turned and went inside Nana's village.  
><em>

_Grace stood there watching Slash walk away. "What happened to you Slash..." she said to herself  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Grace sat in the stadium with many of the other children from the village as the first round of the tournament got underway. Slash stood before a dinosaur mamodo, Grace remembered seeing this species in a book once and realized it was a Veloceraptor. The raptor roared it's hot, musky breath in Slash's face but he was not fazed in the slightest. Slash opened his hand as a giant spike ball and chain slammed into the dinosaur and collided him into a wall, blood smeared all over the place.<em>

_"Is he dead...?" Grace asked, shocked  
><em>

_"Killing an opponent is legal but doesn't happen very often, I think he's just lacerated and bruised. Should be fine." one of the orphans sitting next to her said  
><em>

_The crowd was silent and impressed that Slash was able to defeat his opponent with one spell and erupted in cheer. He walked back towards the locker room of the stadium and heard a few spectators' comments along the way.  
><em>

_"That emblem on his back, that's the Cobra Clan's!"  
><em>

_"Yeah, he's Iron Prince Slash, the son of The Iron Maiden Kiyoko."  
><em>

_"Yeah, I saw the resemblance. Kiyoko was a real hellraiser back in her day."  
><em>

_"I bet she's real proud of him."  
><em>

_Grace overheard some of the spectators. "Iron Prince? Since when has he been called that?" she wondered  
><em>

_What did not change however, was Slash eliminating each of his opponents within one or two spells. Opponent after opponent were tossed out of the ring or were maimed by one of Slash's spells. Before they knew it, the finals were about the start. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final round of the Wildcard Tournament. Remember folks the winner of this final match between Slash and Gansu Genso receives one of the coveted wildcard spots in order to enter the upcoming battle for king!" the announcer shouted into his microphone  
><em>

_"Gansu Genso?" Grace said to herself examining Slash's final opponent.  
><em>

_It was strange to think he was a boy with his spiky hair, arms, and legs being light pink, his boots, gloves and trunks magenta. However, his clown face was as white as the cotton balls she saw on the shelf at a pharmacy a while ago. To compliment his white clown face, Gansu Genso had a red nose that rivaled a cherry, his eyes yellow enough to make lemons jealous. Grace squinted and thought she saw a small tuft of blond hair swirled over his forehead. If Grace had to guess, he was about three and a half feet tall but he floated in midair to compensate for his height disadvantage.  
><em>

_"Iron Prince Slash, it is an honor to finally fight you." Gansu Genso said, grinning and revealing a row of razor sharp teeth.  
><em>

_"Bring it on!" Slash said, tugging on his gloves.  
><em>

_Gansu Genso flew directly into Slash's abdomen, headbutting him. Slash however, grabbed Gansu Genso by the waist and slammed him into the ground with a devastating piledriver. Gansu Genso however, kicked upwards and slammed his tiny yet powerful foot into Slash's chin, sending him flying. Slash caught his balance however and back-flipped onto his feet. He got on a knee and began punching the ground in rapid succession. Numerous spikes rose out of the ground as Gansu Genso flew and curved around each and every one of them. That didn't stop Slash however, as he put his hands on the ground and summoned a giant spike wall. Gansu Genso was still flying towards the spike wall. He curled into a ball as an aura of orange energy formed around him, Gansu Genso did not stop as he smashed through the iron wall and into Slash directly.  
><em>

_Slash crashed into the ground as Gansu Genso released himself from the ball and slammed his foot down on Slash's neck. Slash spat up blood from his windpipe but grabbed Gansu Genso by the back of his neck and tossed him into the spike wall. Gansu Genso felt multiple spikes pierce his body but closed his eyes and focused. He released a blast of blue energy and propelled himself off of the spikes. He used this leverage to increase his velocity and got to Slash very quickly. Gansu Genso and Slash began trading rapid punches with each other. Gansu Genso threw a punch with his left and had it slapped away by both of Slash's hands, giving him an opening. He slid his right fist across Slash's jaw and did not let up. He leaped on top of Slash's shoulders, wrapping his legs around his neck and continued his assault on The Iron Prince's head, neck and face. Slash tried to yank the clown-like mamodo off of him but his grip was too strong, even for Slash.  
><em>

_Slash then had an idea and fell forward, slamming Gansu Genso on his back. This worked to perfection and loosened his grip, Slash pulled on his glove and slammed his fist into Gansu Genso's stomach, causing him to gag and cough up blood of his own. Gansu Genso got to his feet and wipe the blood away from his mouth. "Let's end this."  
><em>

_"I agree."  
><em>

_Slash jumped back and placed his hand on the ground as he summoned an iron lance, Gansu Genso opened his hand as a sphere of red energy formed.  
><em>

_"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Gansu Genso yelled  
><em>

_"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Slash bellowed at the top of his lungs  
><em>

_The iron lance and energy sphere collided and exploded, dust and smoke kicked up everywhere. Grace and the rest of the audience watched in suspense to see who, if any would walk away from this. After waiting for a few minutes, things cleared up and both of them were kneeling on the ground. They struggled to stand up but rose to their feet anyway. After being on their feet for about a split second, they both hit the ground.  
><em>

_"This match is a draw!"  
><em>

_After recovering in the infirmary, Slash and Gansu Genso were both granted wildcard spots. Grace wasn't sure what they discussed but Slash finally came outside the stadium where she was waiting at.  
><em>

_"Congrats on the getting the spot." She said  
><em>

_"Gansu Genso is a formidable opponent and I respect his strength. However, tying is no different than losing in my eyes.' Slash said, semi-acknowledging her comment about him gaining the wildcard spot  
><em>

_"Well, what do you plan on doing now before it's time to go to the human world?"  
><em>

_"After my fight with Gansu Genso, I received invitations to other tournaments and since there is roughly a year left, I'm going to travel around and fight in these tournaments and fine tune my skills there."  
><em>

_"Let's do it toghether." Grace suggested  
><em>

_"No. I'm going this by myself."  
><em>

_Grace couldn't believe what she just heard.  
><em>

_"There you go, trying to do everything alone. How can we be lovers if we aren't together?"_

_"Things change, it's that simple." Slash shrugged  
><em>

_Grace really couldn't believe what she was hearing from Slash.  
><em>

_"Slash, the only reason I didn't get eaten by that seadragon mamodo was because of you saving me and the only reason you didn't die when you father gored you with your own lance, was because I saved you. That alone proves that we can't do everything by ourselves."  
><em>

_"Eventually, you're going to get enough of throwing my moment of weakness back into my damn face! Ugh!" Slash shouted  
><em>

_"The same way you apparently got tired of writing me back or telling me where you were or not even seeing me in two years?!" Grace shouted back  
><em>

_"I was in the wilderness!"  
><em>

_"What about the promise you made me two years ago!"  
><em>

_"Who cares about a stupid, childish promise?!"  
><em>

_"I do!"  
><em>

_"Well forget about the promise! I don't even love you anymore!" Slash said lividly as he turned away to leave  
><em>

_To his surprise, Grace grabbed his arm. Slash turned around and was met was a lightning-fast slap. Slash saw that Grace's normally fox-like eyes were opened and full of tears. "All of the nights I sat up alone, all of the times at sat in the rain, in the snow waiting for you...it was all in vain wasn't it? Getting into fight and arguments with the other kids who said you'd never come back alive...was that all for naught? You come back after longest two years of my life without so much as an I'm sorry or an I missed you. Slash, you only care about someone when they have something that benefits you. If this is the case, I'm sure you never truly loved me to begin with...I'm just glad that I realized it when I was still young."  
><em>

_Slash did not say a word in response to Grace, he kept his stone cold pokerface.  
><em>

_"Your lust for power and seeking the throne of Clan Lord along with Mamodo King, gaining the approval of those who don't care about you are more important to you than those who do care."  
><em>

_Again, Slash did not say a word. Instead he turned around to walk away once more. "No Slash, you're not walking out on me this time. Instead, I'm walking out on you." she turned around and walked away.  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

"I'm...I'm not sure what to say to all of that." Teal said, appalled.

"I didn't see Slash after that night until we came to the human world and ended up seeing him back in Japan."

"Grace."

"Yeah?"

"Do you still have feelings for Slash, even if they're lingering ones?"

"I...I don't know." she said, surprised at her partner's question

"Well thank you for telling me what happened between you two."

"No problem. Regardless, it's strictly business between us right now. After we prove whether or not Mark is a good guy, Slash goes back to being the enemy."

"Deal." Teal said in agreement

"**_Attention passengers! We have now arrived in Phoenix! Please exit the train and take all of your personal belongings."_**

"Well, we're at our stop." Grace said as she and Teal got off of the train. Slash and Kiichiro also got off and met back up with them at the station. "All right, where do we go now?" Slash asked crossing his arms

"I'll call him later and ask him where he wants us to meet up at. Then you can shut up when you see that Mark is a good guy." Teal said as they begin leaving the station.

Meanwhile a few yards away from them, Claire and Maxwell, the other Light Society Aces were watching from afar. "I told you I sensed other mamodo! That's Iron Prince Slash and some blue haired girl. She may the one Treachor was going on and on about. We better report to him what we found." Claire said as they got up and scurried out of the station

_**A/N- I was going to put a long author's note here but I'll save it for the next chapter! This wraps up the 4-parter! R&R folks!**_


	65. Onwards to Phoenix!

_**A/N- Author's rant at the end of the chapter.**_

The good news for the town was that things were going back to normal. Buildings were being rebuilt, it was deemed safe for children to play outside again and so on. People are going back to their daily lives. The boys decided it was time to get back on the trail of Toshiro and was preparing to part ways with their newfound friends. Everybody stood around and Ishimaru decided to get the goodbyes started.

"Rika, Lily, you girls take care." Ishimaru said, bowing to them

"You too Ishi." they said in unison

"We're coming with you."

"Huh?"

"My car is fixed and ready to go, plus you can;t get rid of us that easily." Sheila said

"Alright, cool with us."

"Ishimaru, if you guys don't mind, we're going to stay behind and help out some more here." Arashi said pointing to Kira

"Okay, we'll keep you updated."

"Thank you and please help Anego any way you can."

"Will do."

"Wendy, I will keep getting stronger and stronger. I will be looking forward to our next meeting." Azure said

"It has been a pleasure to work with you guys." Sola said

"Chainz, Jyan I have never truly known the definition of having a good time until I met you two. It will be more fun when we all meet back up." Kira said, holding out both of his hands

"Looking forward to it." Chainz said as he and Jyan shook both of his hands.

Everybody then parted ways. Chainz and Ishimaru were trying to push Josh into the van and were surprisingly having a hard time doing so. Jyan shrugged as he went over to help out but her a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see it was none other than Azure.

"What's up?" Jyan asked

"Please take care of Wendy."

"Whatever dude, I'm not her babysitter." he scoffed

"You'll understand what I mean eventually." Azure said, walking away

"Next stop, Phoenix, Arizona!" Ishimaru exclaimed as he put the van in gear. Josh was tied up in the back of the van with a dirty sock in his mouth. He flailed and rolled to try and free himself. "Remember the time you tossed a book at me? Well that book was about how to tie knots and I learned the triple-double backwards reverse slightly inverted grasshopper knot. Oldest trick in the book."

Josh glared at Jyan and his muffled noises sounded like curse words but Jyan didn't care. How often would he get an opportunity like this?

He looked out the back window and saw Sheila's car behind them. "I wonder what Azure meant when he said that to me..."

_**A/N- The only reason this is so short, is because it was really supposed to be the ending to the previous chapter but it just did not fit with what was going on, so I made it a standalone chapter. I thought I was going to have a pretty long list of things to discuss, but apparently I don't. **_

_** Everybody is heading to Phoenix and Josh's attempts sat dodging it have run out. Why doesn't Josh want to go there? Will Maxwell and Claire present a problem for Slash and Grace? Will Chainz and co find Toshiro in Phoenix? Find out in the oncoming chapters of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R people!**_


	66. The nefarious Marisa and Jaylin!

_**A/N- I've been in a giving mood all week, so here's one more!**_

Maxwell and Claire are standing at the payphone trying not to fumble the change. "Wait a minute Maxwell, why don't we call collect?"

"Great idea."

Meanwhile, Treachor and Mark were sitting on luxury La-Z-Boys and eating caviar as the phone next Treachor rang. He picked up the phone and clicked the button. "If you would like to accept the charges please say yes."

"What the hell...this better be good if they're calling collect. I'll accept the damn charges."

"Please hold while we connect you."

"Sir, we have news to report!" Maxwell said into the phone as Claire tried to wrench it away from him

"This better be good since you're calling me collect."

"Slash is in Phoenix, it seems that he is looking for you sir. What do you wants us to do about it?"

"Burn Slash's book and kill the little brat that reads his book. Those are your orders."

"There is also a girl who goes by the name of Grace with him and her book owner is some girl named Teal I believe."

"They are another matter. Contact me whenever they are separated from Slash and we will take care of the rest."

"Sir, I also have another request for us to carry out this mission. We need an entire armored division, we can lay the city under siege and it will also draw Slash out."

"Request grated." Treachor said, hanging up

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Slash and Grace were nearing a motel as they both stopped in their tracks. "What is it?" Teal asked her partner<p>

"I since multiple mamodo around the city, be on alert just in case." she said

After checking into separate rooms, Slash, Kiichiro, Grace and Teal all sat down with each other at the lobby."I received a call from Mark as we were unpacking and he said he will meet with us at the end of the week. What will you do until then?" Teal asked

"Well until then, I'm going to do some training." Slash said

"Slash, Mark is a good guy. I know he seems like a jerk but he's a real gentleman and sweetheart. Just because his mamodo is bad, does not mean he is."

Slash sighed and figured it was best not to argue with a lovestruck girl.

* * *

><p>"Here we are folks! Phoenix, Arizona!" Ishimaru announced as they took in the marvel and beauty of the city lights and skyline.<p>

"This place looks badass! Right Josh? Josh?" Jyan asked, looking around

Josh was trying to open the back door of the van but to no avail. "I put the doors on child lock, I figured you would try to do this." Ishimaru said, pulling into a parking lot of a downtown hotel. Sheila and Wendy also pulled into the parking lot next to them and it did not take them long to bring their things to their room and collapse their tired bodies onto the bed. Ishimaru and the other guys decided to let them sleep for a while. After checking in and unpacking, Ishimaru went over to Josh to talk to him, see what his problem was. Before he could talk to his friend, his cell phone began vibrating.

"Hello?"

"Yes. Yes. Yes! Absolutely yes! We'll be there in a sec!" Ishimaru said happily as he hung up the phone

"Great news guys. That was the private investigator I made an appointment with before we left the previous town and they are waiting for us down at the federal building."

"I'm not going!"

"What has gotten into you dude?"

"I'm not going to that damn building that's what."

"Why?"

"Because she works there."

"Who is she?"

"My sister...she's a federal agent and she leads the branch here in Phoenix."

"That's great news! She can pull up the files on Toshiro and Leon, showing us where they are at."

"Ishi, you don't understand. I hate my sister!"

"Josh, put your personal feelings aside for a moment. This will bring us one step closer to beating the Light Society!"

"Fine. But only because this is going to help us." Josh sighed, resigning to Ishimaru's pressure

After about a five minute walk from the hotel, was the federal building. The brick and mortar building was about nine stories tall and pretty easy to miss when focusing on the skyscrapers. The boys went inside to the receptionist desk. "We have an appointment for 6:00." Ishimaru said

"Ninth floor."

The boys scrambled into the elevator, which shot them up to the ninth floor like a bullet. Walking down the hall were various doors but Josh quickly pointed to the door straight ahead. The name "Marisa Luther, Head Agent" was etched in the door with black paint. Josh tapped on the door.

"Enter." a feminine voice called

Josh slowly opened the door as they went inside. At the back of a large leather chair could be seen behind the desk, turning around the chair was a young woman bout the exact age as Ishimaru. Her shoulder length brown hair matched her similarly colored eyes. Her yellow shirt could be seen under her black jacket, and as she stood up, a gun holster could be seen connected to her jeans which nicely hugged her legs.

"Why hello there Joshua and random little brats...erm I mean children."

"Don't call me that dammit!"

"Who is your cute friend?" she asked looking at Ishimaru

"Oh shucks, I'm Ishimaru Kamikatsu, I believe I spoke with you over the phone." Ishimaru chuckled, scratching the back of his head

"Ah, so you're the gentleman I spoke on the phone with. Let me get that file you were looking for." She said, going to the file cabinet behind her desk.  
>That's when Josh saw what appeared to be an orange spell book on the desk.<p>

"_Shit! She has a mamodo too. Hmm I wonder..."_

"Ah, here it is. Leon Storm. Mr. Kamikatsu or how you Japanese say it, Kamikatsu-san, I get off work in about an hour and-" Marisa stopped in mid sentence as she grabbed Josh's arm before he could grab the book

"Nice try." she said putting him in a submission and grabbing the book off of her desk. Marisa then pressed a black button under her desk.

Within a blink of an eye, the door flew open and in came a small girl about Jyan's age. Looking at her slightly tanned skin, it's obvious she has been around the desert for a while. Her neck-length black hair with brown tips was similar to Ishimaru's. Her cold blue eyes were chilling to the bone according to those who looked at them. Her sense of fashion was interesting as she wore a white sleeveless shirt with a black T shirt underneath it and as an alternate to wearing pants, she instead wore a black skirt with brown shoes.

"Hello Jyan." the girl said with murderous intent present in her voice

"Good timing Jaylin. You get watch me burn this file instead of giving it to these losers." Marisa said, revealing a lighter

"Am I cute enough not for the file to be burnt?" Ishimaru asked with stereotypical glistening anime eyes

"Not even close." Marisa said coldly as she lit the file on fire and dropped it out of the window. Chainz however sprinted and jumped out of the window.

"Chainz!" Ishimaru shouted, running to the window as well. He opened the green spell book and quickly flipped the pages. "The third spell, _Hokeigo!_"

Chainz caught the file in midair and opened his hand as the ball and chain shot out of it and smashed into a fifth story began to pull himself up and went through the middle-floor window. "Let's get down there to where Chainz is at." Ishimaru said as he Jyan, and Josh quickly dashed out of the office.

"THIS IS NOT OVER!" Marisa screeched to the point where they could hear her on the elevator. Reaching to where Chain was at, the punk biker mamodo held up the burnt, yet readable file.

"Good job Chainz, but I think we should get back to the hotel because Marisa will tear this place up if she still thinks we're here. Plus, we gotta tell Sheila and Wendy what happened." he said as they quickly left the building.

_**A/N- Well that's that! Now you guys know why Josh did not want to come here. Now that they have Leon's address, will the boys finally find Toshiro? Well, since I didn't plan on getting so trigger-happy with the chapters like I did this week, our climax will be starting this month instead of January. R&R and see ya early next week like always!  
><strong>_


	67. Ice vs Speed! A battle between brothers!

_**A/N- A new week means a new chapter!**_

"So, you're saying that Marisa worked at the federal branch here in Phoenix and that she tried to burn the file because Josh is a complete idiot but Chainz jumped out of the window which was completely reckless but saved the file nonetheless and you guys got out of there in time before she could kill you?" Sheila said before stopping to catch her breath

"Yeah pretty much." Josh said before plopping down on the water bed. They opened the file and overlooked the documents contain all of Leon's personal details. "According to these files, Leon lives on a ranch outside of the city." Josh said putting the down the document

"His address is listed here." Sheila said pointing to another document

"What are we waiting for, let's get over there!" Ishimaru said as they quickly piled into the van and sped off to Leon's address.

The drive took roughly half an hour but it was nothing compared to the distances they have been driving over the course of the last few days. Ishimaru pulled into the driveway as they got out and saw that there was a commotion up ahead. They hurried across the pasture and saw that they were not alone. Toshiro and Leon were standing before multiple figures. Getting closer it could be seen that it was none other than Kai and Skyde along with Haley and Marlo.

"Brother, I ask of you to abandon the current path you're on." Toshiro said sternly

"That is not an option, somebody has to possess the ideals to walk the straight and narrow." Kai said grimly

Chainz grimaced at the sight of Kai and Skyde. Their demeanor along with the taste of their presence was horribly disgusting. Chainz could not get rid of the bad taste he felt in his mouth, it was like tasting lotion among all things.

"Just great, we finally find Toshiro and we have to deal with The Light Society, go figure." Ishimaru said, sighing

"Brother, if you do not stand down then you leave me no choice. The same goes for your ally as well." Toshiro said, a spark present in his eyes

"I accept your challenge." Kai said, removing the Light Society jacket and his second shirt, revealing his chiseled and athletic body."

"You want me to step in?" Skyde asked

"No. Leave this to me, we were due for a fight anyway." Kai said coldly

"All right then, I'll turn my attention on our eavesdropping guests." Skyde said, turning his attention to Chainz, Jyan and Wendy

Almost immediately, Ishimaru, Josh and Sheila pulled out their spell books. "Which one of us takes hm on?" Chainz asked as they began a game of rock-paper-scissors

"No need for that 1-on-1 crap, all three of you come at me. My spells are designed for multiple opponents anyway."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Kai and Toshiro moved a considerable distance away from Skyde taking on Chainz and co. The two brothers were in their fighting stances, circling around each other, waiting for one of them to make the first move. After what seemed like minutes of a standstill, Kai sprinted to his left but faded back towards his right with a body shot punch. Toshiro however, grabbed his fist and tried to take out Kai's knees. Kai however, was too fast and reacted in time. He back flipped and thrusted his palm forward, Toshiro responded with a roundhouse kick and the two powerful forces clashed and returned to a standstill.<p>

* * *

><p>Skyde was surrounded by Chainz, Jyan and Wendy but did not look worried in the least sense of the word. He stood his ground but he and Marlo kept watch on all sides. "Approach me with caution, I have a few aces in the hole. No pun intended." he said, brimming with confidence<p>

"We have to be powerful and precise with our attacks." Ishimaru said, holding the spell book open

"Agreed. If we hit him from multiple directions with powerful attacks, he will get overwhelmed quickly."

"Let's get this started." Sheila said

"_Hokaisho!"_

_"Chikelga!"  
><em>

_"Wilasu!"  
><em>

Chainz jumped to his right and released the concentrated white laser beam from his mouth, trying to score a direct hit on Skyde. Jyan, like Chainz also fired a focused beam from his mouth but this one was made of pure blue aura. Wendy formed clouds in both of her hands and sent them forward, forming wind blades. These three attacks closed in on Skyde but again, neither he nor Marlo was concerned

"_Deyrudo!"_

Skyde placed his hands on the ground as a dome made of earth sprouted around Skyde, protecting him and Marlo from the vicious attacks. Skyde then pushed the dome back into the ground and Marlo flipped some pages, already lined up for another spell.

"_Amudey!"_

Shockwaves exerted from Skyde as Chainz, Jyan and Wendy were all simultaneously pushed backwards. They held their ground however and stood tall. "Not only is he strong but his spells make it difficult for us to touch him." Ishimaru said as he realized that numbers alone will not win this battle.

"Three books for the price of one, that's practically a steal!" Skyde exclaimed, waiting for his foes to make their next moves

* * *

><p>Haley looked down at the spell book she held in her shaky hands. Rogue strands of red hair were matted onto her face, she had lost touch with herself a while ago and nothing else was on her mind aside from the ongoing battle between Kai and Toshiro also between Leon and herself.<p>

"Well what are you waiting for Leo?" she said in an oddly maniacal voice

"Too scared to attack your little sister and her mamodo? Very well, if you won't attack, then I will!"

_**A/N- Yes, the dreaded short chapter has reared its ugly head for a day! Chainz and the others can never catch a break. They finally get ahold of Toshiro, but The Light Society beat them to the punch. They can't talk to Toshiro because of Skyde impeding them. Will they finally stop two of the three Aces? (Claire & Mawell count as only one Ace) Find out in the next chapter later on this week! R&R folks!**_


	68. Caution! Misty battle conditions!

_**A/N- Thanks for the reviews everybody, looking back at the last few chapters and reading the recent reviews. I have noticed that I have been slacking lately with the quality and instead have been relying moreso on quantity. No more extremely short chapters. I am making adjustments accordingly. **_

"Well what are you waiting for Leo?" she said in an oddly maniacal voice

"Too scared to attack your little sister and her mamodo? Very well, if you won't attack, then I will!"

_"Kazedron!"_

Kai released a blast of wind from his hand towards Toshiro, the force exerted from his hand rivaling that of a train.

"_Mizuteron!"_

In response, Toshiro released a jet of water from his hand, hitting the blast of wind on impact, the combined forces of nature forming a mist that sprayed all over the battlefield. "Leo, let him have it." Toshiro ordered

"Got ya, _Mizuteron! Mizuteron! Mizuteron!"_

Toshiro fired jet after jet of pressurized water at his brother in unrelenting fashion. Using his natural speed, Kai sidestepped and dodged the attacks coming his way. He knew he could not stop dodging due to the speed and power of the water spells being hurled at him. Haley had to think of something and fast, she knew he could not dodge the attacks forever.

_"There's about a two second pause between Toshiro's attacks, we only have one shot for this, so we have to wait until the right moment..."  
><em>

Toshiro continued flinging water blasts at Kai, and began walking forward, not letting up on the offensive. Kai and Haley both knew that the closer he gotten, the harder it was to dodge, even with Kai's speed._  
><em>

"Well here goes nothing, _Kazedron!"_

Kai tossed out a blast of wind and countered Toshiro's Mizuteron, sending another burst of mist everywhere. WIthout hesitation, they began a counterattack of their own._  
><em>

"_Kzedron! Kazedron!"_

"_Mizuteron!"_

Both Kai and Toshiro kept up the attacks, each one canceling the other out until the point where the entire battlefield became shrouded in a thick mist, making it difficult to see. This of course, put Toshiro and Leon at a disadvantage. Kai's speed allowed him to attack at any angle and the mist provided perfect camouflage in order to do so.

"Keep your guard up Leo, Kai could be lurking in any direction." Toshiro warned

"I know. You just watch your own back." Leon snapped

"_Chisokumera!"_

"_Mizurudo!"_

Toshiro quickly formed a dome of water as Kai quickly appeared in a blur, attempting to smash it with his powerful fist. Waves formed on the dome but Kai's fist did not penetrate it. Kai disappeared in a blur and reappeared on multiple sides, using a multitude of physical attacks, attempting to break the dome with sheer force. Toshiro however, held strong and kept his younger brother at bay. He then released the dome, sending waves of water upon Kai, soaking him. His speed still increased, Kai confronted Toshiro once more and let off a fury of combos, Toshiro blocked and kept up with most of them, taking a few punches here and there but held him off. Kai came in for a few more punches but Toshiro got the best of him and struck him in the chest, sending a small pocket of blood out of his mouth.

"Who would have thought you would have gotten as strong as me in such short time, I still remember only a few years ago how you hated anything that involved moving and the Kai I know still does."

"Stop bringing up the past and fight!" Kai shouted, irritated

"Very well then." Toshiro said as he swung at Kai and started pushing him back as Kai tried to keep up with his punched. Kai however, began using his natural speed to dodge and sidestep Toshiro's barrage. He got a few blows in and began turning the tables, taking the assault to Toshiro. Kai frustration could be detected in his blows as he began to pick up the pace and swing even faster, to the point where his fists could barely be seen. Kai swung his fist into Toshiro's face and nailed him. Blood trickled down Toshiro's mouth and he quickly wiped it away and smiled.

"It's a weird feeling, but I'm both proud and disappointed. Still, you have truly come a long way..."

* * *

><p><em>Toshiro practically kicked down the door. He contained so much excitement, he couldn't control himself. "Kai! Kai! You gotta hear about my latest training venture! I finally got to the top of the mountain outside of the forest!"<em>

_"For the millionth time already, I. Do. NOT. Care." Kai said, turning over on his side and burying his face in the couch. _

_"You'll never get selected for the upcoming battle for king if you don't have some sort of work ethic."  
><em>

_"Well that's good then since I hate anything that even resembles working."  
><em>

_"There are surely some ideals you have and would like to see our world adapt."_

_"Ideals? You have been listening to too many of King Zatch the Appeaser's propaganda speeches but who knows, maybe you're right."  
><em>

_"I AM right. I want you to come with me tomorrow."  
><em>

_"If I finally go, will you leave me alone?"  
><em>

_"No because after tomorrow, you'll be begging to come with me on more training ventures."  
><em>

_"I doubt it."  
><em>

_Kai barely had time to close his eyes as he was shaken awake by Toshiro. He looked over at a nearby clock and saw that it was barely even dawn. After spending the entire morning traversing the forest and not getting hit by tree branches or getting punctured by pine needles, the boys made it to the mountain. It was much bigger than Kai anticipated, if he had to guess, he figured it was around 1800 feet. Over the span of the next two hours, the boys climbed the slope without any problems other than the occasional break here and there. They were nearing the peak as Toshiro quickened his pace and flung himself over a ledge, Kai took his sweet time slowly but surely going upwards. Toshiro who was still in the lead got a little reckless trying to hurry to the peak, unintentionally slammed his foot into a small pebble, flinging into a previously dormant boulder and rolling it down the mountain. This set off more boulders, most of them smaller ones as they also began tumbling down the mountain, causing a rock slide.  
><em>

_"Kai, watch out!" Toshiro shouted to his tailing brother  
><em>

_Toshiro knew he could not stand there and watch hid brother get flattened life a pancake. "Kai's not used to physical activity, I have to destroy as many as I can."  
><em>

_Toshiro flung multiple jets of water, breaking down the boulders into smaller rocks. He slid down the slope, destroying as many as he could, but there was no possible way for him to get them all. Kai, who was still climbing halfheartedly looked up at the rock slide coming towards him. He winced as the rock slide gained momentum, but as if it was instinct taking over, Kai snapped out of his daze. He jumped into the air, landing on top of one of the boulders. He leaped from boulder to boulder and gracefully landed back on the slope, he ran, dodging and sidestepping everything that rolled towards him.  
><em>

_"Unbelievable..." Toshiro said, astonished by his brother's speed  
><em>

_Kai picked up his feet and made it to the ridge Toshiro stood on. "Kai, we always knew you were fast but your speed is on a level of it's own. Especially considering that other than those half-assed practice sessions at school, you have never done a day of serious training in your life, you're truly a natural."  
><em>

_Kai did not immediately respond to his brother and kept moving up the mountain. They did not speak to each other for the next half hour. Running into no other problems, they finally reach the mountain's peak. The entire region could be seen from the mountain. The boys pointed out the cottage they lived in which was blanketed by the forest trees. Toshiro pointed out the school they attended, much to Kai's dismay. Kai of course, pointed out their favorite eatery which sat outside the forest. The scenery was like something out of a painting.  
><em>

_"Regardless of my natural abilities, I have no interest in being king or really fighting in general. Now that you've seen how fast I really am, you're going to tell mom and dad, who in turn will tell the teachers who in turn will make me do more assignments which in turn will get me selected for the upcoming battle." Kai said disdainfully  
><em>

_Toshiro chuckled to himself and then looked at Kai. "Even if I do tell mom and dad, nobody can make you fight. You have to find your own ideals and your own reasons to want to fight and work hard."  
><em>

_"When that day comes, we will put our ideals to the test in battle."  
><em>

_"Agreed." Kai said as they continued looking over the peak  
><em>

* * *

><p>"That's why I came to you today brother. I initially only said that to you back then because I never thought I would have any ideals and in turn would never have to face you in battle. I found my ideals and I know why I fight thanks to Haley."<p>

Kai's response seemed to put Toshiro at ease, it seemed as if a great burden was finally lifted from his shoulders.

"It's time to put our wills to the test." Kai said, getting into new fighting stance

"Mhm."

"_Mizugen!"_

Toshiro placed his hand on the ground as multiple geysers released themselves from the ground. Kai shot up into the air and Toshiro took advantage of this opening that was provided.

"Leon!"

_"Aisubero!"_

Toshiro's chest inflated as he drew in a deep breath and released the cool stream of air, freezing all of the geysers he summoned, including the one that flung Kai into the air. Toshiro quickly jumped on top of one of the frozen geysers, the mist made it difficult to see in front of him but his senses kept him in the right direction. Using the frozen geysers as platforms, he got to the last of the geysers and was met with a jab from Kai. Kai tackled Toshiro into the icy platform and flung multiple punches to Toshiro's head and face. Toshiro looked down and noticed that he could not see the ground due to the mist shrouding the area, making the area below the icy pillars resemble a bottomless pit. Toshiro locked one of his legs onto Kai's and flipped him over. He grabbed a fistful of Kai's hair and slammed his head onto the ice, cracking it in the process. Toshiro attempted to slam Kai's head once more but Kai had other plans.

"Haley, give me a spell!" Kai shouted, knowing that sound was amplified in mist

"Oh no you don't!" Toshiro exclaimed, tossing his brother off of the frozen geyser.

"That's what I was hoping you would do. Haley!"

_"Gigano Kazemon!"_

A huge gust of wind exerted from Kai's body as he was now airborne. Kai flew high into the air in hopes of seeking out Leon and also getting a clear shot on Toshiro's book. With some quick thinking however, Toshiro dashed across the frozen geysers and used his strong legs to jump and grab onto Kai's leg. Kai flew in multiple directions in an attempt to shake Toshiro off but his grip proved to be too tight. Kai also did not realize that the spell was wearing off and both boys crashed into a frozen geysers, sending chunks of ice along with an explosion of icy dust everywhere, making the mist even thicker than it already was.

Toshiro got to his feet, he felt the dozen or so bruises on his tired body but he knew his back was against the wall. "I have to end this battle quickly."

* * *

><p>Jyan, Wendy and Chainz were giving Skyde all he could handle and viceversa. They still could not gt their spells to touch him when all he would do was retreat into the earth dome he created or send them backwards with various shockwaves.<p>

"No matter what you try to do, our battle will not end favorably on your terms." Skyde said, smiling and revealing his razor sharp teeth.

"There's no way we will allow you guys to make innocent people suffer."

"If we had a choice, nobody would suffer." Marlo blurted out, finally speaking

Skyde glared at Marlo, shaking his head.

* * *

><p>Kai and Toshiro were both on full alert since they had no idea where the other was and the mist made things far more difficult. Toshiro knew that he had to keep Leon close to him at all times, but most importantly had to find a way to get rid of the mist and end this battle.<p>

_**A/N-All right, so now we know why Kai has approached Toshiro. Marlo said something interesting but why would Skyde give him a disapproving look? Is something more going on here? Will Toshiro be able to defeat Kai? What will happen next? You'll have to find out in the next chapter! R&R! **_


	69. Kai vs Toshiro! The final clash!

_**A/N- Exams are over and I can spend even more time on Iron Revolution. Which is saying something, since I already spend a lot of time working on it. Of course that doesn't mean I'll exceed 2-3 chapters a week though since I do have rules and a model I follow regarding this stuff. I am however, relieved to say that I'm almost finished writing the final script for the light society arc and can start looking at my storyboards for the next arc, which will be explained in further detail in the oncoming weeks. So please stay tuned in and keep enjoying Iron Revolution!**_

"Leo, we have to find a way to get rid of this mist!"

"I believe that's a no-go. Fog or mist only goes away when pressure is enforced and that can only happen with a rising temperature. Fortunately for us, we're in the middle of Arizona so it should naturally go away and since most of your spells are ice, it lowers the area temperature and-"

"Cutting to the chase, I shouldn't use any ice spells until it goes away on its own."

"Pretty much."

"Brother, you'll be lucky to even be here by the time that happens." Kai said as he tackled Toshiro head-on. He sat on top of Toshiro's torso and delivered punch after punch. Toshiro however pushed Kai off of him, grabbing onto his arm in the process. Forming a strong grip on his arm, Toshiro threw Kai into a frozen geyser, causing the entire structure to collapse on top of Kai. Toshiro not letting up, grabbed a large chunk of the broken ice and slammed it on the head of a fallen Kai. He then grabbed him and slammed him on top of the pile of ice once more.

"Leon!"

"Right, _Mizubublo_!"

Toshiro's eyes glowed a bright blue as an orb of water formed around Kai, trapping him. Toshiro moved his hand upwards as the orb began levitating. Kai came to and struggled to break free of his watery prison, bubbles danced out of his mouth as he struggled to hold his breath. Toshiro closed his fist as the orb shrunk a few sizes, water pressure rose and the density increased. Toshiro flung his hand and like a bullet, the orb shot through another frozen geyser, causing that one to collapse as well.

"I have him backed into a corner, now to close in and finish him off." Toshiro said making his way over to the rubble

What Toshiro did not anticipate however, was Kai rising out of the pile, ready to continue. "Is that all you got?"

Toshiro tried to disregard Kai's remark. There was no way he could possibly get up so quickly after taking that kind of abuse. "What are you standing there for? Aren't you going to throw me into another frozen geyser?"

"You smug little bastard." Toshiro growled, starting to lose his cool. An extremely rare moment indeed.

Toshiro went back on the offensive and swung at Kai. Kai on the other hand, blocked Toshiro's barrage of punches and struck him in the stomach with the broadside of his palm. Toshiro felt his stomach tickle a little but kept on swinging at Kai, causing him to lose ground and back up. Toshiro kept up his assault as his fist struck the left side of Kai's face. Toshiro was coming back in for a crushing blow but bent over as the pain in his stomach intensified. "Damn, he struck me earlier and now I'm feeling the pain in all its glory."

Having an opening, Kai got out of the corner he was getting pushed into and kicked Toshiro in the neck, sending him rolling into the grass. He noticed that the once thick mist was virtually nonexistent since the naturally dry air took control and his brother was not using any more ice spells for him to counter.  
>Kai was coming back in for another physical combo but Toshiro and Leon had other plans.<p>

"_Gigano Mizumaron!"_

Toshiro stood up as his eyes glowed blue and a large tidal formed around him, he sent the crashing waters towards Kai in an attempt to overwhelm and drown him. Kai stood before the waves and put his hands out. "Haley, let's go!"

"_Kazetorano!"_

A small gust of wind formed out of Kai's hands. It picked up speed and formed into a tornado, the two forces on nature collided into each other at a standstill, neither able to overcome the other. "Haley, put more effort into the book!" Kai shouted as the book in Haley's hands glowed even brighter

The tornado picked up even more force and began sucking up the tidal wave. Kai roared with fury and the tornado completely and utterly engulfed the tidal wave. That alone consumed a lot of power from within and Haley closed the book, making the powerful tornado dissipate. She took in deep breaths, the amount of energy she put into the book was just enough to stop a higher-level Gigano class spell. She could have put in more to keep the tornado going in an attempt to engulf Toshiro and Leon but she figured that was too risky of a move and to stop while she was ahead.

Toshiro however, was not discouraged or even surprised by Kai being able to stop his Gigano spell. "Now is the time to put an end to our battle." He went back on offense and flung multiple pieces of ice at Kai. Kai did not even try to dodge the ice chunks. Instead, he destroyed each incoming chunk with his fist and began walking toward Toshiro in the process. "I'm not even sure if you're trying to insult me or you're just desperate." Kai sneered, continuing the shatter icy debris as he got even closer to his elder brother.

Toshiro flung every piece of ice he could find on the ground. Kai of course, kept smashing every chunk of ice and was only a few feet away from Toshiro.  
>Haley, who suddenly caught on to what Toshiro was doing, called out to her partner. "Kai, get away from him!"<p>

"Too late! Leon!"

"_Aisumera!"_

Toshiro placed his hand on the ground as a sheet of ice began to spread on the grass. Kai tried to back away but not even his speed could outpace the ice and was completely frozen solid. "Brother, you got too cocky in your abilities and you paid the price for it. You relied too much on your speed that you did not plan your next move. You're too smart to do something so careless."

Toshiro walked past the statue-like state Kai was currently in and turned his focus towards Haley. He casually began walking over to her, his hand was already in front of his body. "Leon, let's end this."

Leon did not say a word. He was fixated on the look of fear and sorrow in Haley's eyes and hesitated. "Leon, what are you waiting on? Give me the spell so we can end this battle!"

"W-What are you doing?"

"I understand that Kai has ideals now and I'm proud of him in that regard but he has gone down the path of no return. What he has done and the fact that he is in league with people like the Light Society is unforgivable!"

"But-"

"Look, there's no buts in this. This isn't any easier on me either, I never thought I would ever see my little brother on this kind of path but Haley has also gone down this path as well. You see the look in her eyes!"

Leon still does not say a word.

"Answer me Leon! You see the look in her eyes! She needs you! She needs your help! SHE NEEDS YOU TO PROTECT HER RIGHT NOW AND WE CAN HELP OUR YOUNGER SIBLINGS BY ENDING THEIR SUFFERING!"

"I...I..."

Leon did not finish his sentence as they turned their attention to Kai. He was breaking free from the statue-like state Toshiro put him in! Chunks of ice hit the ground as Kai broke his way free. He looked at Toshiro with an entirely new look in his eyes...a look of deadly intent.

"Haley, let's rock." he said in a low voice, the intensity so heavy it could be weighed on an industrial scale.

"_Maxchisoku!"_

Kai completely disappeared and suddenly Toshiro was sent flying due to a blazing fast punch from Kai. Within a millisecond, Toshiro fell to the ground as Kai began an assault on his body. Not even Toshiro could keep up with Kai at this speed, no mamodo without a physical enhancement spell could keep up with Kai in this state and even that was a stretch. It as impossible for Toshiro to even block Kai's punches and kicks due the being barely even visible. Kai slammed his fist into Toshiro's chest, tearing ligaments and cracking the ground, breaking off chunks. Fortunately for him, it was on his right side because it would have _completely_ crushed his heart had Kai punched him like that on his left side.

Kai felt the spell wear and off and pulled back. Toshiro, clutching his chest, stood up. Words could not describe the pain he was in or how much internal bleeding was going on within his body. However, he put his injuries on the backburner and focused on fighting.

"Leon..." he stopped and spat up some blood but continued nonetheless

"Leon...give me spell after spell. I'm gonna freeze Kai again and go for the book whether you help me burn it or not."

Leon sighed as he nodded in agreement.

_"Mizuteron!"_

Toshiro fired a blast of water from his palm, Kai sidestepped the blast of water and began charging towards Toshiro.

_"Mizuteron! Mizuteron! Mizuteron! Mizuteron!"_

Toshiro fired in rapid secession but Kai dodged and sidestepped all of them. Even when Toshiro made the blasts dart-like and even faster, Kai still dodged them using his natural speed alone. Kai got within point blank range of Toshiro, Leon decided that it all or nothing.

"_Giga Mizuaisu!"_

Toshiro released one more blast of water and Kai put his forearm in front of his face. The water splashed onto his forearm and ice coated it. With one mighty sla on the ground, Kai shattered the ice like it was glass, freeing his arm.

"I am naturally a lot faster than you think. I initially held back in order to gauge your strength and now I can officially confirm that I have surpassed you Toshiro."

"Don't count on it just yet. Let us have our spells do the talking."

"Fair enough."

Kai returned to Haley's side less than a second later and her book was opened and glowing brightly. In response, Leon had his book opened and glowing too,

"Toshiro! We won't lose!" Leon shouted

"_Gigano Misuryu!"_

"Kai, this battle ends here!" Haley yelled

"_Giga Kazemaron!"_

Toshiro summoned a massive dragon. The beast's Icy skull complimented its water, serpent-like body, it fully stretched out in the air and released a mighty roar. The beast opened its mighty icy fangs and began moving forward.

An even stronger gust than before blew over the ranch turned battlefield as a giant sword formed. It was nowhere as long as the dragon before it but it was long enough to do its job. The sword shined and sparkled then it also advanced forward.

The sword and dragon collided, however the dragon began to wrap its long body around the sword, constricting it. It opened its jaws and continued moving towards Kai and Haley. A large explosion kicked up, pouring icy dust and splashing large drops of water everywhere. It was hard for anybody to see, but Toshiro stood tall. He was not sure what happened on the other side but was confident that it was in favor.

"Brother, you fought bravely and gave me the toughest battle I have ever had so far, but it was not enough. My ideals of being a king who protects and enlightens proves superior over your ideals-"

Toshiro cut his sentence short as he saw a figure coming towards him at full speed. Coming out of the dust was none other than Kai himself, instead of going for a punch like Toshiro anticipated, Kai jumped backwards into the air much to his and Leon's surprise. The speed he initially gained was more than enough to send him high into the air when he pushed off the heel of his foot.

"_Kazesaimon!"_

Kai swiped his arms through the air multiple times as many wind blades formed and cut into Toshiro, knocking him into Leon and dropping their cherished book. Two more wind blades hit the spell book, causing it to go up in purple flames. It felt like they were in the air for an eternity but Toshiro and Leon hit the ground with a painful thud.

Kai floated to the ground and walked over to where his brother and former partner lay. "You were right about one thing, I am too smart to fall for a careless mistake. You know better than anybody that I am a lazy genius but like I told you earlier, I found my ideals and I know what I fight for now. I won because I saved some of my strength from the previous clash so I would be able to use the aftermath to my advantage and get the winning the shot in. I paid attention in class more than you, Mom and Dad think. We made a promise all of those years ago to fight when I was sure of my ideals and to not hold back one bit. Thank you for being a good brother. You were also right about one other thing. Haley and I are suffering and we also carry a burden but it is not what you think."

"Wh-what do you mean?" Toshiro asked

Kai did not answer him. He walked over to the now fading away Toshiro and placed his left hand on his forehead. He placed his right hand on Leon's forehead and closed his eyes. Toshiro's eyes widened as a reaction to the visions Kai showed to him.

"I-I had no idea..." Toshiro began to say as he coughed up blood

"You and Leon now understand why I chose the path I am on. Even if there is only miniscule hope, it is still hope nonetheless." Kai said as he turned and looked back towards Haley

* * *

><p>Chainz, Jyan, Wendy and Skyde were all panting. Nobody on either side made to much progress. Chainz, Jyan and Wendy could not penetrate Skyde's defenses nor found a way to overcome the earthquakes he caused. Skyde on the other hand could not effectively deal with them attacking at three different angles. At least not without him leaving an opening. They noticed it was quiet a distance away from them, so they went over to check it out. Ending their fight in a stalemate. Skyde and Marlo however, stayed put.<p>

Finally reaching the other area, Chainz and the others rush over to Toshiro and Leon. Chainz looked over and saw that Toshiro's book was more than halfway burnt.

"Damn it! We spent weeks searching for you and when we finally find you it's too late!" Chainz yelled, slamming his fist on the ground

"Now isn't the time to do that." Toshiro said weakly

"What do you mean? How do we stop Kai?"

"Kai is on a mission. I'm not sure how to feel about this...but things are not what they seem."

"What do you mean?" Chainz asked

* * *

><p><em>"What about Chainz and your other allies?"<em>

_"If you're still here whenever they show up, please don't tell them what you saw in the vision I gave you. I at least owe it to them to tell them myself."  
><em>

_"Okay."  
><em>

* * *

><p>"I would explain it you but my time is almost up...seek out Kai for answers."<p>

"Why him? He's in league with the likes of Treachor. What is there to talk about?" Chainz demanded

"Just hear him out and when he wakes up, tell Leon I said thank you for being the best partner I could ask for and that I don't blame him...he'll know what you mean when you say that." Toshiro said as he completely faded away, his time on Earth was no more.

"I don't know whether to call our mission a success or a failure. We found Toshiro and got at least a vague answer from him so it was a success in that part but I wanted him as an ally against the light Society so that part was a failure. I just don't know where we go from here."

"Sounds like we're on another goose chase." Josh said, sighing

A few yards away however, a mechanical sun floated above them. It's ruby core glowing a faint red.

_**A/N- Longest chapter I've written in a few months. Anyway, Leon's hesitation ended up costing Toshiro the victory and his chance at being king. Chainz and co now need to find and talk to Kai. What did Kai show Toshiro? Are the Aces of the Light Society truly evil? Why is there a sun lurking behind them? How will these questions get answered? By reading Iron Revolution of course! R&R folks!**_

* * *

><p>Name- Toshiro<p>

Partner- Leon Storm

Book color- Light Blue

Rank- 47th out of 100

Element- Ice and Water

Book burned by- Kai and Haley Storm

Spells-

1.) Mizuteron- Toshiro fires blasts of water from his hands

2.) Mizurudo- creates a dome of water that surrounds Toshiro and his partner as a shield

3.) Mizugen- dozens of geysers shoot up water at the opponent

4.) Aisumera- Toshiro touches the ground causing it to freeze and to freeze anyone who touches it other than his partner and himself

5.) Gigano Mizumaron- Toshiro summons a large tidal wave to attack his opponent

6.) Giga Mizuaisu-Toshiro fires a blast of water that freezes anything it hits

7.) Gigano misuryu- creates a large dragon made of ice and water

8.) Mizubublo- Toshiro can capture his opponent in a large orb of water

9.) Aisubreo- Toshiro's breath freezes anything it comes into contact with


	70. Marching towards the capital!

_**A/N- A new week means another chapter.**_

After helping Leon back inside his house and leaving his ranch, the group had to anticipate what their next would be. They were in the middle of their trek back to the van that became their home away from home for the last few weeks. Chainz suddenly stopped in his tracks, causing everyone else to also do so. "Chainz, what is it?" Ishimaru asked

"I feel Solaria's presence..."

As soon as he said that, the sun that was observing them from afar presented itself before them. "Can you take us to The Light Society?" he asked, almost as if he was giving it a command.

"Chainz, that thing is an inanimate object, there's no way-"

Ishimaru cut his sentence short when he saw the sun beginning to float into the desert. "Follow that sun." Chainz said as they quickly got into the van and drove into the desert, keeping pace with the sun leading them. Chainz in the front seat, looked at Ishimaru who was focusing on the road. "Solaria can see what one of her suns sees if she meditates and is heavily focused. Hence why she is usually underground or hidden in a high place like a canopy of trees if geography allows it."

"So what you're saying, is that the sun we saw earlier was simply her watching us?" Sheila asked, focused on Chainz's explanation

"Yes and No. Solaria wasn't necessarily tuned into that particular sun when it was around the area. The sun was on recon mode, which simply gathers information so when it returns to Solaria or if she tunes into that particular sun, it would then relay that info to her."

"I get it now." Sheila said as the van sped down the desert highway

* * *

><p>"You know I don't this very often."<p>

"Yeah, but you should be more girly sometimes...so keep your hands straight a little longer and they'll be dry enough for you to move them."

Grace and Teal were well settled into their hotel room. They refused to stay at a motel with Slash despite his warning about staying within a close proximity and were going to take Kiichiro with them but did not want to provoke Slash's wrath. Grace pushed Teal into being more girly that night and after some convincing, Teal was really getting into the idea. Grace finished her teal nail polish with french tips and they were to be done within a few minutes. Their fun was suddenly interrupted by a loud crashing noise outside, as if a vase fell of a table or something. The girls got up and opened their door to peep in the hallway, nothing was out of the ordinary nor was anything broken. closing the door, they turned around to see some surprise visitors.

"Mark..what are you doing here? I thought we weren't supposed to meet up until the end of the week?" Teal said, surprised yet pleased to see her new boyfriend

Grace however, was not so pleased to see Mark or especially Treachor. She backed away from the pair but Treachor was already on the other side of the room, blocking the door. Mark pushed Teal out of his way and stood in the middle of the room. He had the white spell book with it's golden trim in his grip. He did not speak at that moment, it was as if he was thinking.

"It's amazing on how well you can hide your presence." Mark said, finally speaking

"I do everything well. Hence why my dear sweet Grace was unable to sense my presence." he said, running his sleazy hand down the side of Grace's face before she swatted his hand away

"Don't worry, we don't plan on harming you here. You guys are coming with us." he said with a twisted look on his face

"It's funny...you claim to be so big and bad yet you had to sneak up on us and catch us off-guard. that's a cowardly tactic." Grace spat

"I like them feisty, anyway Mark, we have other things to attend to. Let's grab our prizes and hit the road." Treachor said, glancing at the door in anticipation

"We're not going anywhere without a fight!" Teal exclaimed, grabbing Grace's pink spell book, ready for battle until Mark pistol-whipped the book from her hand with his revolver. The book tumbled near Grace and she quickly scrambled for the book in an attempt to toss it back to her partner.

"I don't think so." Mark said coldly as the white spell book began glowing with a beautiful golden light.

"_Luzare!"_

Treachor opened his palm as a small sphere of light formed. He slammed the sphere towards the ground as a bright flash consumed the room. Grace finally grabbed her spell book but the light was too much for her eyes, causing her to drop it. Both Grace and Teal could not see anything nor were able to comprehend anything going on in their surroundings for about the next thirty seconds. Their vision returned back to normal in time to see Grace's spell book in the hands of Mark.

"Do you truly think you can even begin to fathom the true power and strength of the Light Titan? That was our weakest spell, which is simply an immobilization spell. If our weakest spell can bring you to your knees like that, what do you think one of my actual attack spell can do?" Treachor said, sitting next to Grace, stroking her hair

"Don't touch me you bastard!" she snapped, slapping his hand away again

"The way you try to fight me is intoxicating." Treachor said, attempting to make another advance on her

Grace however spat in his face and pushed him away once more. "Lucky for you, we have other things on the agenda. You'll be dealt with later."  
>Treachor growled as he looked towards Mark. Immediately in response, Mark pistol-whipped Teal in her face, knocking her out cold. "Teal! You son of a-"<br>Grace did not finish her sentence either. Treachor pushed her forward and Mark pistol-whipped her as well.

"You know, we could have simply used one of the other spells in your arsenal." Mark said, putting his revolver away

"True but it's funnier when you pistol-whip them." Treachor said as he threw Grace's unconscious body onto his shoulder.

* * *

><p>"Ugh...we better be close." Ishimaru said, his voice heavy and drowsy.<p>

He had been driving across the state all night. He glances over to the digital clock on the van's radio and saw that it was close to sunrise and that dawn was approaching. Ishimaru parked the van when he saw the sun hover towards The Grand Canyon.

"Ishimaru, the sun wants us to follow." Chainz said as they got out of the van

Hiking down the trail, everybody walked for about an hour until the sun hovered over a rocky path. Upon reaching it, they saw that it was simply a rocky canyon wall. The sun's ruby core began glowing a bright red.

"So this was a trap!" josh exclaimed as he and Sheila opened their spell books in response. "Wait, hold on a minute." Chainz said, waving them off

The sun fired it's powerful red laser at the rocky wall, blasting it away. A staircase leading downwards revealed itself. The sun began floating down the staircase and everybody followed suit. They heard a faint voice off in the distance and the sun continued floating and hovering to the voice. As the continued down the stairs, the voice's volume increased drastically. Nobody could exactly make out the words as the staircase ended and a balcony appeared. Carefully, they approach the balcony and look downwards.

They could not believe what they saw. Thousands upon thousands of Light Society troops stood their and standing on what appeared to be a stage was Maxwell, Claire, Kai and Skyde. The Aces saluted them and in unison they saluted in return. Claire took to the microphone and addressed the forces of The Light Society.

"Tomorrow is the day we have all been waiting for. You have all spent days preparing for it!"

The crowd roared in cheers.

"We will march towards the capital at dawn and lay it under siege!"

The crowd roared again.

"We will proudly lay down our lives for the good of humans and mamodo!"

Again, another round of applause from the crowd.

"As you all know, we have been through a lot. We have made many sacrifices and cut many many ties. We have lost a lot of friends and comrades in our struggle but we shall flex our military muscle and in turn we will shown a certain faction that we mean business!"

A bloodthirsty roar erupted from the crowd.

Claire passed the microphone to Maxwell as he tapped it and began speaking. "You are also all here today because you have been given another special task from the benevolent Treachor himself. We are looking for a mamodo named Iron Prince Slash formerly of the cobra clan. He is around five feet, seven inches tall. He has slick greyish-white hair which stops around his ears, his build is similar to a bodybuilder but not quite there. Most importantly, he wears a black vest with no shirt underneath with dark blue jeans and black boots. His partner is a Japanese child named Kiichiro Kazumo. If you spot Slash, you should be able to spot her as well. She is three feet, four inches and has light brown hair. Again, she is not hard to find."

"Why are you describing them with that much detail? What do you wants us to do when we find him? Is what many of you may be thinking but Treachor himself made this order. Slash is extremely dangerous and has openly threatened our beloved Treachor. Your goal is to find Slash and Kiichiro. If you see them, flee on site and report directly to myself or Claire. If you are brave enough and up to challenge, capture them preferably alive and turn them over to myself or Claire so they can be dealt with accordingly."

"Accordingly as in how?" a random Light Society trooper asked

"We want the honors taking down Slash and putting his partner out of the picture." Claire said with a laugh

Ishimaru and the others were taken aback by the Light Society's plans. "We have to warn Slash and keep them out of the city."

Just as he said that, Kai was looking directly at the group. He did not say anything, but he did tap Skyde on the shoulder and pointed in their direction. Claire and Maxwell however, did not notice and continued on with their tirade. They quickly ascended the stairs, exciting the cavern and hideout.

"The information we received is too valuable and please send Solaria our thanks." Ishimaru said, bowing

They hurried back into the van with Josh in the driver seat as they made their way back to Phoenix. "Do we really need to warn Slash, we don't owe him anything."

"Chainz, regardless on how you feel. It's the right thing to do and maybe Slash will help us." Ishimaru said optimistically

"Fat chance." Chainz replied rudely

"Oh come on Chainz, you know his presence better than anybody, can you sense him out?"

"Ishi, Slash hides his scent extremely well. It's too difficult to sense him out in a city that big."

"Can you at least try?"

Chainz sighed and closed his eyes. He tried to sense him but to no avail.

"Chainz, try harder."

Chain shut his eyes and tried again.

"Still nothing."

Ishimaru put Chainz in the spacious back of the van. He sat cross-legged in a lotus position and closed his eyes once more as he took a huge deep breath. He felt more relaxed than before. Chainz felt a wave of warmth over his body as he opened his eyes and looked around. The surrounding room was pitch black yet still very warm. His boots felt damp as he looked down and saw a thick whitish-green liquid.

"This place...it feel familiar but I've never been here before. I must be in my subconscious..."

Chainz continued forward as his boots sloshed in the thick liquid and looked around. Like when he first appeared in this alternate world, everything around him was warm but pitch black. He stopped in his tracks as two large green eyes shone in the darkness and looked directly at him.

"It can't be..."

_**A/N- A lot going on in this chapter. Treachor and Mark have kidnapped Grace and Teal. What are they going to do with them? Why was Treachor and Mark so bent on quickly leaving? Will Slash be found and warned in time? What did Chainz find in his subconscious? Why did Solaria's sun help out the group? What is going to happen next? Find out in the next chapter!**_

_**On another note, this Friday is going to be the most annoying day in human history but that's another discussion. I'm thinking of making a TV Tropes page for Iron Revolution since this story and characters fit so many of them. That and some ideas for a special chapter are being thrown around as a filler after The Light Society arc ends. More developments in the oncoming weeks for sure! R&R folks!**_


	71. Awaking the wrath of Slash!

_**A/N- I have no comments at the moment. I'll have something to say at the end.**_

"This place...it feel familiar but I've never been here before. I must be in my subconscious..."

Chainz continued forward as his boots sloshed in the thick liquid and looked around. Like when he first appeared in this alternate world, everything around him was warm but pitch black. He stopped in his tracks as two large green eyes shone in the darkness and looked directly at him.

"It can't be..."

Chainz felt a tinge of fear in his heart but his instincts pressed him forward. As he got closer, his surroundings illuminated and he saw that the large green eyes belonged to a massive white cobra. Chainz then noticed that the beast was strapped down by dozen upon dozen of large, heavy chains. It's mouth was sealed, Chainz saw characters similar to the ones in his spell book on the cobra's mouth. The characters made a ring around the top of its mouth and under its chin. It was now looking directly at Chainz.

"Is...is this my true form?" he wondered out loud

The cobra lowered it's massive head to the point where it was eye-level with Chainz. "It's definitely a seal but I don't know what you want me to do."  
>The beast looked at his hand and back at Chainz. Still confused, Chainz put his hand over the beast's mouth. The text glowed a bright green to the point her Chainz had to look away, after hearing a large shatter similar to glass, he looked to see that the seal broke away.<p>

**"Thank you for releasing my seal Chainz."**

**"**No problem...but how do you know my name?"

**"I'm not exactly your true form...I'm what symbolizes your true hidden potential. Your father, Galeno initially placed that seal four years ago."**

"Why...what the hell is going on?"

**"Chainz, you were chosen as the clan's heir over your brother because of me. The potential you hold is unreal and Galeno had no choice but to train you as well as he could. You inherited some of the best traits from both of your parents, you were what Galeno was searching for all along when he made Iron Maiden Kiyoko his bride and announced the goal of obtaining an ideal heir. He placed the seal because you were unstable and could not control most of your powers."**

"I'm still not understanding, what makes me better than Slash and my other siblings. I mean, I know I'm strong but I'm still lost here."

**"All of your brothers and sisters can use only laser spells or only iron spells and you know that you have the gift to use both laser and iron spells but it's much more than that. You are fully capable of surpassing Slash and even Galeno himself."**

"It's one thing to say I have a chance to surpass Slash but my father, I don't think so."

**"Why is that so hard to believe? You tapped into your subconscious and released the seal your father placed on a portion of your potential. Now that the seal has been broken, you will see an increase to your abilities to say the least."**

"I see. Why are you chained down though?"

**"The chains are for your safety and sanity. I don't intend to alarm you when I say this, but I am not sure how much longer these chains will last."**

"What do you mean by that?!"

**"That is a discussion for another time..."**

* * *

><p>Chainz opened his eyes and frantically looked around. He saw that they were nearing the outskirts of the city. "Ishimaru, how long was I meditating?"<p>

"About six and a half hours." Ishimaru replied, looking at his phone and not turning around to look at Chainz

"Anyway, I know where Slash is."

"What?!" Ishimaru and the others said in unison all turning around to look at Chainz. They saw an even bigger surprise when they looked at him. Chainz's once large onyx eyes had shifted to large to large yellow ones with green slits.

"What happened to your eyes?"

"It's hard to explain, but I tapped into some of my potential. If I'm not mistaken, my eyes can return to normal at will."

"That's not important right now. Tell us where Slash is."

"Take the road into the city!"

Josh put the van into high gear and sped into the city. After a few minutes of directions, they pulled up into the motel parking lot. As if they had no time to spare, they dashed up the stairs and ran over to the worn-out door. "This is the one." Chainz said as they began banging on the door. THere was no response for about a minute or so, but they heard a string of clicking sounds as Slash opened the door.

"How the hell did you know I was here? Grace must have told you-"

"Nobody told us anything Slash, Chainz found you." Ishimaru said, moving aside and showing Chainz

Slash's almost choked on his own tongue when he saw Chainz's eyes. _"Damn it! He broke the seal Galeno placed on him years ago. I'm gonna be civil for now until I get what I want out of him.."_

"Chainz, what do you and your idiot friends want?" Slash asked, annoyed

"I'm gonna hate myself tomorrow for telling you this, but the meeting with Mark and Treachor is a big setup."

"I don't know what Grace has told you, but I already know that."

"Grace didn't tell us anything! The Lig-"

Chainz was cut off by the breaking news report.

_"We have a breaking story on the local news. We have received reports that there are hundreds of tanks and artillery cannons in the desert and authorities believe that they are en route to the city. They have asked that all citizens stay indoors until further notice.'  
><em>

"The Light Society is on their way! We can't let them get into the city and hurt innocent people." Sheila said, upset at the news

"They won't get in the city, this won't be like last time. Even if our books get burned in the process." Josh said, a fire in his eye began to burn

"So Slash, will you come with us?"

Slash did not answer the question. However, he went over to the bed where Kiichiro slept. "It's go time."

Uttering those three words caused the little girl to spring awake and grabbed the spell book. The expanded group quickly made their way back to the van and piled inside. "Why is Grace with you?" Chainz asked as Sheila started the van and got out of the parking lot.

"None of your damn business and besides, I haven't seen her all day plus I don't sense her presence anywhere within the city."

"You think something could have happened to her?"

"Don't know, don't really care. There's no time to look for her right now, we have to go straight towards the desert." Slash said frankly

They quickly exited the city as local authorities waited for the national guard to b flown in. Sheila was going well over the speed limit but was able to get away with it due to the authorities' attention being diverted. Sheila drove for another fifteen miles as she stopped the car and everybody got out and began walking through the sandy plain. Kiichiro opened the spell book in her tiny hands as a rich cerulean light filled the desert.

_"Hokeigo!"_

Slash opened his hand as the spike ball and chain shot out at the speed of a bullet. The spike ball dragged itself through the sand, forming a thirty foot line. "What's the point of this line?" Ishimaru asked

"Stay behind it."

"Hell no." Chainz growled

"No way." Jyan snapped

"Not gonna happen." Wendy said hotly

"Why Slash? You said you were going to help us."

"You asked me if I was going to come to the desert, you never asked me to help. Aside from that, my beef with Treachor is personal, nobody tries to kill me and lives to tell about it. You also said that it was me they wanted, so that is what I'm giving them."

"We also have a personal beef with Treachor. Were on a mission to save Kai from The Light Society and from himself."

"There you go again, seeing life and the world from rose-colored glasses. Saving Kai is a mere pipe dream, he chose his path and now he is another enemy." Slash scoffed

"Kai is our friend and we will do everything within our power to help him and in this case that will be by putting him down for good!"

"Shut up. All of you stay behind the damn line or you face my wrath. That's your final warning." Slash said coldly before turning his back on them

Disgruntled, everybody stayed behind the line. There wasn't a person there who didn't believe him.

* * *

><p>Slash tugged on his gloves as he looked up to see Light Society tanks rolling towards him. "The fun is finally about to begin." he said with anticipation<p>

"Slash, take off." Kiichiro ordered

Slash ran towards the Light Society tanks, shell after shell fired upon Slash but he gracefully and easily dodged all of them. Slash was direct fire of another tanks and cartwheeled out of the way. He slid in the sand and got on a knee and placed both hands into the sand.

"Kiichiro!"

"Slash! Take them all out in one go! _Hokekeruga!"_

Over a dozen hooks and chains shot up from the sand, going completely though tanks, causing them to explode. The chains threaded through even more tanks as they exploded as well. The chains dissipated as Slash cleared most of them from his path. The path however, wasn't as clear as they initially thought, two more tanks rolled up and opened fire on Slash.

_"Oruga Hokeiron!"_

Slash opened his hands as two spiked battery rams cams out of his hands at a destructive speed and smashed the tanks giving them the same fate as their predecessors. Their job still was not done as more tanks and now artillery cannons appeared in an attempt to overwhelm Slash and Kiichiro.

"Kiichiro, there's no way Hokekeruga can get rid of this many tanks. We need to take them all out at once!"

Chainz knew all too well what was about to come and had to warn his allies. "Everybody hit the deck!" he shouted as on command, they all got onto the ground quickly before Kiichiro chanted the spell.

"_Ganzu Gazoruk!"_

Slash dropped down on a knee as a metallic film covered his fists and tiny spikes extended from his knuckles. Clenching his fists tightly as artillery fire rained around him, Slash punched the dry, sandy ground in rapid succession, massive spikes erupted from the ground, piercing dozens of tanks and splitting the artillery cannons into pieces. Explosions went off all around the desert as Slash destroyed the Light Society's armored division. With all of the tanks destroyed and artillery cannons now scrap metal, Slash stood out in the middle of the desert.

"I know you're there! Come out and face me! My sense is better than most mamodo."

Slash stood there as Wendy and Sheila were in a mix of awe and fear at Slash's destructive power. "So that's Iron Prince Slash...I heard stories about him back in the Makai and how even some of the adults had trouble with him but to see him in the flesh it's amazing and scary."

"Heh." Chainz scoffed

"He's nothing special. We can take him, right Chainz?" Jyan said, dismissing Wendy's admiration of Slash

"That' right Jyan. We'd be too much for the guy."

"If you two are so tough, then how come neither of you crossed the line he made you stay behind?" Wendy teased

"Well um...um...that's because I was saving myself for the hard stuff." Jyan said, beaming with pride or what resembled pride

"Yeah, what he said." Chainz added on

A helicopter dropped from the sky as Claire and Maxwell along with their bookkeepers climbed down from the ladder and stood before Slash. "You wiped out all of them, I commend you on a job well done but like they say, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself." Claire said, revealing an AK-47

"Really? You're a mamodo yet you're using a human weapon? Disgusting." Slash said with disdain. He did not particularly care for humans aside from Kiichiro but he managed to tolerate them.

"Things aren't always what they appear to be." Claire said, her bloodthirsty smile still present

"I'm not particularly interested in the two of you, where is Treachor at?"

"If you're looking for your girlfriend, then you're too late. Treachor has already kidnapped her but if you want to know where they are, then you'll have to work for it." Claire said as her partner Natsumi opened her spell book

Yukiro, Maxwell's partner also had his book opened and ready to go.

"Fine then, have it your way." Slash said, ignoring the girlfriend comment and tugged on his gloves as he prepared to take on two Aces at once.

_**A/N- Slash is about to undergo his first battle in quite a while. He shows us that he was officially sanctioned as an Elite mamodo and a favorite to win the kingship for a reason when he took out an entire armored division, dealing a major blow to The Light Society. Can Slash take down Claire and Maxwell? Will he find out where Treachor is at? Will Chainz and co ever catch up to Kai? What will happen next? Find out in the next chapter of Iron Revolution! R&R! **_


	72. Claire and Maxwell vs Slash!

_**A/N- Just got back from my sister's wedding AND spending Christmas with my extended family so my apologies on being late. **_

"Do you seriously think you can take on both of u at once?" Maxwell sneered

"Look, there could be a hundred of you ad you would still be at a disadvantage." Slash said rather coolly

"You'll pay for your arrogance you bastard!" Claire and Maxwell chanted in unison

"_Kaichiro!"_

_"Drakorzem!"_

Claire's AK-47 gathered white particles and fired a heavily concentrated beam at Slash. Simultaneously, Maxwell formed a dark energy sphere in his palm as white lightning crackled around it and tossed it at Slash. Knowing that Kiichiro had no time to call a spell to counter the oncoming attacks, Slash crossed his arms and took both spells directly. Slash felt himself slide back as a n explosion kicked up around him. The smoke soon cleared, revealing that Slash did not take much damage other than being slightly singed.

"That kinda tickled." Slash said, rubbing the minor burns on his arms.

"Tickle this!" Claire shouted as she adjusted her AK-47

_"Kaichiro! Kaichiro! Kaichiro!"_

Claire fired off multiple beams from her AK-47 in rapid succession towards Slash. He dodged, cartwheeled and back handsprang through the beams. He felt Claire's anger and frustration rising, just as he planned.

_"Yaou Posuodrako!"_

Just as he turned around, a possum jumped into Slash's face, whacking him across the head with a guitar before disappearing. _"What the hell kind of spell was that…that's not important at the moment, I have to watch my back at all angles…I obviously can't focus on just one."_

Slash was back on his feet and charged at Claire. He swung his heavy fist at Claire's head but she ducked from his blow. She retaliated with a few punches of her own, Slash however weaved his way through them and returned the favor with another punch, this time jabbing her stomach. Maxwell then jumped into the fray and bicycle kicked Slash. Slash however, was able to block Maxwell's airborne kicks with his forearms even though still left few bruises and shoeprints. Claire quickly headbutted Slash in his chest but Slash grabbed her by the back and supplexed her into the sand.

Maxwell leapt and attempted to land on Slash's face in attempt to break his neck with his thighs, but Slash met him in midair and tackled him into the sand. Claire drove her elbow into Slash's spine before he could respond. Slash tossed her off of himself and got back on his feet again. He unleashed a barrage of punches on both Maxwell and Claire but they were able to block the vast majority of them. Maxwell then kept Slash at bay as Claire low swept him, taking out his legs, taking advantage of their position, Claire and Maxwell dogpiled him, attempting to suffocate him. In one explosive roar, Slash forced both Claire and Maxwell off of him with sheer brute strength and popped his knuckles.

"No more playing around, I'm getting rid of the both of you." He said with a smirk

"Kiichiro!"

"Got ya Slash, _Hokekeruga!"_

Slash placed his hands in the sand as dozens of chains with hooks attached to them erupted out of the ground. Quickly and violently, the chains whipped Claire and Maxwell's bodies, forming many bruises and lacerations, drops of blood decorated the sand. The chains slammed Claire and Maxwell into the ground, various hooks impaled themselves deep in their bodies, scraping and ripping tissues and tendons. The spell dissipated, but left both Claire and Maxwell extremely bloody.

"My Hokekeruga is child's play compared to Slash's." Chainz growled, hitting the ground in complete frustration

"It's time to end this with my signature weapon. Kiichiro!" Slash called, not taking his foot off the gas.

"_Gazurogaruga_!"

White energy sparks crackled around Slash's hand as he slid it across the sand and pulled up his iron lance. He wielded the nine foot lance with both hands and faced both Claire and Maxwell.

"It's not over…yet."

Claire and Maxwell finally got on their feet. They were bloodied and bruised, it took all of their energy just to keep Slash at bay with hand to hand combat and were no match for Slash's Hokekeruga spell.

"Natsumi, put the rest of your power from within into the book."

"Yukiro, you too."

In unison, both Claire and Maxwell held up their hands, tired and weary, they were ready to begin their final assault on Slash.

_"Drakoruga!"_

_"Kairuga!"_

Light and dark energy particles began to form in their hands and Slash saw a completely opened window of opportunity. He charged forward and decided to gore them both before they could finish charging. He dashed a few feet, picking up speed and began to leave the ground. Before he could toss the lance, a massive solar energy beam and a massive dark energy beam flew towards him. "Damn it! It's too big for me to dodge!" Slash yelled as he took another direct hit.

The smoke cleared once more and Slash noticed that he took moderate damage but nonetheless was still standing. "You two were okay opponents but you're heavily overmatched. I would say that this was a fun and amazing battle but I'm not a liar."

"Your arrogance will cost you dearly…" Claire said weakly, almost collapsing to the ground but using all of her willpower to stand up. She is an Ace, the cream of the crop in the Light Society, how could she be out of her league? She eliminated all of her previous opponents, she always executed her jobs to perfection, she and Maxwell had an efficient alliance. How could they have their backs against the wall so quickly and easily?

"Slash, may this final spell show you the extent of my hatred for you and my dedication to The Light Society…" Claire said, clutching her body. At this point, she lost quite a bit of blood and was honestly not sure how much longer she could keep going before her body shut down. She glanced over at Maxwell who was also barely keeping up. Feeling her vision fading away, she turned towards her partner Natsumi.

"Go ahead…use it."

Maxwell also turned towards Yukiro and simply nodded. Both teenagers had the books opened and glowing.

_"Dioga Ringo Kaichiro!"_

_"Dioga Mezoraisu!"_

A huge ring of solar energy formed above Slash and the sky above the ring turned dark. Multiple beams rained down from the solar ring as Slash slid and dodged many of them but his troubles weren't over yet. Hundreds of dark energy spheres were released from the sky. Slash knew that those two could still cause an upset by eliminating Slash if these spells hit him and he had to be precise on his movements. One second of misjudgment would most likely cost him his shot for the kingship and quite possibly Kiichiro's life.

"Slash! Do you want me to use our own Dioga spell?" Kiichiro called out

"No! Use Hokekeruk instead!"

Chainz's eyes widened at the brief conversation between his brother and his brother's partner. "When did Slash get a Dioga spell?!"

"_Hokekeruk!"_

Slash roared towards the sky as a white aura formed around his body. Small spikes grew out of his arms and iron gauntlets formed over his hands and forearms. He felt a massive burst of energy soar through his veins and felt an iron mark form over his face. Slash disappeared and reappeared a few yards away.

"Wow…" Josh said, surprisingly impressed

"What is that spell?" Wendy asked

"It's Hokekeruk; it's a body enhancement spell that multiplies Slash's natural abilities tenfold. So his speed, strength and awareness for example are multiplied."

Slash charged towards his opponents at full speed, he glided around the remaining energy beams and dark spheres coming out of the sky. Nearing both Maxwell and Claire, he swung his energy-charged fists back and punched both Claire and Maxwell, dragging them into their partners and kicking up yet another explosion.

The sky cleared up and the desert was completely still and quiet as if the entire world was on pause. When things cleared up, Natsumi and Yukiro were gone and both Claire and Maxwell lay in a pool of blood and sand with their books on fire.

"One moment, I'm the queen bee in the Light Society and the next moment, I'm practically dead with my book burning. Where did I go wrong…"

"Like I said earlier you were okay opponents but you lost your way a while back. You followed Treachor's path and went by his rules and expectations instead of your own and that's when you stopped growing."

"I see…but if you knew why we followed Treachor's path then maybe you'd unders—"

"I don't care what your reasons for following were, there is still no excuse." Slash snapped

"Treachor took your girl back to the main Light Society base. Go there, knowing him, he is probably waiting on you to show up."

"Wait, we saw you rallying your men in the canyon and therefore were able to beat you back to the city in order to intercept you." Ishimaru remarked

"That was just another satellite base. The real base is deep in the jungles of Mexico…The real Light Society base is actually an Aztec ruin."

"Alright, thanks for the useful info." Slash said as both Claire and Maxwell completely faded away. He took a big sigh of relief as he focused on his next problem.

"How am I going to get to the Mexican jungle…"

"You mean WE." Jyan interjected

"Where in the jungle would we even go?" Ishimaru pondered

Before anybody else could make their input, another helicopter dropped from the sky. A rope ladder was released as two familiar characters climbed down.

"It's Marty and Sly." Jyan said as they stood before them

"Marty, what are you doing here?" Ishimaru asked

"I heard the whole thing. Before you left my lab a while back, I planted bugs on all of you while I was doing research on the revelation tablets and The Light Society. I know where their base is at and I will take all of you there."

Everybody was furious that Marty bugged them but at the same time were very grateful. The group climbed in as the helicopter took to the sky on the way to the jungle.

_**A/N- Slash making quick work of Maxwell and Claire deals The Light Society another heavy blow. What was Claire going to say before Slash cut her off? Will Slash be able to defeat Treachor or die trying? Will Chainz and co ever get to help? What does Mark and Treachor have up their sleeves? What will happen next? These questions will be answered as Iron Revolution continues R&R!  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>Name- Claire<p>

Partner- Natsumi

Book color- Blue

Rank- 46th out of 100

Element- Solar energy

Book burned by- Slash and Kiichiro Kazumo

Spells-

Kaichiro- A white concentrated solar beam hits the opponent.

Kaispheroshield-A blue shield that has one half above ground and one below ground like a sphere

Burokai-Turns Claire into a bunny to hide her mamodo scent when she wants to.

Taou Burokai- A bunny made of solar energy appears and hits the opponent.

Kairuga-When Claire is sad or mad she can use that emotion to charge up a beam to hit an opponent.

Burango-Wings that look like bunny ears appear on Claires back.

Kai Sorudo- A sword appears that Claire can use as a regular sword. When she waves it sideways a solar disc is thrown.

Dioga Ringo Kaichiro-A solar ring appears shooting Kaichiros

* * *

><p>Name- Maxwell<p>

Partner- Yukiro Inuzuka

Book color- Dark Gray

Rank- 45th out of 100

Element- Dark energy

Book burned by- Slash and Kiichiro Kazumo

Spells-

Drakorzem- A black concentrated dark sphere with white lightning is shot from Maxwell's hand..

Drako Osome-Maxwell absorbs a spell and converts it into dark energy and shoots it back at opponent. Only works with Gigano spells or lower in strengh

Drakofurara-Turns Maxwell into a black fox cub which can distract people

Yaou Posuodrako- A possum with a guitar shows up. The possum hits target with his guitar

Drakoruga-When Maxwell feels an strong emotion he can use that emotion to charge up a beam to hit an opponent.

Burango-Wings that look like bat wings appear on Maxwell's back.

Drako Sorudo- A sword appears that Maxwell can use as a regular sword. When he waves it sideways a dark disc is thrown.

Dioga DrakoMezoraisu -A 100% chance of RAINING DRAKOZEMS!.


	73. Reaching the pyramid!

_**A/N- Last chapter for 2012. Thank you for all of the love and support I have gotten from you guys. We are finally into the climax of The Light Society arc, please continue supporting Iron Revolution by reading and leaving reviews.  
><strong>_

"Are we there yet?"_**  
><strong>_

"No Kiichiro. Go find something to entertain yourself with."

Kiichiro turned and waddled away from her mamodo partner. The helicopter was much more roomy on the inside than it appeared to be on the outside. She remembered Marty explaining something called optical illusion but did not fully understand nor pay attention to what he was saying. Everybody had more than enough room to lay down, talk and do other activities. She saw that Chainz, Ishimaru and the others were fast asleep, exhausted from the previous day. She reached towards the leather pouch Slash often carried around, she often treated it like a sleeping bag since Slash carried her around in it whenever she wanted to go to sleep. She noticed a small pocket towards the side of the bag and unzipped it.

"I never noticed this before...I wonder what's in here."

Kiichiro reached inside and pulled out a small bundle of papers. She unwrapped the papers and realized they were envelopes addressed to Slash! She unfolded the other papers and her eyes widened as she read the words on them. A small smile crept on her face as she began moving on to each of the letters. She returned the letters to where she found them as she looked over towards Slash, still smiling.

Speaking of Slash, he had other things on his mind. _"So this is it...I'm finally going to confront Treachor once and for all. I have spent months and months in the mountains training and pushing my limits even further._ _Treachor, the fact that I have a chance against you scares you._ _Why else would you try to get Solin to kill me? Why else would you send Demos and Two of your Aces at me in this case? I witnessed the strength and power of a Titan before and was humiliated...but I didn't crack like you wanted me to. No, I got stronger. Enjoy your moment at the top for now, because after I take you down, I will find Solin and I will get my payback!"_

Slash's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a ring on the laptop he acquired before isolating himself and Kiichiro in the mountains. He scurried to his bag and pulled out the device. On the other end was none other than Angie.

"What's up?"

"You pick a hell of a time to call like always but anywho, I destroyed an entire armored division and disposed of two Aces." Slash said without so much as a yawn

"I'm impressed but not surprised."

"Whatever." Slash said, rolling his eyes

"Where are you headed now? I hear the noise in the background, you must be in a helicopter."

"That is correct. I'm heading to real Light Society base in the Mexican jungles. Treachor is there plus he's holding Grace hostage." Slash said, as he began typing something in the chat portion and sending it to Angie.

"Going to save your princess I see." Angie teased as she looked over the text Slash sent her on the bottom of the screen

"Shut up. I could care less about Grace, I'm going there to get my payback on Treachor and then focus on that clown Solin. That's it."

"Mhm. Treachor having an interest in Grace makes you uncomfortable. You know it does."

Slash hung up on Angie and closed the laptop. _"Oh what does she know, I don't care about Grace...or at least that's what I keep telling myself."_

* * *

><p>Angie closed the webcam browser where she was talking to Slash. "Aaron, I have a message I want you to relay to Vincent." she shouted into the other room<p>

* * *

><p><em>[A few hours later...]<em>

"We are officially landing!" Marty shouted as the luxury copter landed on the jungle outskirts. "This is as far as we can take you. We'll stay on the outskirts of town and feed you guys information and stuff like that. You have all been equipped with headsets. All of whom are equipped with video microchips which means from the luxury copter, I can see everything you see. You guys should be able to find the pyramid from here. Good luck."

The group wasn't even a hundred feet into the jungle as Slash's eyes darted around. "I feel Grace's presence. Follow me!"

Everybody sprinted through the jungle, dodging vines and other obstacles as they followed Slash's lead. After about a minute and a half of sprinting, they found themselves deep in the jungle. Jungle fauna and foliage surrounded them. Slash kept pushing through the vines as they continued their trek, they were floored by the heavy presence before them, as if a wave of gravity slammed them down. The mamodo children all got back to their feet as they endured it.

"Treachor's presence is powerful...powerful to the point where it's overwhelming. I felt a presence that was even more intense than this." Slash said between grunts

Chainz, Jyan and Wendy were horrified by Treachor's power. "I can't even sense other mamodo but even I feel it." Wendy said in an ominous tone

It was hard to explain what they felt in exact words but it drove a massive wave of fear within their hearts but there was no turning back at this point. The concentration of power became more and more nauseatingly overwhelming but they made it through the jungle vegetation and saw their final stop. A beautiful gold step-pyramid stood before them. Thousands of Aztec symbols were engraved on the pyramid.

"It's just like in the history books." Josh said in awe

"Let's keep moving." Slash said as they all began going up the numerous pyramid steps.

They however, did not get very far as a platformed lowered down and hovered in front of them. A hologram taking the form of Mark and Treachor appeared before them.

**"Congratulations for making it this far, judging by the fact you were able to find this place in addition to the fact that I can no longer sense Claire or Maxwell tells me they were defeated. I also assume you destroyed our armored division, it's no matter though. They were expendable."**

"How disgusting, he throws the lives of his allies away like trash." Ishimaru snarled with disdain

"Come out here and fight me you coward!" Slash barked

**"That's funny. ME take orders from YOU? I'm not in a laughing mood but that is hilarious. You did quite a bit of dirty work for me yet you were too stupid to realize it. There isn't much incentive for me to come out and fight the likes of you."**

"No need to be a chicken, you, Mark and The Light Society are finished." Slash said mockingly, his blood was boiling now

**"You apparently have a short-term memory. You remember what happened last time you faced a Titan."**

"Shove it you bastard." Slash snarled

**"Make me." **

"Bring it on." Slash said as Kiichiro hopped on his back as he galloped up the stairs and charged through the entrance.

"Let's follow him." Sheila said as they also went up the steps but Treachor snapped his fingers on the hologram as a stone door formed and locked them out of the pyramid. Before they could do anything else, the sounds of clicking guns filled their ears and the rest of the jungle as dozens upon dozens of well-armed Light Society troops surrounded them.

"Shit!" Ishimaru cursed

That of course was only the tip of the iceberg, Kai, Haley Marlo and Skyde also came out of the bushes and stood before them.

"Chainz, we meet again."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Shorter chapter tonight but situation called for it. Slash is alone in the pyramid in an attempt to take on Treachor. Will Grace be saved in time? Will Slash win? What does Kai and Skyde want from Ishimaru & friends? Happy New Years everybody and see you later on this week!**_


	74. Grace grows bold!

_**A/N-...I have no comments. This past week was pretty bleh.  
><strong>_

"I think I got a little carried away."

Slash had no idea where he was, he rushed into the pyramid, losing his stoicness for a moment and was now smack dab in the middle of a strange pyramid. Nobody of his level should lose their cool like that. Only average middle-tier mamodo like Chainz or Jyan did stuff that. Not Iron Prince Slash. "Slash, you're getting too caught up right now. You feel Treachor's presence, just follow it."

"You're right Kiichiro. Let's keep on moving."

Slash of course, wasn't the only one having troubles. Grace and Teal were immobilized, the wire-like rope cut and constricted their bodies. It seemed like every time they tried to move their arms, the rope shrunk and grew even tighter on them. "Let...us go you...bastard!" Grace snapped, enraged

"Why Mark?" Teal asked sadly, how could she be so stupid? How could she be so blind? A lot of regrets filled her mind.

"If there's any question to ask why, it's why are you so naive? All I had to do was a little sweet talk and you became putty in my hands. I had my fun, got my fill and you're merely my plaything now. However, since you're cute, I will untie you two on one condition."

"I'm not sure I agree with that idea." Treachor said

"Not much they can do. We already taken their spell book and put it in one of the many rooms downstairs, they are no threat to us whatsoever. If they try to make a run for it...well I don't have a spell book or a revolver for nothing." he chuckled

"And what would that be?" Teal asked, her voice saddened and with eyes full of anger

Treachor and Mark looked at each other as sadistic, evil grins formed on their faces.

* * *

><p>"Kiichiro, I sense Grace and Teal as well. So they are still alive, Treachor's presence is getting stronger and we have to hurry!"<p>

The Iron Prince and his young partner found themselves in a corridor with dozens of doors on both sides of them. "We may as well get started."

* * *

><p>"Girls, we're waiting!"<p>

Grace and Teal came into the room and revealed their outfits which were cocktail dresses. The black garments hugged the girls' bodies in all of the right places even though Teal was not as endowed as Grace, the sex appeal she had was fairly high. The length of the dresses weren't anywhere near modest yet were still quite tasteful.

"Our beverages girls. We're waiting." Mark said, the smugness on his face was overwhelming and nauseating

Grace held the bottle of Patron and two glasses with ice on the metal tray as she and Teal walked towards them in quite a suggestive manner. "Open up wide." she said, her voice hot, heavy and seductive.

"Patron on the rocks...just the way I like it." Mark said as he was waiting for Teal to serve him

"The hills are alive!" Treachor bellowed, focusing on Grace's chest.

Within a flash, Grace slammed Treachor's face into the metal tray. She smashed the liquor bottle into his head and shards of glass flew everywhere. A few shards sliced into Mark's face leaving small cuts everywhere. Blood subtly dripped down and stained his so-called perfect skin. Being free of their chains and shackles, Grace and teal made a run for it while Treachor and Mark regrouped.

"I told you letting them out of their chains and shackles wasn't a good idea." Treachor said, rubbing his hair free of glass shards.

Mark however, did not respond to Treachor's remarks. He loaded his revolver with a new round of bullets and clutched the white and gold spell book in hand The white hot fury was at a boiling point and he was no longer playing around.

"It's time to make some heads roll."

* * *

><p>"Grace, you sense anything ahead?"<p>

"Yeah, I sense another mamodo. Very powerful and extremely familiar. I wonder if it could be who I think it is. Let's hurry!"

"Alright, they also hid the spell book somewhere, let's make sure to keep our eyes peeled."

"Right."

* * *

><p>Slash and Kiichiro were walking down the corridor at their own pace. He carried a pink spell book in his hand, safely tucking it under his arm. "Up ahead, I sense another mamodo."<p>

In an almost immediate response, Kiichiro opened the cerulean spell book but Slash waved her off. He put the little girl over his shoulder and gallops that the down seemingly never ending hallway. Grace on the other hand, was also sprinting at a top speed. Neither teenage mamodo was able to move out of the way in time as they both crashed into each other.

"Damn, watch where you're going." Slash barked

Grace picked up the pink spell book and handed it back to Teal. "Arigatou...Thank You Slash."

"Don't thank him. He didn't burn it because he felt sorry for us." Grace retorted

"I would never pity another mamodo, no matter how weak they are." Slash shot back

"Excuse me? If that's the case, let's fight right now!"

Slash was a little taken aback but nonetheless quickly regained his composure. "Maybe I'd consider it if you finish getting dressed." he said in a snarky tone

"You are such an asshole. Just what I expect from somebody who doesn't follow their clan's creed about never turning down a challenge."

"Technically, since I was disowned by Galeno...and for further reference I do not acknowledge him as my father. I go by own rules and therefore pick and choose which clan rules I follow."

"Ugh. Hypocrisy at its finest." Grace said, rolling her eyes

"I would love to sit and chat about my ideals and creed but I have business to attend to. Where is Treachor?"

Grace then told Slash about their capture and how she blindsided mark and Treachor in order to make a run for it before running into Slash and Kiichiro. "I guess today is your lucky day."

"Anyway, Treachor might be lurking around somewhere. He usually resides at the top of the pyramid, we should get to the upper floor."

The newly formed group of four made their way toward the peak of the pyramid. It did not take very long for them to reach it and as if they were waiting for them. Mark and Treachor emerged and Mark had his revolver pointed at all four of them.

"Make one move and I shoot." Mark said coldly, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

"What a pussy. Having to hide behind your weapon." Slash said mockingly

"Nonsense. A human fighting alongside their mamodo partner who also fights, puts their team at a major advantage over your average joe." Treachor would have normally added onto Mark's threat but was too occupied with other things. He went over towards the wall and revealed a small door which he slid up and began messing with various switches and button. A light blue barrier formed between Slash and Kiichiro and Grace and Teal. The barrier expanded to the point where even the pyramid entrance was blocked off due to the barrier.

"Damn. What is this? Treachor you coward! Get rid of this and fight me like a man!" Slash shouted

"This technology is fresh off the Black Market. You won't break through it." Mark said, mocking Slash

"That look in your eyes...it's similar to the look you had back in the hotel room." Treachor said, making his way over to Grace

"I will have my way with you and there's nothing Slash can do to stop it." Treachor said, cupping Grace's chin.

"That is not an option!" Grace yelled, slapping Treachor's hand away

"Oh really, and why is that?"

"Because I am your next opponent!" Grace declared, Teal had the book opened and glowing a very bright pink light.

_**A/N- So Slash finally confronts Treachor but Treachor has yet another trick up his sleeve as he blocked Slash with a barrier. Grace has challenged Treachor in battle, will she survive? What will happen next? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_


	75. Facing fear with eyes wide open!

_**A/N- Last week of winter break before a new semester starts. **_

"So YOU want to be MY opponent? What a joke." Treachor sneered

"You do realize that I am the Light Titan and I completely outclass you. I can and will destroy you with just one spell."

"Titan or not, I have my will. You're underestimating me big time."

"You're going to need a lot more than willpower in order to stand a chance with me."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Chainz and the others were staring down the many barrels of the Light Society troopers. Surprisingly to them, they lowered their guns as Kai stepped forward.<p>

"We're not here to fight."

"Is that what you want us to think? How do we know you're not lying?" Josh questioned

"Just hear us out for a moment." Skyde said, also speaking

"There are times when you have to make tough choices."

"What are you getting at?" Chainz asked, confused

"The root of all this violence and destruction is not tied to The Light Society. Both the Human World and our world are in danger."

"You've been crowing on and on about this for a while now, cut to the chase because we're still not understanding." Chainz said, getting a little annoyed

"On one of the Pacific Islands, there is a large volcano. Deep inside the volcano, there is a complete monstrosity locked within its depths. If that demon hatches and awakens on its own, it will be unstoppable. However, its incubation can be interrupted and its hatching premature and thus, will make it vulnerable."

"But what does that have to do with all of the violence and carnage cause dby The Light Society?" Ishimaru asked

"The abomination can't resist the allure of destruction and chaos. When it becomes irresistible, the demon will hatch and in turn be incomplete. It's incomplete state will award us the opportunity to take it down. What we also fear, is who the bookkeeper may be."

"Bookkeeper? Are you saying that demon is a mamodo?" Ishimaru blurted out

"Mamodo are demons. We're also known as imps, mamono and other names. Point being, yes the abomination is in fact a mamodo. The human world is in danger obviously because of the destruction that thing will cause plus if that thing becomes king...our world will likely end up a wasteland and scores upon scores of both humans and mamodo will die. So you see, we had to partake in wrongdoing."

"Even if the beast was to awaken, how would it know where to find the chaos?"

"Remember, a mamodo sense is already superior to a human's. The monster however, is on a whole different level so its sense is most likely global."

"After everything you guys have done, why should we even trust you?" Sheila demanded

"I understand why you wouldn't trust us. If we had a choice in not harming anybody, we never would have gone that route. We already lost a lot of members because the burden they carried was too much to bear..it isn't something that can be done by everybody."

"Haley lost most of her livelihood because of this. When we first got involved with this, she was fine but as time went on, things got to the point where she began crying every night and eventually became numb to all of this. She keeps up a good front but still, I blame myself for that...I could have done a lot more."

"What about the day you swore into acehood? Why didn't you just tell us then?" Josh asked

"Believe me, I really wanted to but Treachor being there made things difficult."

"I see."

"I know how to get everybody inside the pyramid." Marlo said, speaking up

"Regardless of what you see, we still see no incentive to trust you." Wendy barked, to which Sheila agreed.

"That is fine, you can stay here if you like." Marlo said

"We'll follow you, so go ahead and lead the way." Chainz said as he motioned towards Josh and Jyan as well

"FREEZE!"

Everybody stopped and turned to see Vincent with CJ in Guinea Pig form along with Marty and Sly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I didn't really care to show up. Aaron told me that it was time to eat and when I came to, I was on a plane headed towards the Mexican jungles. Marty caught me up on everything that has happened and I got a score to settle with Mark."

"Well I see Mark is a pretty popular character." Jyan said, rolling his eyes

"Regardless, I have no interest in working with the likes of you." Vincent said harshly

"Believe me, the feeling is mutual." Ishimaru shot back

Still in guinea pig for, CJ jumped off of Vincent's shoulder and landed in Wendy's hands. "How cute." she said, tickling the guinea pig. CJ transformed back to normal, now in Wendy's arms. "Pervert." she snapped, dropping him on the ground.

"We heard all of Kai's dialogue." Vincent said, getting back on task

"Everything he said is true." Marty said grimly

"If you knew all of this, then why didn't you warn the town? Why couldn't you evacuate the people instead of letting them die!" Ishimaru exclaimed

"The more lives that are saved, the more likely the monster reaches its perfect form." Marty said, truthfully

Ishimaru was distraught at everything he was hearing. He could not get over the fact that countless innocent lives were going to be sacrificed all because of a stupid battle for king. These people had absolutely no idea about the ongoing battle and were most certainly not involved with the battle, so why did they have to pay the price?

"Ishimaru, stop looking at the world with rose-colored glasses. Things are not always going to be an easy decision! Nothing in this world is free, peace and other things are more often than not paid for in blood. If you want something, you have to give something back in return."

Everything was too much for Ishimaru to take in. The guilt over knowing an attack from the Light Society was coming and not doing enough to stop it and therefore causing the deaths of townspeople. Kai and Skyde revealing the burden they carried and dealing with Treachor. He felt his chest tighten up, his breathing much faster. Every time he took in a breath of fresh air, he had to gobble up another one to satisfy his growing desire for air. His vision faded and became blurry which then fell under a curtain of blackness.

"Ishimaru!"

Ishimaru opened his eyes as his vision adjusted and looked around, he nnoticed the barrier over the door was gone and that the stone wall covering the entrance was gone as well. "H-How long was I out?"

"About an hour or so." Chainz replied

"The barrier..."

"Marlo had the override code and shut it off."

"The door..."

"They used spells to blast it open."

"Well, if you're tired of laying on the ground all day, get up and let's go!" Jyan called out, impatient.

Chainz, Jyan, CJ and Skyde along with their respective partners went inside the pyramid. Wendy had to stay outside as emergency backup, she was initially reluctant to be outside with Kai bt was at ease since she had Sly to back her up in case Kai tried some funny business. Marty used his laptop to synchronize with the various cameras in the pyramid. He began typing rapidly as they all had a view of the top room where Treachor was about to face-off with Grace.

* * *

><p>"The barrier has been overridden. Damn that Marlo." Treachor growled<p>

"No matter, we can take care of him when we're done." Mark said, flashing his revolver.

"Teal, ready whenever you are." Grace said, her eyes opened and serious

"Mhm."

Grace leapt into the air in an attempt to slam her fist into Treachor's jaw. He caught it with virtually no effort and flung her back into the ground, Grace however back flipped and landed on her feet.

"You're never going to lay a mark on me if that's all you got." he said dismissively

Grace charged forward and swung multiple times at Treachor. He jumped, ducked, dodged and sidestepped every one of her hand-to-hand attacks. Knowing this was not going to work, Grace took a few steps back.

"Teal, we're gonna have to take him on with spells."

"Gotcha, _Agaru!"_

Grace's hands transfored into axes as she suddenly appeared in front of Treachor and sliced both heavy blades in multiple directions. Treachor however, blocked them with his bare hands. "I'm only using 15 percent of my power." He said with an evil smile as a shattered the axes with his bare hands.  
>Grace's hands were suddenly transformed back into normal. Treachor spun and backhanded Grace into the ground, sending her sliding back towards Teal.<p>

"You ok?"

"I'm fine." she said before getting back to her feet

"_Araneon!"_

Grace's hands transformed into large spike balls as she barreled er way towards Treachor. "Mark, pick a spell any spell."

"Let's try this one. _Luzare!"_

Treachor opened his hand as a sphere of light formed and rested within in his palm. He tossed the sphere towards the ground and a large burst of blinding light filled the room. Slash closed his eyes and covered Kiichiro's and Teal shielded her eyes as well. Grace on the other hand, could not shield them in time and the light scorched her eyes, however she did not stop moving as she pressed off her back foot in hopes of crushing Treachor. When her vision cleared, she felt a warm breath behind her as Treachor slammed his fist into her back. Forcing her body on top of the spike balls, leaving small yet numerous cuts on her stomach and torso area. The spike balls transformed back to normal as she rolled over on her back.

"This is pretty boring." Treachor yawned

"Don't you...underestimate me. I...have a lot more in store." Grace said, getting back up. She felt blood dripping down her body but ignored the pain and uncomfortable feelings and focused on Treachor.

"You sang this tune once already, I have seen enough. I am not a titan for nothing, Mark!"

"I like this spell, _Luzargon!"_

Treachor's eyes glowed a bright gold as he slowly walked over to Grace. "Grace, get out of the way!" Teal screamed_  
><em>

Treachor however was too fast plus Grace being somewhat wounded made it even easier than it already was. He grabbed Grace's shoulders and she succumbed to his glare. A thin layer of stone quickly covered her body as she became a statue.

"Grace! No!" Teal shrieked hysterically

"Such a lovely spell. Now to figure out which spell to blast you away with."

"Grace! No...this can't be the end. Not like this. Not in this way." Teal said, agonized over the petrification of her mamodo partner

"Damn. It looks like we're up next." Kiichiro said as she began to open up the spell book. Slash however, did not say a word. He simply stopped her from opening the book. His eyes fixated on the battlefield.

Grace, still petrified simply stood there. Unresponsive, no signs of breathing, just complete stone.

"Such a shame I had to do that, but what a lovely statue you are! " Treachor said, his laughter heavy with sadism and depravity

_**A/N- Gotta end this on a cliffhanger. Kai and Skyde come clean about The Light Society's motive. However, is Treachor trying to save the world with his violence? Or is there even more to it? Will they make it time to help fight off Treachor? Why is Slash not trying to jump in and fight Treachor? Is the end of Grace and will she stay trapped in stone? What's going to happen next? Find out by continuing to read Iron Revolution! R&R Til next time!**_


	76. Breaking News update

_**Hello all, the reason you guys haven't seen an update from me is because my laptop basically went full retard and I had no choice but to nuke my entire drive which in turn killed all of my files, photos and so on. Well, it worked very briefly but it just shows that you can't put a band aid on a gunshot wound. I have been scrambling to see what backup data I have saved on email drafts and whatnot. Regardlss, I have in fact planned way ahead of time and even if I don't have the outlines or scripts I had written for the rest of the arc and for the beginning of the next, I still have everything I need in my noggin. **_

_**I will admit, I was a little discouraged but the show must go on. I will post the next chapter within the next day or so. So stay tuned and please continue to support Iron Revolution with your reviews!**_

_**~PG**_


	77. Another announcement from Prince Gray

_**A/N- I am proud to say that after a few months hiatus after the disaster on my laptop, destroying the entire 2nd arc outline, I am proud to announce that Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution will be returning shortly! **_

_**Jyan: So my vacation is over with?**_

_**PG: Yep, it's time to leave Fiji and get back to work**_

_**Treachor: I'm not coming back until I get a new trailer.**_

_**PG: Last I check, you, the big bad Light Titan, were getting you ass handed to you by Grace. I don't think you're in a position to be making demands.**_

_**Jyan: Learn your role Treachor. Don't get mad that I make mor emoney in a day than you do in 6 months.**_

_**PG: Since when did I pay you?**_

_**Jyan: Um...look! It's Masashi Kishimoto! (Creator of Naruto)**_

_**PG: WHERE?!**_

_***Jyan and Treachor flee***_

_**Anyway, it's good to be back. Stay Tuned!**_


	78. Farewell my love

_**A/N- man, its good to be back. It's going to take me a little while to pick up the tempo I'm used to writing but other than that, I shouldn't miss a beat. This did not take too long to write up since I already knew what was going here. Rebuilding the entire outline I had, is going to take a while but I'm doing something I love so it's all good.**_

"Pathetic. All of that talk and you're only a mere statue." Treachor said mockingly

"You bastard..." Teal growled, desperately yearning to hear her partner's voice

"It's over. Hand over the book and I won't be forced to-" Treachor's dialogue was cut off by a loud crack

The stone that covered Grace's body formed crack after crack on it as she broke free. She dusted the fragments out of her hair and looked directly at Treachor. "Normally, that would have done me in but my will forces me to keep fighting and in turn, it's going to take more than that to do me in!"

"What a petty and ridiculous reason, you make me sick." Treachor said, his voice heavy with disdain

"Shut your damn mouth, I will bring you to your knees! Teal!" Grace shouted

_"Ackuno!"_

The bracelets on Grace's hands glowed and formed into black lances, covering both of her hands and wrists. She charged at Treachor in hopes of impaling him through his heart. The Light Titan however sidestep each and every one of her powerful thrusts. Grace then crossed her lances into an X shape, causing Treachor to take a few steps back. Grace saw this to her benefit and went in for the kill. With two powerful thrust she slammed the black lances towards Treachor's chest and in response, he simply caught them with his bare hands. "Nice try." he smirked before tossing Grace across the room. Before she could land with a thud, Grace regained control in midair and gracefully (_**A/N- no pun intended**_) backflipped before landing on her feet. Her arms returned to normal as the spell wore off.

"What happened to bringing me to my knees?" Treachor asked, reeking of arrogance

"I'm just getting warmed up." Grace said as she prepared for her next attack

"_Agaru!"_

Grace hands transformed into axes, she dashed towards Treachor once more as the Light Titan ducked and dodged her powerful and aggressive slashes. He grabbed the axes with both of his bare hands and low swept Grace off her feet. He then quickly and mercilessly slammed his foot into Grace's stomach, causing the mamodo girl to squirt streams of blood from her mouth. Some of the blood got onto Treachor's face, the Light Titan noticed this and covered the tips of his index and middle finger in it.

"Delicious, I must have more." he said, licking his fingers clean

"You sick bastard!" Grace shouted as she returned to her feet. She felt herself nearing her limit and knew that wouldn't be enough to defeat Treachor. She had to go above and beyond, she had to break through her ceiling!

"Well, if you're not going to make your move, then I will!" Treachor exclaimed as he suddenly appeared before Grace and released a fury of punches. Grace cross her arms and blocked many of them, seeing this, Treachor increased the speed of his punches and broke through her guard, sending her flying and crashing into the ground.

"It's a real shame I have to mess up such a pretty face, but when it comes to battle, I never show mercy...no matter what."

Teal rolled onto her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. She found herself vomiting more blood and struggling to get up. Now was not the time to fail, now was not the time to give in. "Grace!" Teal exclaimed, running over to her partner's side

"Teal...if we don't go past our limit, there's no chance of surviving this battle." Grace croaked between coughs

"Understood. No matter what, we will fight to the end."

Grace managed to force a smile at her partner as she finally got back on her feet.

"Are you done yet? Your attacks are futile AND ineffective." Treachor sneered

"You're done for, I have been saving this spell for a while now. Ready Grace?"

"Mhm."

"The ninth spell, _Aridogurudon!"_

Grace's body began to glow a bright pink as armor began forming on her body. Gauntlets, a helmet, shoulder guards boots, a pure white skirt and metal boots appeared on her body. A sword and shield appeared in her hands and best of all, angel-like wings sprouted out of her back.

"Beautiful." Treachor said in sick ecstasy

Grace swing her blade as a beam of energy fired from it. Treachor was taken aback as Grace picked up her assault. She swung her blade again and again, shooting off more energy beams. Treachor jumped into the air to avoid them and Grace was there waiting for him. He crossed his arms as she slashed him repeatedly, Grace rammed her shield into Treachor's forearms and jabbed her blade into his right shoulder. The blade pierced his shoulder, allowing blood to stain his shirt.

"Sometime's you gotta give a little to take more!" Treachor shouted as he grabbed Grace blade and pulled her forward. Grace quickly placed her shield in front of her as Treachor collided his heavy fist into the shield, causing multiple cracks to form.

With another heavy swing, Treachor shattered Grace's shield into multiple fragments. "Such a cute little spell, too bad I have to do this."

Treachor placed his hand on Grace's abdomen and glanced at Mark who was more than happy to oblige. "_Luzarga!"_

Treachor's left eye formed into a golden orb with what appeared to be a scope-shaped iris. The "scope" tightened and focused as a large blast of light energy engulfed Grace and sent her flying.

"Grace!" Teal shouted as chunks of armor rained from the ceiling.

Grace hit the ground once more, all of her armor was destroyed, her clothes were ripped and tattered. to the point where her undergarments were slightly showing. Grace however, was unconcerned with this. She had to get back up, she had to keep fighting until the end.

"It...it...can't eb over. Not like this...his power is too much. I'm in so much pain to the point where my entire body is numb...I'm not sure how much longer I can keep going." She said, sitting up

_"Grace...we have been through so much together. We fought and defeated opponent after opponent and now we come across the toughest fight of our lives. I'm sorry Grace, I don't know what else we can do. He has gotten through practically every spell we have...come on, I need a sign...I need something to turn this around..."_

Teal felt the salty tears burn and sting the insides of her eyes. She knew she and Grace would have to part ways someday but not like this. Not as a result of getting beaten to a bloody pulp. Teal's train of thought was severed when she saw a bright pink light cut through her vision.

"It can't be...a new spell!" She shouted

"Huh?" Grace asked looking over at her human partner

"Grace, this could be what we were looking for."

"Only one way to find out."

"So you have a new toy to play with. Maybe this will be interesting." Treachor said, rubbing his chin

"_DIOGA AKIGRANO!"_

Grace raised her hands as a dom of pink light covered the battlefield along with herself and Treachor. Her eyes glowed a bright pink as she looked directly at Treachor. Right at that moment, Treachor flew into the wall of the dome, almost as if a force of telepathic power sent him back. Without allowing him time to get up, Grace moved her hand in a sharp diagonal to the left, causing Treachor's arm to go limp.

"Grace severed the tendons in his arm without even touching him!" Kiichiro exclaimed, astonished. Slash however, did not respond and continued watching. Grace wiggled her fingers in a bit of an odd way as Treachor levitated above the ground and flew towards Grace. Grace readied her hand and slammed her fist directly into Treachor's chest, forcing a hole through it. She then tossed him like a rag doll as he rolled on the ground. Treachor got on his feet as he looked around the dome surrounding them.

_"I understand Grace's spell now. When it's cast, a dome forms around her and her enemy, it seems that she can manipulate anything in the dome, including internal organs and therefore can kill enemies within minutes..."_ Teal thought to herself

"I'll make sure you stay down this time!" she exclaimed as she moved her fingers in various directions. Treachor's body turned and gyrated as blood sprayed from his mouth and nose. He choked and gagged before falling to the ground with a thud.

Grace then focused her attention on the various metal fragments littered throughout the ground that were once her sword, shield and armor. She lifted up the various shards and floated them above Treachor.

"You're done." she said coldly and with that, the numerous metal shards impaled Treachor, staining the stone tiles with more of his blood.

Treachor laid there motionless, he did not appear to be breathing nor did he move. A cold silence filled the air as a spread of shock spread over Kiichiro, Grace and Teal. Before they could go for Treachor's book, Grace's eyes faded back to normal as she fell to her knees. The Dioga Akigrano required so much energy, she used all of what she had and then some. Teal was also spent as well, she barely had enough power from within to cast that last spell, now she was also done for. The girls' moment of relief was breif as cold, sick laughing filled their ears and found it's way down their spines into their cores. The laughing filled the room as Treachor stood up.

"That was quite fun, though you're spell actually managed to get a few cuts, scratched and sore muscles...it was nothing more than a cheap parlor trick." Treachor said as he effortlessly removed the metal shards from his body, flicking and tossing them aside like pizza toppings.

"No..." Grace said softly.

* * *

><p>"Slash, aren't you going to do something!" Kiichiro askedm worried<p>

"It's not my concern nor do I care about Grace to do anything." Slash said coldly

"LIAR!" Kiichiro shouted as the little girl slapped her partner. She forced herself down from Slash's shoulder

Slash, Grace, Teal and even Treachor himself were shocked by what just occurred. The slap obviously did not physically hurt Slash but it definitely stung him on the inside.

"You damn brat." Slash growled as he began to lift up his hand in retaliation but Kiichiro suddenly held up a small wad of letters. Slash lowered his hand as he gave his partner a "why are you meddling in my stuff?" look.

"I found them in the part of bag you told me to never open and read them in the helicopter on the way here while you were sleeping. Slash, these letetrs are entires you made while you were on your journey training a few years ago. You always talked about Grace in a lot of these and how your desire of seeing her again made you stronger and because of that is the reason you survived in the wilderness. You never stopped loving Grace and I know she never stopped loving you either."

_"The little brat is right..." _Slash said to himself

_[Flashback 5 years ago...]_

_"How many times do I have to tell you boy? Things like love, compassion and any emotion aside from hatred or anger all get in the way of your true strength and in turn make you weak. Sever any and all bonds you hav, then and only then will you bring out your full potential on your journey."_

_[End Flashback...]_

_"I took my father's words to heart. I severed all ties and disassociated myself with all feelings except for hatred and anger when I resumed my journey, I deliberately ignored Grace in an attempt to make her hate me and forget about me. I embraced hatred, I pursued power and I succeeded but at what cost? All of those sleepness nights in the extreme heat or extreme cold thinking about her, what she was doing and if she was well. Of course, when I finally returned making her hate me then was seemingly easy as far as words go but inside...I could never get myself to break away from her."_

"I've seen enough of this crap. Mark!"

"_Luzarga!"_

Treachor's eye formed into a scope once more as the powerful solar ray released itself from Treachor's fingers and zapped Grace's pink spell book, setting it ablaze. The book simply fell out of Teal's hand as the orange flames completely covered it.

* * *

><p>In Slash's eyes, the entire world froze except for Grace's burning book which hit the ground and sent cinders everywhere. The sound of a cackling fire and Teal's sobs were the only things that could be heard.<p>

_**"I love her. I always have and I always will."**_

Slash felt himself instinctively walk towards the now fading away Grace. Memories began flashing through his head as he walked to her, reminiscent of a clip show.

[_Flashback 4 years ago...]_

_"Wherever you go, I go. If you go to the ends of the Makai, I will follow you there. No matter what hell you go through, I will be there by your side going through that hell with you."_

__[End Flashback...]__

Slash continued walking. He was nearing Teal, when he reached Grace's devastated partner, he placed his hand on her shoulder. Her eyes were red and swollen due to the excess crying. He could feel her body trembling as she was now staring at the burning book. The Iron Prince continued on his path.

[_Flashback 4 years ago...]_

_"Slash, you aren't alone! You have Nana and all of the kids and people in the village...you have me."_

__"Grace, please stay here in the village. Please do that for me, I will come back for you, I promise."__

___"I love you Slash, please return to me safely."___

_____[End Flashback...]_____

* * *

><p>Slash finally made it to Grace. No words were exchanged between the two and instinctively Slash's lips met Grace's as she faded away completelty.<p>

_**"**_**Thank you for keeping your promise to me Slash..." **Grace said as she officially left this world

Slash felt his eyes sting and burn. For the first time in many years, tears came from his eyes. Slash released an ear-piercing shout of agony as he slammed his fist into the ground. Kiichiro then noticed a sapphire blue aura emitting from Slash's body, she then saw their spell book glowing the same aura as Slash's body.

_"I have never felt this kind of power before...what is this?" Slash thought to himself_

"Now that the waterworks are over, I guess you want to fight me now." Treachor said with a smug look on his face.

"Fight you? No. I want to kill you."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, outside the pyramid, Marty smiled as he looked on his laptop at what was going on inside the pyramid due to hacking one of Mark's security cameras. "So Slash just had his Revelation Point. Who would have thought his would be Love. It looks like this fight will be interesting and of course we will see the true power of the Revelation Tablets. These guys make my job even easier!"<p>

_**A/N- And that's a wrap. Many thanks to vStriker for allowing me to use such an amazing character like Grace. She has played (and will continue to playd espite no longer being on Earth) such a pivotal role in Slash's character development that it was a little hard offing her but it had to be done. I'm still working on the outline of course and getting everything back but of course rebuilding all of my lost work is going to be a very very long process. Regardless, I will still be updating every week. So until next time. R&R! **_

* * *

><p>Name- Grace<p>

Partner- Teal

Book color- Pink

Rank- 41st out of 100

Element- Metal/Manipulation

Book burned by- Treachor and Mark Miller

Spells-

Agaru-Hands turn into axes.

Akiro-Hands turn huge hammers.

Agrokai-Hands turn into a large shield.

Araneon-Hands turn into spiked balls.

Anigaro-Hands glow and become powerful enough to break down walls.

Ackuno-The Bracelets on her wrist turn into Black lances and her speed and power are increased.

Akiarudo- Grace makes a pair of huge transparent arms appear beside her. When the hands of the arms come together it can absorb and send back an attack with twice the size. They can also punch and swing at the enemy.

Aridogurudon- Grace forms amour over her body and a sword and shield in her hand. The shield doubles as a blaster witch fires massive energy attacks at the opponent. The amour also has a pair of wings allowing her to fly.

Akidorune- she controls six puppets with each with the spells of Akiro, Agrokai, Araneon, Anigaro, Ackuno, and Agaru, on their hands. She cannot use other spells.

Agruno- Her hands turn into large light machine guns.

Aridoga- Thin pink amour grows around her arms and legs. It increases her speed and power dramatically.

Akifudo- She puts her arms together and they turn into a large cannon.

Dioga Akigrano- A large pink tinted dome surrounds the area. She can control and manipulate everything within the dome


	79. Slash vs Treachor Part 1

_**A/N- My outline for the rest of the story is gaining some size but still nowhere it was before the big crash. Regardless, I will continue building it to where I'm comfortably ahead of what I'm submitting. (I'm only four chapters ahead of this one as of now but that should double, if not triple by the end of this weekend) Enough talking, please continue to enjoy the climax of The Light Society Arc. **_

"YOU kill ME? What a joke." Treachor sneered

"This pyramid will be your grave!" Slash roared as he and Treachor began running towards each other

Slash and Treachor's fists collided as a massive shockwave in sent throughout the room, causing Kiichiro, Teal and Mark to fly back a few feet

Slash unleashed a fury of combos and Treachor blocked most of them. Slash saw an opening and kicked Treachor's feet in, tripping him. Slash slammed his fist into Treachor's throat, causing him to squirt up some blood. That didn't cause Treachor to flinch however as The Light Titan flipped Slash over and began returning the favor. Treachor's punches were, quick, powerful and merciless. He beat into Slash's chest like no tomorrow. Slash however flipped Treachor off of him and grabbed his legs. He leapt into the air with him in tow and slammed him into the cold, hard floor. Slash stay on top of Treachor and continued swinging his fists.

"Enough of this! _Luzarga!"_

Treachor fired the solar ray at Slash from point-blank range, sending him flying across the room and into a wall. Slash however, leapt out of the dust cloud and back on his feet. He charged at Treachor again and the hand to hand combat commenced once more.

_"Dammit, the power from the revelation tablet made Slash's strength equal to that of a Titan...I'm going to have to take this seriously." Treachor thought to himself_

_"What is that blue aura surrounding Slash, I have never seen him this powerful before, I have never had this much power from within either! This is amazing!" Kiichiro thought to herself_

* * *

><p>Marty along with Sly, Wendy and Sheila were watching the fight on Marty's laptop, amazed by Slash's new power.<p>

"Why does Slash have a blue aura?" Wendy asked

"He had his Revelation Point." Marty replied

Sly cleared his throat and began...

"Remember the seven tablets the Light Society collected? I explained it awhile ago but I shall refresh your memories. The original mamodo king was historically known as the most powerful king to ever live. He was also amongst the wisest as well. Before he died at the end of his reign, he split his power into 7 fragments. Knowing that many corrupted mamodo would be after his power, he sealed it into seven stone tablets and locked them with virtues. **Love, Friendship, Compassion, Courage, Forgiveness, Faith and Hope.** The original king then ordered that the tablets to be passed down from one kingship to the next until the mamodo deemed worthy enough to be granted his power. For millenia after millenia, many have tried to decipher the way to unseal the power and until now, all of them failed. The current king who you guys like to call _**"Zatch the Appeaser"**_ felt that it would be safer to keep the tablets hidden on Earth and did so. The Light Society of course found and retrieved them quite some time ago thanks to Slash and Treachor and the key to unlocking the tablets...at least artificially, turned out to be the Crystals of Moonlight. According to my research, it seems that those who were chosen to access this power felt a surge of energy before diminishing.

_"Like Chainz, Jyan and Azure..." Wendy thought to herself_

"Only those who truly understand the concept of said virtue would be granted the power from the tablets otherwise known as Revelation Power. Slash had a head start on the virtue of Love because of Kiichiro's love for him as a father and big brother figure. Seeing that, we think that not only does the mamodo need to grasp the concept but the human partner must also have an understanding of the concept as well."

"I see...but still, Slash? Love? One of the last people I thought would really grasp that." Wendy said, shrugging

"Keep in mind that a child's love is amongst the purest. Slash came to love Kiichiro over time because she began to change his tainted heart that in combination of accepting and embracing his love for Grace and vice versa made it all a perfect combination. That being said, we must remember that each virtue is 1/7th of the original king's power and Slash was already an Elite mamodo to begin with. This power boost puts him on par with a Titan and therefore gives him a legitimate shot at beating Treachor."

"Well, let's hope he wins." Sheila said, as they turned back to the screen.

* * *

><p><em>"Hokeigo!"<em>

_"Luzarga"_

Slash opened his right hand as the spikeball and chain shot out. Interestingly enough, the spikeball and chain were coated with a blue aura, amplifying its power. The spike ball and chain collided with the light ray, canceling each other out.

"Slash, follow it up with this! _Gazurogaruga!"_

Slash jumped out of the smoke with the nine foot iron lance in his hand, ready to gore Treachor with his signature spell. "Two can play at this game, _Raaja Luzarga!"_

Treachor's left eye formed into a swirl as a light vortex began streaming out of his eye, forming a golden lance in his hand. Slash turned his lance sideways and Treachor followed suit, causing them to collide and sent sparks everywhere. Slash and Treachor's lances rang and vibrated with clangs as they thrusted and stabbed at each other. Being much more experienced with a lance, Slash parried Treachor and gored him in his stomach, sending the Light Titan backwards. Treachor did not flinch and held out his palm towards Slash, to his surprise.

"_LUZARE!"_

The sphere of light formed in Treachor's palm before exploding in the room. Slash closed his eyes and turned away before it was too late but some of the flash still got into his eyes, causing them to burn intensely. Slash fell to his knees as Treachor used this opportunity to remove the iron lance from his bleeding stomach. After doing so, he quickly grabbed Slash by the neck and held him up in the air, choking him.

"I'm going to slowly but surely cut off your air before breaking your neck with my bare hand." Treachor said, in a bloodthirsty voice

"Damn...you..." Slash coughed as he struggled for air

Treachor tightened his already sturdy grip, causing Slash's struggle for air to intensify. The tightness around his throat built in pressure as Slash couldn't wiggle free. He felt his vision began to fade and continued kicking and wiggling but to no avail. He looked at his now dangling arms and an idea sparked into his head. Raising his hands, he formed his index and middle fingers in both hands and sharply darted both pairs into opposite sides of Treachor's wrists, accurately hitting the pressure points and forcing him to let go. Slash coughed and hacked as he began breathing again and looked at Treachor.

"Kiichiro, let's hit with something big. Give me a spell!"

"Alright, _Hokekeruga!"_

Slash opened his hands as multiple chains with hooks connected on the end emerged out. Some of the chains and hooks went underground, others glided and arched in the air, raining upon Mark and Treachor. Mark removed his revolver out of its holster and began shooting at the chains, keeping them out of his direction. Treachor however, did not fight off the chains, instead he stutter-stepped for a second and dashed through the incoming wave. He jumped, sidestepped and dodged the various iron chains and as he suspected, saw that Slash left himself wide open and unable to defend himself due to the spell. He placed his hand forward as he saw the golden light being emitted from his spell book.

"_LUZARGA!"_

Treachor's left eye formed into a scope once more and fired the light rays at Slash from point-blank range again, sending the Iron prince flying and dissipating the chains. Treachor had a smirk of satisfaction on his face but it was quickly erased when Slash was still standing.

"How can this be? Blasting you at point-blank range should have been _**more than enough**_to destroy you!"

"Well you thought wrong!" Slash yelled, charging into Treachor.

The two mamodo began with their hand to hand combat once more but Slash quickly gained the upper hand this time. He grabbed Treachor by the shirt, jumped into the air and power bombed him into the ground, forming a massive crater. Slash and Kiichiro however, were not done yet. He jumped out of the crater, still in mid-air and held out his hands.

"_Ganzu Go Hokeiron!"_

Two iron turrets extended themselves from Slash's hands as hundreds upon hundreds of bullets rained on Treachor, who was still laying in the crater. Treachor's screams of agony rang in Slash's ears as he kept up his attack. Once the barrage of bullets subsided, Slash felt his feet touch the ground and a dead silence.

"I-Is it over?" Kiichiro asked

Before Slash could tell the little girl it was too easy for it to suddenly be over, they were rewarded with Treachor's laughs. Slash's blood was about to start boiling again but he then noticed that this laugh...was different from his earlier laugh when Grace was fighting him. This laugh wasn't condescending at all...no it was a laugh of sheer madness. Slash realized that Treachor was _**in denial** _that he finally met his match..that after so long and so many victims, he finally was taking heavy damage. To his disadvantage, Treachor had not fought anybody seriously since fighting the other Titans and it was driving him past his normal semi-insane persona.** (_A/N- Ignor is who I'm referring to when I say that._) **

"You're going to die...all of you are going to die..." he said weakly as his eyes were as wide as they could get, his grin was still plastered on his face. Slash had broken him and now everybody (maybe even Mark too) is going to pay the price.

"Mark...I'm going to kill all of them...and I..mean _**all of** **them**_." Treachor said in a weak, high-pitched voice

"_Raaja Luzarga!"_

The golden vortex emerged from Treachor's eye as two golden turrets extended from his hands and fired golden bullets at not only Slash, but Teal and Kiichiro as well. Slash backed up and motioned Teal to get behind him. He pushed Treachor too far and caused him to fully snap, any little sanity or regard for others he had left was gone. Slash however, did not budge and was going to take every bullet that came towards them if need be.

"I won't be satisfied until I have your bloody corpses in my possession!" Treachor screamed with delight

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Alright, gotta end these chapters on a cliffhanger of course. I figured I would explain the Revelation Tablets again despite doing so a while ago. Also, I'm finally glad I can finally openly talk about the Revelation Tablets now after first hinting their existence in Chapter 24. There is a lot more to come obviously. So stay tuned for Part 2 if the Slash vs Treachor fight. Til next Time! Continue to R&R folks!**_


	80. Slash vs Treachor Part 2

_**A/N- I have nothing to really say right now. Enjoy this week's chapter. (Still working out kinks for the next arc, so will be releasing one chapter a week until stated otherwise.)**_

"Mark...I'm going to kill all of them...and I..mean _**all of**__**them**_." Treachor said in a weak, high-pitched voice

"_Raaja Luzarga!"_

The golden vortex emerged from Treachor's eye as two golden turrets extended from his hands and fired golden bullets at not only Slash, but Teal and Kiichiro as well. Slash backed up and motioned Teal to get behind him. He pushed Treachor too far and caused him to fully snap, any little sanity or regard for others he had left was gone. Slash however, did not budge and was going to take every bullet that came towards them if need be.

"I won't be satisfied until I have your bloody corpses in my possession!" Treachor screamed with delight

* * *

><p>Slash was not fazed by this and dropped down on his right knee. "Kiichiro, cast Garoshield now!" he ordered<p>

_"Garoshield!"_

Slash placed his hands on the ground as an iron spike wall emerged from below. Multiple clangs echoed throughout the room as the bullets ricocheted off of the shield spell. When the assault subsided, the wall dissipated which infuriated Treachor even moreso.

"Damn you!" Treachor snarled, charging at Slash

Slash sidestepped and dodged all of Treachor's sloppy blows. His anger and denial had gotten the best of him and now he was unfocused and mistake-prone, Slash was using this to his advantage. Treachor continued swinging haymakers at The Iron Prince yet continued missing his target. Slash dropped low and swung his left leg and swept Treachor off his feet, his back hitting the ground with a painful thud. Slash quickly sat on his foe's chest and delivered punch after punch to his face. Treachor soon crossed his arms above his face and blocked the rest of Slash's heavy punches. He pushed Slash off of him and got back to his feet.

"Enough of this generic hand to hand combat! _Luzaruk!"_

Treachor screeched as a golden aura surrounded and covered his body. Golden gauntlets formed over his hand and forearms, an Aztec breastplate formed on his chest, golden shinguards on his legs, golden shoulder pads adorned his shoulders and last but not least, a golden jaguar helmet appeared on his head and his eyes became yellow with scarlet slits, canines protruding from his mouth. He unleashed a mighty roar and pounced on Slash.

He punched Slash in his chin, sending him flying into a wall. Treachor zoomed over to him and continued his punching, multiple crevices forming. _"Damn it. Even with my Revelation Power, I can't physically stand up to Treachor's Luzaruk spell. The only way I can counter this is with my own enhancement spell and even then it only lasts for a few minutes, so I gotta work quick."_

"Kiichiro, use Hokekeruk and hurry!" Slash ordered his young book keeper

"Okay Slash! _Hokekeruk!"  
><em>

Slash stood there and stomped his right boot into the ground, cracking off a few pieces of tile. He felt a swarm of energy build up as small spikes extended from his arms. A white aura intertwined with his already existent sapphire one. Slash charged at Treachor and The Light Titan followed suit. Their fists collided with each others' sending shock waves throughout the room.

Slash and Treachor exchanged punch after punch with each other. The Iron Prince couldn't find a good opening on his adversary and was stuck with blocking and trading blows. Slash noticed the spell wearing off and knew he was in trouble. "Shit! The spell is wearing off!" He growled

"Poor poor Slash. Unlike you, I can use spells in this form."

"WHAT?!" Slash exclaimed, loosing his stoicness

"_Luzare!"_

Slash, Kiichiro and Teal instinctively covered eyes as Treachor delivered another flash bomb, sending the rays of light everywhere, scorching their skin a little bit.

"And now, for the finale!"

_"Ganzu Luzarga!"_

Treachor opened his palms as multiple light beams emerged and shot up towards the ceiling, the beams bent and began raining down on all three of them. Slash snatched Kiichiro and Teal, dragging them out of the way. Treachor used this to his advantage and quickly grabbed a handful of Slash's leather vest with his enhanced speed. He flung Slash back and pulled him forward, punching him in the face reminiscent to a yo-yo. This continued for a few more punches until Slash quickly put his boot between himself and Treachor allowing enough force to break free. Treachor was not going to let Slash get away and with his speed, pounced on Slash again and unleashed a new chain of punches.

Slash blocked a few but was overwhelmed by Treachor's assault. Kiichiro and Teal looked on in horror as Teal noticed something. "Kazumo-san, cast Gazurogaruga. It will save Slash."

"What do you mean?" the little girl asked quizzically

"Just use it. You'll see what I mean."

"Okay then..._Gazurogaruga!"_

Slash heard Kiichiro's chant and quickly brought the iron lance from above ground and impaled Treachor's chest before removing it. Treachor stumbled back, cursing himself for letting his anger get the best of him along with his cockiness of thinking the armor would protect him therefore leaving his chest area opened while punching Slash and of course Slash himself for having such a spell as Gazurogaruga.

Treachor then noticed the lance did not go through his back thanks to the armor and looked at Slash with a mocking glare but to his dismay, Slash had a smirk on his face. Confused as to what the hell Slash could be smirking at, Treachor looked down and noticed the cracks on his breastplate forming. The cracks traveled all the way up to his shoulder guards as they cracked as well. To the Light Titan's horror, all of his golden armor suddenly dissipated.

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Treachor screamed in another wave of blindly fury as he stupidly sprinted towards Slash again. Slash however stood his ground and turned his iron lance sideways, ramming it into Treachor's sternum, giving him a massive force blunt chest trauma. Stunned, Treachor felt the pain rock his battered body and stood frozen in his tracks. Using this to his advantage, Slash unleashed a furious combo of punches and sent Treachor flying into Mark with one last punch.

Mark quickly jumped out of the way as his partner rolled across the cold tile floor and removed his revolver from its holster. "I have had enough of this. You have become more than enough of a pain in the ass. I'm going to do what I should've done when I had the chance." He said pointing the handgun at Slash

"Now you know a human weapon wouldn't kill me." Slash said dismissively

"You know what, you're right." Mark said pointing the gun at Kiichiro and Teal

"Only a coward shoots defenseless girls!" Teal shouted

"Yep. I'm a coward who wants to win." Mark said, curling his finger around the trigger

Before he could pull the trigger however, Mark feels the gun knocked out of his hand and tumbling outside the door. To his surprised he saw that Treachor was the one responsible. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Mark demanded

"I never...had to fight this seriously...since I last tangled with Arkham, Solin and Blue...the other 3 titans...and I will be DAMNED if I have a mere human ruin my own kill."

"You may be a Titan but you are the weakest of the four. You knew I had no chance to beat Solin and you knew you were setting me up. You were nowhere to be found when Blue and Arkham fought. You didn't even show back up until you knew the coast was clear...me fighting Solin was the biggest mistake you could have made. He is by far the toughest opponent I have ever fought in my life and have done what almost no other mamodo can claim. I fought him and lived to tell about it and I have seen all Four Titans in action AND I know you aren't worthy of such a title."

"I'm truly sick of you breathing. Mark...use it."

"Use our strongest spell?"

"Yes. Blow them away, if brings down this entire pyramid then so be it. Any last requests Slash?"

_[Flashback a few months ago...aka chapter 29]_

_"The Light Titan thinks of himself as a kind king. He gives false hope and mercy; he's the illusionary angel that blinds all with his light. He is the savior to the ignorant, he is also known as "The Fallen One"…"The Angel of Hypnotism" he can show you your past and breaths life into your nightmares."_

_"Do not mock them." Jonny warned_

_"I'm one of the favorites to win this whole thing!" Slash exclaimed, getting a little defensive_

_"I forgot to mention one small detail…they've been here for years."_

_"YEARS? HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?" Slash yelled, other people were now staring_

_"Do you think that they are here for a petty tournament?" Jonny asked_

_"But..."_

_"Only one of them is eligible to become king, nonetheless, they all want to dominate both the Human World and the Makai."_

_"Damn it." Slash growled_

_"Oh and Slash…" Jonny began_

_"What?"_

_"They all already have Shin spells." Jonny said darkly_

_[End Flashback..]_

"Answer me this Treachor. Mark told me a while back that only one Titan was in this battle legally and that you thought of yourself as a kind king and savior of the ignorant, "The Fallen One", "The Angel of Hypnotism. What does he mean by that? How can titans be here for years prior to the battle for king?"

"You have a lot of questions that I don't really care to answer all that much but since this IS your last request, I will do so and will not repeat myself so listen carefully."

_**"Blue and I were students at the same prep school. We weren't the most well behaved students to say the least...and about eight years ago, we were expelled. We soon began venturing all over the Makai and came across Hades, a realm banished to mos mamodo. That of course, did not stop us from conquering it. It was there, we met Arkham. An outcast of the hellhound tribe, bitter because he could not attend school nor was allowed to leave Hades. Hellhounds are dangerous and due to incidents in early tournament, they were banished by one of the ancient kings and the laws were upheld to this day for millenniums"**_

Treachor cleared his throat and continued. _**"We convinced him to join up with us because we sensed that his power like ours, was beyond our peers and many many adults as well save for those who are Elite Royal Guards or clan lords like your father. Anyway, we committed robberies, murders, extortion, you name it. We were eventually renowned and feared in the Makai being dubbed "The Three Titans". So we decided to pull off the biggest heist of all. The assassination of King Zatch The Appeaser.**"_

**_"Wait, so the assassins were you guys? I remember hearing about that when I was a little kid..."_**

**_"That's what I said is it not? Anyway, there were factions throughout the Makai that wanted to see Zatch the Appeaser overthrown and we made a deal with one of the bigger factions. I thought confronting the king alone was a foolhardy idea and stressed the importance of uniting the factions BEFORE taking on the king. Blue and Arkham vetoed my suggestion so I bailed on the assassination plot."_**

"Where did you go from there?"

_**"I fled to the faction that heavily backed us. Their fool of a leader was providing information to Zatch the Appeaser behind my back in exchange for not being convicted in the Royal Courts, so I assassinated him and took control of the faction.** **The assassination attempt was of course, a complete disaster and from what I know, Blue framed Arkham, stole a spell book and escaped through one of the king's portals to this world."**_

_**"Over the next year,I built up my rebellion and united various factions through a message of love and benevolence. I gave amnesty to fugitives and acquitted criminals, hence why Mark told you I gave false hope and mercy. I became renowned as a savior to those who were ignorant of my true intentions, they ate up every word I spoke. I was finally ready for my rebellion and lead my army to the Royal Palace and fought a bloody battle with The King's royal guards and other loyalists. As the commotion went on and I infiltrated the palace, I noticed Arkham escaping, spell book in his mouth and also into the portal to human world. I smiled at this thought and returned to the battle where we were forced to retreat as the king began to use his power to dispel the rebels."  
><strong>_

_**I sat back and spent another year rebuilding and tweaking my plans to overtake Zatch the Appeaser. That was when I learned of Solin, another mamodo with extraordinary abilities. Many were calling him "The Fourth Titan" "The King's Titan" and so on. I learned that he was the valedictorian at his academy and was already one of the top elite guards. He was sent to the Human World under orders to arrest Blue and Arkham but still eligible for the kingship because he had already been chosen for the battle and his strong allegiance to the king. In my eyes, anybody who sides with Zatch the Appeaser is my enemy. Seeing that he would potentially be a problem, I sent an overwhelming force to The Ice Realm and slaughtered all of his kinsmen and their offspring in the event that nobody from their would ever rise up and become as powerful as Solin and eventually a threat to me."  
><strong>_

_**"With my knowledge of the portals, I lead an army of 150 mamodo through the portal in an attempt to conquer the human world and artificially create a battle for king in the event that I could turn on my men and sacrifice them in lieu of me become king. I of course learned that it could not be done due to it not being sponsored by the king. Over the next 5 years, all 150 mamodo in my army were eliminated and sent back to the Makai by Arkham, Blue and Solin, thwarting yet another of my plans. Eventually the official tournament started and I saw this as my chance to become king by forcing the last mamodo's human partner to use their wish for me to become king?"  
><strong>_

"Wish?"

_**"When a mamodo wins the battle to become king, their human partner gets 1 wish of ANYTHING they desire no matter how ridiculous or illogical it is. Their is a price to be paid. The person loses all of their memories of this wretched battle and their mamodo partner but since I plan to have the human fully brainwashed by then, it would simply be a free wish for me anyway."**_

"You're a monster." Teal snarled

"Perhaps but that's enough talking. You guys now know how The Four Titans have gotten here, it's now time for you to meet your end."

Slash backed away, there was no way he could block a Shin-level spell. His Gigano Hokeiron was a really powerful Gigano spell, on par with an average Dioga spell. Even with his Revelation Power, it could only be enhanced by so much..."

"_SHIN LUZARGA!" _Mark shouted as the spell book in his possession filled the room with its golden glow._  
><em>

Treachor raised his arms as a Massive Aztec warrior made of light energy filled the room. The warrior adorned armor identical to the armor Treachor wore when his Luzaruk spell was cast. The Aztec began moving towards Slash, Kiichiro and Teal, preparing to strike a final blow.

The book shook in Kiichiro's hands as the Aztec Warrior was drawing closer to them. The little girl could feel the book's edges cutting into her palms but her eyes shot back open when she looked up at not only Slash's body emitting the powerful blue aura as a result of the Revelation Power but because of their cerulean spell book as well. "It...it's a new spell but it's only a Dioga level...but Slash has the Revelation Power and there is no other choice,"

"_DIOGA HOKEIRON!" _Kiichiro shouted at the top of her lungs

Slash's hands shot forward as a massive iron goddess formed in front of Slash. He immediately sent it towards the Aztec warrior, making impact quickly. The Aztec warrior was slowed down tremendously but was still moving forward pushing the goddess back. Slash couldn't let it end here, he could not let his book be burned, not after he drove a _Titan _of all mamodo to his limit.

Slash fell to his knees as The Aztec warrior pushed the goddess back even further. He felt himself on the brink of defeat...someone else would have to finish Treachor off and end his reign of terror. As Slash closed his eyes, a mental image of Chainz appeared before him. Slash, with his hands still outward, stood to his feet and the goddess suddenly stopped the Aztec warrior in his tracks. Slash was still struggling to keep Treachor's overwhelming spell at bay. Next, his father, Lord Galeno appeared before him again, in a mental image. The goddess was now pushing the warrior backwards towards Treachor and Mark.

Then, Slash received a mental image of his mother, Iron Maiden Kiyoko. The goddess was now pushing the warrior backwards at an even faster rate, causing Treachor and Mark to panic. Lastly, Grace appeared before Slash and he roared in triumph as he overwhelmed the Aztec and caused it to dissipate. The goddess continued on her path and slammed into Treachor, who used too much energy to effectively dodge or create a shield spell, kicking up a large explosion that rattled the entire pyramid.

The smoke cleared and Treachor's clothes were tattered and dangling off his well-defined body. "Damn...you." was all he could muster from his bruised lips as he took long deep breaths. Slash however, stood tall and still glowing.

"Kiichiro...this will be the last spell." Slash declared to his partner

"Right."

"_Gazurogaruga!"_

_"Raaja Luzarga!"_

Slash and Treachor charged at each other from opposite sides of the room. White sparks surrounded Slash's hand as he raised the lance from the ground. The golden vortex spiraled out of Treachor's left eye, giving him a golden lance. As Slash ran towards Trechor, Grace's spirit grabbed onto the lance, placing her ghostly hand over Slash's. He felt a small tear seep out of his right eye as he neared his archenemy. Both mamodo thrust back their lances and pushed them forward. Everything seemed to go in slow motion at this point..

Slash's lance pierced Treachor's chest, near his heart and sent the Light Titan flying into Mark. The sharp end of the lance impaled through Treachor's chest pierced the book in Mark's hand, causing him to drop it and catch on fire. The purple flames devoured the once elegant white spell book with gold trim.

"Yay Slash!" Kiichiro cheered

She stopped when she heard Teal's sobs. "Teal, are you crying because you're still sad about Grace?"

"Yes and No. I miss Grace but I'm crying this time because I'm overjoyed that you and Slash were able to beat Treachor."

"You were a formidable opponent and I never would have won if it wasn't for you destroying Grace's book and Kiichiro knocking some sense into me. Your arrogance lead you to your defeat, you stopped training and thought just because you were a Titan, you were untouchable."

"You...bastard." Treachor spat. Despite having his book burned, his clothes tattered and massive internal bleeding along with being sprawled with his own blood, he was still trying to get up to fight Slash. He tried to move once more, but his eyes admitted defeat even if his mouth didn't.

"Even though myself and Arkham are no more. There are still Two Titans left and you saw what Solin did to you. **T****his may be the end of the Light Society...but there is going to be a new hell unleashed on Earth. Just. You. Wait."**

And with that, Treachor faded away completely. What was once his book was now ashes, Mark however was now backing away from Slash in a attempt to get to the exit.

"There's no need for you to go anywhere."

Vincent, Ishimaru, Josh and Marlo along with their mamodo were all standing in the doorway.

"We're hear to take on Treachor!" Jyan announced before realizing that Treachor was nowhere to be found. He then saw the ashes and groaned. "Why not name this story Slash Reaction: Iron Revolution?" Jyan said with half-sarcasm, rolling his eyes.

"I can't believe this..." Chainz began to say

Slash walked to the doorway with Kiichiro and Teal in tow. "I'm afraid you guys are too late. I'm on a mission to be king and I won't be stopped...not even by a Titan." The boys moved out of Slash's way, fairly worried if Slash becoming king was truly inevitable.

"The Light Society has officially been disbanded and the police will be arriving for you shortly." Marlo said turning to his now ex-boss

"You really don't deserve being let off this easily." Vincent said, dismissively tossing Mark his revolver that Treachor knocked into the hallway earlier

"Thank you...but my revolver is only half-loaded. How am I supposed to protect myself from the Police with this?" Mark asked

"Oh, it's not for protecting yourself with." Vincent said coldly as they left the room and ultimately the pyramid

After they left, Mark sat there for about twenty more minutes with his prized revolver still in his hand. He shakily gripped the handle...

* * *

><p>A gunshot echoed throughout the pyramid followed by a loud thud.<p>

_**A/N- And that's the end of The Light Society climax. What happens from here? What did Treachor mean about "A new hell on Earth is coming" what of the other Two remaining Titans? The only way to answer these (and many other) questions is to stay tuned for the enxt chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R!**_

* * *

><p>Name- Treachor (alias Ignoramous aka Ignor)<p>

Partner- Mark Miller (alias Jonny Greenburg)

Book color- White with golden trim

Rank- ineligible (does not count in the 100)

Element- Light

Book burned by- Slash and Kiichiro Kazumo

Spells-

Luzare- Treachor sets off a flash bomb, blinding the opponent

Luzarga: Treachor's left eye forms into a scope and shoots light rays from his fingers at the opponent

Gigano Luzarga: Bigger version of Luzarga

Ganzu Luzarga: Treachor shoots multiple light beams at the opponent

Lushield: Treachor uses four spheres of light to form a light shield

Luzaruk: Treachor gains golden aztec armor enhancing his natural abilities and can use spells in this form

Raaja Luzarga: Treachor fires a golden vortex from his left eye, imitating his opponent's spell but a golden version

Shin Luzarga: Treachor summons an Aztec Warrior made of light energy annd sneds it at the opponent. This is his strongest spell.


	81. Enter The Black Corps!

_**A/N- Greetings. I'm very excited to finally get my long-awaited 3rd arc underway. Enjoy the concluding chapter to The Light Society Arc. I will talk more at the end of the chapter.**_

"We're finally out of the pyramid." Jyan announced, stretching his arms in combination of yawning. They had gotten lost in the pyramid and navigated through corridors and retraced their steps. It was a frustrating process, but worth it in the end.

"Also, Treachor has been vanquished by Slash but, you know what, it's great that he got him before I could get to him because everybody knows I would have-"

"We saw the entire fight on my laptop, no need to tell us the play by play." Marty said, cutting him off

"Congratulations on the victory but your troubles are not over yet." Kai said flatly

"What do you mean?" Ishimaru asked

"There's a group known as The Black Corps. They are more powerful and influential than The Light Society by far. I do not a whole lot of information about them. Mark and Treachor were really discrete when it came to this subject. What I do know and can tell you, is that they are lead by** Blue, The Machine Titan**. He also isn't keen on getting his hands dirty with the things they do, so he has **Four Generals **that take direct orders from Blue and then instruct along with oversee their activities. They are second to Blue as far as power and command goes in The Black Corps. The only other thing I know, is that they don't have a complex structure of Hierarchy other than Non-Generals are known as **Freelancers **and these Freelancers are likely under the command of a General."

"I see." Ishimaru said

"Any clues on their whereabouts in the case we run into them?" Jyan asked

"I honestly do no have a clue but my guess is that they are stationed all over America and perhaps even have a branch in Japan. That's all I know."

Slash stood there, listening to what Kai was telling them. His mind shifted back to what Mark told him a while ago.

_[Flashback...Chapter 29]_

_"The Machine Titan runs the industry. He's the kingpin of a mafia; they're the ones that make the biggest transactions in the Black market. They are experts in extortion and bribery. If you owe them money…you may as well be dead. EVERYTHING is a profit to them. To get to him you have to go through a handful of goons and lords, plus you need a handsome amount of money just to get an audience with him."_

_[End Flashback...]_

_"That bastard told me about all Four Titans in the form of vague riddles. Now that Kai has mentioned The Black Corps, it all makes sense. The goons are the Freelancers and the lords are the Generals. They are ran like a mafia and Blue is the Godfather...I'm sure it won't be long before they find out I'm the one who took down Treachor. I better get somewhere safe and train."_

"Kai, where will you all go now?" Ishimaru asked

"Despite our reasons for doing what we did, there is no way we can ever be forgiven. That being said, we will continue to find a way to bring prematurely hatch the ultimate mamodo. However, it will be through using non-violent methods, if at all possible."

"I second what Kai said and will also be searching for a way with him." Skyde said

"Good luck with your search Kai and we will have our battle when we meet again." Chainz said, clenching his fist

"Sounds good to me, I'll be looking forward to it." Kai, Skyde, their partners and all of the now former Light Society troops went into the jungle, leaving the pyramid.

Ishimaru waved until hey were out of sight, he turned to see Chainz glaring at Slash and Slash looking like he could care less about his younger brother. "Slash, what about you? You should tag along with us." Ishimaru said, to Chainz's dismay

"I'm going back to Japan to train in the mountains like I was before coming here. I have no reason to hang around with you weaklings, you'll only get in the way. I am easily one of the strongest mamodo left on Earth and therefore have no need nor desire to travel and search for opponents. They will sense my demonic aura and seek me out. When they come, I will beat them down with all of my power. I will use the Revelation Power until I master it, eliminating all of them with it."

"I won't yield to you Slash. I don't give a damn how much power you have." Chainz snarled, though with a fair amount of uncertainty in his voice. The seemingly inevitability of Slash becoming king was more and more real by the second. It was a feeling that left Chainz short of breath, and his chest tighten. A wave of fear filled his body but he knew he couldn't show it, the sheer thought of Slash being king nauseated him.

"Slash, let's fight right now. No need to hold it off, I can take you down here and now. There's no way I am allowing you to be king!"

"If you were to fight me right now, you will be annihilated and it wouldn't even be anywhere close to a challenge to me. Try getting at least near my level before even thinking about fighting me. Maybe you would be a lot stronger if you were actually training and defeating your opponents instead of playing hero and making friends with them. Relying on others is nothing but a weakness. One would think Galeno taught you that but seeing as he has given you everything you've ever wanted and spoiled you rotten, I can say it's a fucking miracle you're still even here."

"You...you...you...bastard." Chainz growled, not because Slash refers to their father by his first name but because of the way he verbally beat him down

"Sorry, I didn't hear you."

"I have no idea what Grace could have ever saw in a creep like you." Chainz sneered in an attempt to hurt Slash but The Iron Prince's cold expression did not change. He said nothing and simply turned and disappeared into The Jungle foliage. Before Chainz or anyone for that matter, could say anything else, they were interrupted by the loud chopper noises.

"Everybody, get on!" Marty yelled, lowering the ladder

Within a few hours, they landed in Miami at the beach house loaned to Rachel courtesy of one of her stateside friends. After getting settled in, Aaron and Rachel along with Beat and Angie learn of Slash's victory over Treachor, the Revelation Points and the disbandment of The Light Society.

"To be honest, I would not be surprised if Slash is the strongest non-Titan on Earth right now. His chances of winning it all are indeed quite high." Sly said, looking over the data they collected

Angie felt her blood boil as she thought more and more about Slash's triumph. How could it be that he finally surpassed her. They have been on even terms for as long as she could remember. Her thought process was interrupted when she felt her hand and wrist wet. It took another few seconds for her to realize her hand was wet because of her own blood. She shattered the thick glass in her hand, causing her hand to be sliced into.

"Angie...your hand." Aaron noted

"I don't care what your data says, Slash is only on par with a Titan because of a stupid handout. I on the other hand have worked damn hard for everything I got by using my natural abilities. I have barely any spells because most of my strength comes from skill."

"You may be strong but you are wrong. You can't access such a power without hard work. If that were the case, many mamodo in the last thousands of years could have accessed the Revelation powers if having talent and natural ability were key. According to my analysis, you and Beat have hit your ceilings. CJ on the other hand..."

"I don't have to sit here and listen to this shit." Angie growled before storming out of the beach house

"Angie!" Aaron exclaimed

"Why did you have to go and do that?! Angie is more than capable of winning it all! She doesn't need Revelation power!" Aaron shouted, glaring at Marty. He got up from the table and started to go after his mamodo partner but was stopped by Beat

"She needs her space. Just let her be." he said, shaking his head

Angie meanwhile, was outside sitting on the edge of the beach. It was nearing low tide, so the ebb tides were licking her toes and retreating back into the water then repeating the process. She looked up at the full moon and sighed. The girl couldn't remember the last time she felt this rattled and especially on such a serene night as this. Her thoughts trailed to The Iron Prince. Their rivalry back in the Makai was a cordial one and not too serious. She remembered when she had a little bit of a crush on him stemming from her admiration of his strength and abilities. That of course, subsided for the most part when she became much more serious with her training and returned to the village. after being locked away in the boot camp/asylum they locked up runaways and other wayward children.

Even though, Treachor was almost always isolated from the other kids in solitary confinement or was heavily supervised when he was outside, she could never erase his chilling laugh from her mind. That of course was the past. He was now gone and that was many years ago. She had much bigger and important problems now. She had to be the last person standing, she dreaded the day she would have to turn on CJ and Beat. It wasn't going to be easy nor fun for her to have to take them down but there could only be one king or queen in her and a few other cases.

Angie's thought process was interrupted when a ring of purple flames appeared next to her and Hori materialized.

"Ugh, what do you want?" she asked, aggravated

"I was outside the window and heard everything. Treachor losing to Slash, The Revelation powers, The 7 virtues, _**your**_** outburst**, all of it."

"What of it?" she asked, really annoyed now

"You do realize there are two other titans and six other revelation powers?"

Angie didn't verbally respond to Hori. She simply nodded her head up and down

"Well, if you can access one of those powers and take down a titan, you will not only be on par with Slash again, perhaps you will surpass him AND have a better shot at winning it all."

* * *

><p>The next morning, everybody was up engaging in morning activities. Chainz, Jyan and Wendy were running around on the beach in their swim clothes flinging sand at each other. They saw two figures heading towards the beach house they were staying in. "One of those is a mamodo and a really powerful one." Chainz said, reading the scent<p>

The three hurried back to the beach house and saw Hori along with Meida and they were conversing with Angie. "Angie, who are these people?" Jyan asked

"None of your damn business!" Hori snapped

"Jyan, this is Hori and his human partner Tateshi Meida."

"The Tateshi clan is amongst the most powerful in Japan. Meida is the heiress to the Tateshi Zaibatsu." Ishimaru piped as he, Josh and Sheila emerged from the front door

"That is correct." Meida confirmed

"Hori is an Elite Mamodo. He was one of the five that passed Elite Review for this battle class." Angie informed them

"Really? I thought you and Slash were the only elites?" Chainz asked

"No. Myself, Slash, Hori, Gansu Genso and a beetle mamodo by the name of Gatrion all passed Elite Review. We were known as **The Talented Five**. We all fought in and won various regional tournaments held back home before the battle here started. All five of us are favorites to win the kingship."

"So you're saying that Hori can fight evenly with Slash?" Chainz asked

"For the most part, yes. Though considering the fact that Slash has Revelation Power, I would say at this time, no." Angie answered

"Elite or not, this Hori character is still a punk."  
>Jyan scoffed<p>

"Watch with the insults. I don't need some sidekick calling me names." Hori snarled

Jyan was taken aback by this statement and for the first time, did not have a smart-ass comeback. He scowled and looked away, Josh took notice of this but decided that he would address the issue at a better time.

_[A distant Pacific Island not too far away from Hawaii...]_

Blue, The Machine Titan sat on his throne as his four generals stood before him. The other half of the throne room was dark and they appeared in silhouette.

_**"I noticed Treachor's presence faded away..."**_ he said rather dismissively

"That is correct sir." The Generals confirmed

_**"If I had to guess, it must have been Solin who defeated him."**_

One of the generals, who had dragon-like features moved in front of the other three generals. "Sir, I have received direct reports that it was Slash who defeated him."

_**"Slash...as in Iron Prince Slash of The Cobra Clan?"**_

"Yes sir."

_**"Hmm."**_ Blue said, rubbing his chin

_**"I recall Slash being taken to the woodshed by Solin back in the Sahara. I glanced at him but I had no desire to attack him. I had set myself on eliminating Solin and I knew setting him up into a trap that resembled a mercenary contract setup was the perfect bait.** **However, Slash being nearly destroyed by Solin, coming back and defeating a Titan although Treachor was the weakest and in my eyes, didn't deserve the title. This is really something. **_"

"Sir, do you want us to find Slash and eliminate him before he becomes a problem?" the general asked

_**"That won't be necessary, for now at least. The Light Society was doomed for failure once they drew too much attention to themselves. The Black Corps will stay to themselves and continue our operations underground. We will bribe the media to keep things that way in the event of future operations. "**_

"Okay. Any new task for us sir?"

_**"Just keep working on the project and the human vessel. It was only natural for me to seek out the book owner of a former Titan. I want it at full strength and NOTHING LESS. I want to play with my new toy at its best."**_

"Very well sir." The dragon-like one said as he and the other three took their leave.

_**"It's only a matter of time before my toy is complete and I crush every mamodo left on Earth. Crowning me as the new king. A new Hell on Earth is almost here!" **_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- And that's a wrap! We are now officially finished with The Light Society Arc and are now into The Black Corps Arc! Jyan was stung by the sidekick comment. How much effect can one comment have? Blue is the strongest of the Four Titans, who can stand up to him? Where will Chainz and co go next? Find out the answers to these questions (and many more) by continuing to Read Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	82. Chainz vs Jyan?

_A/N-** Not much to say right now other than it looks like I'm far ahead enough to where I can update twice a week again. Enjoy the chapter.**_

_"I'm not just some sidekick...I'm more than that..."_

Jyan laid on the grassy ridge overlooking the beach. The sun sat atop its throne in the clear blue sky, the ocean was on high tide and the waves rose and crashed on the white sand. It was a view Jyan would have enjoyed if his mind wasn't already preoccupied with what Hori said to him the day before.

_"I have too many standards I set for myself. There is so much for me to achieve...and all I have done since coming to this world was be a sidekick to a mamodo that is my equal in strength, if not weaker than me. That is unacceptable."_

"Jyan! Hey Jyan!"

Jyan sat up to see who the voice belonged to. Wendy and Chainz were running in his direction. "Jyaaaannnn! You hear me calling you!" Wendy said, a little irritated

Jyan did not respond to Wendy nor look in her direction, his focus was on Chainz. Seeing his nonchalant expression made Jyan want to wipe it off of his face.

_"Sidekick." A voice in his head cooed_

_"Sidekick." it cooed again _

_"Sidekick."_

_**"Sidekick."**_

_**"Sidekick."**_

_**"Sidekick."**_

_**"Sidekick."**_

_"Siiiiiiiddddeeekkiiicckkk"_

_**"SIDEKICK!"**_

_**"SIDEKICK!"**_

* * *

><p>"SHUT UP!" Jyan screamed at the top of his lungs, covering his ears. He then noticed Chainz and Wendy giving him a funny look. "Is something a matter?" Wendy asked, not trying to hide her concern for once<p>

"It's...nothing." Jyan said before getting up and walking away

Josh saw Jyan slump into the house and decided that now as a better time than ever, to get to the bottom of this. He motioned to his mamodo partner before leaving the beachouse to take a walk. After a few minutes of casual talk as they walk through the beautiful pearly sand, Josh finally spoke up.

"Jyan, did what Hori say get you down?"

Before Jyan could open his mouth to reply, he pushed his partner out of the way as a stream of lava flew above them before hitting the sand behind them.

"What the hell..."

"I knew there were eavesdroppers nearby!" Their attacker shouted

Their attacker's hair color was similar to his lava, a loud orange styled in a spiky way, reminding Josh of a porcupine or a hedgehog. He towered over Jyan but was still shorter than Josh, so he estimated him at about 5'8 or 176 cm in metric terms. Unlike other mamodo, he did not have a bizarre sense of fashion considering he simply wore a white tank top, baggy blue jeans and white sneakers to compliment the tank hugging his well toned torso.

"Geez Kaji, your aim is terrible." replied a monotone yet calm voice

Kaji's human partner was more flamboyant than him. Namely, his platinum blonde hair for starters, but Josh could only see some of it since the majority of his hair was covered by a blue baseball cap. His overall appearance was not very spectacular with his black jacket being fully zipped up along with jeans despite it being summer time in Miami of all places. Josh of course, realizes he thought too soon when he noticed his silver tennis shoes, adding onto the flamboyance.

"Nobody asked for your two cents Hi-karu." Kaji growled as he sounded out his partner's name

"Look, we'll argue later. First, we need to deal with these spies. Who sent you?" Josh cut his sentence short when he noticed what appeared to be black bracelets or a wrist tattoo that resembled bracelets on Kaji and Hikaru's wrists

"Your bracelets..." Josh trailed off

"It's not a bracelet, it's a brand. We're Freelancers of The Black Corps." Kaji announced proudly

"We've heard of the Black Corps and Freelancers must be the grunts." Jyan said, getting into a fighting stance as Josh propped the book open

"You guys know too much as it is. We have orders to keep our operations discrete so we will have to kill your human partner and burn your book." Kaji said as he and Hikaru got into their battle stance

_"Yougan!"_

_"Chikelga!"_

Kaji shot another blast of lava from his hand as Jyan countered it with a focused aura beam from his mouth. The two spells exploded on impact and Kaji went on the offensive. He jumped out of the smoke and pounced on Jyan, swinging his fists as he connected the punches to his face. Jyan quickly crossed his arms and placed his foot on Kaji's chest, kicking the larger boy off of him.

_"Yougaru!"_

Red energy swirled around Kaji's fist and transformed into lava. With his newly lava-covered hands, Kaji advanced on Jyan again. He slammed his fist towards Jyan but he quickly dodged before the lava made impact. Kaji's fist burned a noticable hole into the ground and Jyan at that point _really _knew he couldn't let Kaji touch him with that stuff.

Kaji did not slow his pace and kept swinging at Jyan. Jyan however, jumped and ducked each blow that came his way.

"_I think I know a way to get out of this..." _Josh thought to himself

_"Chimardo!"_

Jyan opened his mouth as the blue aura orb began swirling and fired it towards Kaji. Kaji, jumped over the orb and in midair smirked. "Missed me."

"Wasn't aiming for you." Josh said smugly

"What?!" Kaji exclaimed, surprised as he was sucked into the vortex.

"Kaji!" Hikaru exclaimed, frantically looking around for his mamodo partner

"What the hell kind of mamodo are you?! I better-"Hikaru didn't finish his sentence as another vortex opened up and spat Kaji out towards Jyan, who wasted no time uppercutting him in his jaw, sending him flying into Hikaru. Kaji hopped back on his feet before cracking his knuckles.

"Time to turn the heat up!" he exclaimed, his sharp-toothed grin plastered on his face

"_Youjin!"_

Kaji stomped his foot into the ground, bent his knees and roared as his body turned a bright red and his eyes became red as well, complementing his glowing body. "Wow, he turned red. Big deal." Jyan said dashing towards Kaji

"No Jyan, wait a minute!" Josh said, calling his partner back

Josh's call fell on deaf ears as Jyan swung his fist back and punched Kaji in the stomach, immediately pulling back his right hand as it seared with pain. "Damn!" Jyan cursed wagging his scorched hand

"My Youjin spell heats my body up to the point where its near the temperature of pure magma. I can set a book on fire with only my fingertip after using this spell."

Kaji placed his hand out and started walking towards Jyan, who had no choice but to back away for now. He saw t Kaji's footsteps through the sand have formed into very crude glass. Causing both Jyan and Josh to be more cautious, Kaji sped up his footsteps as he tried to grab at Jyan. Josh was still thinking of a solution when it hit him.

"_Gaou Kloru-" _

_"Hokekeruga!"_

Multiple chains and hooks emerged from the sand and wrapped around Kaji. Josh turned to see Chainz and Ishimaru along with Sheila and Wendy standing behind him. "The melting point of iron is about 2800 degrees farenheit ( close to 1600 degrees celsius) and therefore resistant to magma which makes your spells useless against us." Ishimaru stated before directing Chainz to toss Kaji into the ocean water, sending up a massive cloud of steam. Kaji jumped out of the water, he looked as though he wanted to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Chainz asked

"You honestly thought that throwing water on me would defeat me. How obvious and trivial, I trained my body for this! But first, I will target your sidekick!"

"_Kazahiro!"_

Kaji began twirling his finger as a ring of lava surrounded Jyan. Before anything could happen, Chainz re-directed the chains and hooks to form a wall between Jyan and the lava ring. The ring quickly dissipated and the attack to everybody, Jyan's fist was clenched and trembling...

"Let's see you stop this! Our ultimate spell!"

"_Kazahebi!"_

A large lava ring formed above Kaji's head as a large lava python emerged and opened its flexible jaws towards Chainz and Jyan. "Chainz, I think we need to counter it Lei Hokaisho." Ishimaru said

"No need to. It could cause the entire area to set on fire." Chainz said as he had a better idea

The Cobra Clan heir sent his chains and hooks for the final time to confront the lava snake. One after one, various iron chains slammed and whipped the snake. Some even dug their hooks into its rocky skin. The chains constricted around the snake until it burst and dissipated before the lava could spread everywhere. Chainz sent the last of hooks at Kaji and Hikaru, whipping them until he dropped the amber spell book, blue flames began sprouting up in random places over the book before it was swallowed in the flames.

As Kaji's book is burning, he faded away, the brands on their wrists disintegrated and the black bits blew away in the dust. Which of course, caught the eye of everybody there. "That brand signifies our membership and entry to The Black Corps. Once we have fallen in battle, we are no longer of any use to our Godfather and therefore are no longer members despite our loyalty. The Black Corps will eventually find out that you defeated me in battle and they **WILL **avenge me when they hunt you down like the cur you are."

"Heh, I will take down anybody who confronts me. I am on a mission to be king and I won't be stopped. **Power is everything.**" Chainz said darkly, he felt him self cringe a little after saying those last three words. The only people he ever heard say that were Slash and Lord Galeno

"And to think I was about to destroy your little _sidekick _over there. My, how the tables turn..." And with that, he was gone and Hikaru fled from the beach and up a nearby street, likely to never be seen again.

"That was amazing Chainz."

"You okay bro?" Chainz asked holding out his hand to help Jyan up

"I had everything under control." Jyan snapped, slapping his hand away and getting up on his own

"What is your problem?" Chainz asked, confused

Jyan stormed into the beachouse, went to sleep with no dinner and without a word to anybody else.

* * *

><p>Just like last night, Jyan woke up without a word to anybody and was sitting on the grassy ridge again. Staring out into the ocean.<p>

"I'm nobody's sidekick..." he grumbled

"I would have brought down Kaji **without any unwanted help** if it wasn't for Chainz swooping in and hogging the glory, but who am I kidding, this isn't the first time Chainz saved the day and I sat there and watched..."

_[Flashback Chapter 9...]_

_Pierre and Crush were breathing hard; using a lot of Gigano spells burned Pierre's heart energy up quickly._

_"Give…it…up. You won't win." panted Crush_

_"We'll see about that! The third spell, Hokeigo!" _

_Chainz jumped back, opened his hand as a spike ball connected to a chain shot out of it. The spike ball missed Pierre by at least 6 feet to the right. He then tried to swing it back to the left, only to have Pierre simply move out of the way. The spike ball crashed into a nearby vending machine, causing it to shatter into pieces._

_"That spell is strong but Chainz can't control it!" _

_The spike ball dissipated as Crush sneered. "I'm going to finish you guys off!" he yelled as he ran towards Chainz and Ishimaru, the slate gray spell book in Pierre's hands glowed a gray light as he yelled, "Spirusen!"_

_Crush tossed the spikes at Chainz as he took the hit head-on. Chainz shook off the spikes as he saw Crush getting closer._

_"Let's give it another try! The third spell…Hokeigo!"_

_The spike ball connected to a chain fired out of Chainz's hand again, this time slamming into Crush's stomach, sending him flying into Pierre, causing his book to be tossed into the air. Chainz then swung the spike ball, slamming it into the book, causing it to set ablaze._

_As Crush faded away, he said, "I can't believe you saw through my sneak attack! I lost my shot for king to a guy I ambushed!" and with that, he faded away, his book leaving a rectangular burn mark on the ground_

_Jyan hopped off of the gate and ran up to the victorious mamodo and his partner._

[Flashback Chapter 26..]

_"Dioga Holyruga!"_

_Augustus's silver helmet glowed as a blinding ray of light fired out towards Chainz. Chainz, however, didn't budge. He stood tall, ready for his opponent's attack. "You can't break me, I have a goal I plan on achieving, and that's being King! Now Ishimaru!"_

_Ishimaru held the brightly glowing green spell book opened as he focused all of his heart energy into the book. "TIME FOR THE FOURTH SPELL! LEI HOKAISHO!"_

_Chainz's body glowed with a white aura as he opened his mouth and a large white laser shot towards the ceiling, it formed into a giant white laser cobra, with long sharp fangs and glowing red eyes. It let out an ear shattering hiss. The cobra opened his mouth and made its way towards Augustus. The light ray he shot out was ineffective against the cobra as it dissipated and the cobra kept going at him. The cobra bit down upon Augustus, engulfing him in the energy._

_"Such power…" were the only words that came out of his mouth as a massive explosion kicked up._

_Augustus's feathers and wings disintegrated and his helmet destroyed, he fell to the ground. As the smoke fully cleared, his partner was unconscious and his spell book was on the ground, blanketed in white flames._

_"Such power…that…was…the Cobra Clan's…t-true power…" he faded away as his book became ashes_

_"Not as strong as me, but nice job." Jyan said crossing his arms_

_"Chainz is better than I gave him credit for." Kai admitted_

_"Good job you two." Haley said, smiling_

_"I did it…I really did it." Chainz said as he fell over._

_"Chainz…Thank you." Ishimaru said, picking up the young mamodo_

_[Flashback Chapter 44...]_

_Ethan's body covered itself with shadows, the shadows looked like black flames and in Chainz's opinion, it was a beautiful sight to see. After the helmet and body armor formed, a small black sphere rose and expanded into a sword. Zander swung the sword around and looked at Chainz with malicious intent. "With one swing of this sword, you wand your book will be destroyed!"_

_"I overcame all of your previous spells and will do the same with this one. I tried to do everything on my own and I let my pride get in the way of that before now. Thanks for humbling me by trapping me with your shadows. If it wasn't for that, you likely would have won."_

_"Spare me the lesson talk and die!" Zander roared as he swung the large sword at Chainz_

_"Ishimaru, let's take him down with one final clash!" Chainz shouted_

_"LEI HOKAISHO!" Ishimaru shouted as the green light from the spell book illuminated the entire parking lot, kinda making it look radioactive._

_Chainz opened his mouth as a massive white laser cobra emerged and shook the ground. Its piercing red eyes glowed, its hood fully opened and wide jaws revealing two powerful fangs pulsating with energy. The laser cobra bit down on the armored Zander and the powerful laser easily eroded away his sword and armor. "So much power..." Zander said in awe as he already began fading_

_"Daaaaaammmmnnn." Ethan said as he turned to run away. Unfortunately, the laser cobra exploded and he fell onto the ground, the book was caught up in the explosion. White flames blanketed the dark gray spell book and Ethan blacked out._

_The smoke cleared and only ashes remained of what was once Zander's spell book. "Ishimaru, thank you for getting me out of his trap."_

_"We're teammates and we're friends. It's what we do."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>"I had a lot of expectations for myself when I came tot his world and it's about time I start meeting them..."<strong>_

That being said, Jyan did not forget about his own victories, especially his one over Carlos which caused him to come face to face with Gaou and tap into his potential but still... everybody was focused on Chainz and his fight with the 2nd in command of the Chess Pieces while even though he stayed behind to give others time, his triumph was casted to the side.

_"I don't need any of them. I haven;t met my expectations because Chainz and the others are holding me back. Yesterday was proof of that."_

Jyan's thoughts were once more interrupted by the happy buzz of Chainz and Wendy approaching him. Wendy was holding a picnic basket, Jyan didn't eat yesterday and was quite hungry but wasn't in an eating mood.

"Jyan!"

Wendy held the basket in Jyan's face but his gaze was fixated on Chainz. That's when everything hit him like a train.

_[Flashback Chapter 81]_

_"Watch with the insults. I don't need some **sidekick** calling me names." Hori snarled_

_[Flashback, earlier in the Chapter]_

_"And to think I was about to destroy your little _sidekick _over there. My, how the tables turn..." _

_"Chainz is amazing..."_

_"Good Job Chainz!"_

_"Chainz you can do it!"_

_"We all believe in you Chainz!"  
><em>

* * *

><p>Then the same voice from a few days ago began creeping into his head again.<p>

_**"Sidekick!"**_

_**"Sidekick!"**_

_**"Sidekick!"**_

_**"Sidekick!"**_

_**"Sidekick!"**_

_**"Sidekick!"**_

_**"Sidekick!"**_

Jyan gave Wendy a deadly glare and smacked the basket out of her hand, spilling some of the sandwiches, causing her to gasp in reaction. "What the hell man? If you weren't going to eat them, just say so. I have room for more."

**"You think everything is a joke you high and mighty bastard." **Jyan snarled, now on his feet grabbing Chainz's shirt. His voice was different from normal...it was demonic and fairly bloodthirsty

Chainz pushed Jyan away a few inches, giving them a little bit of distance. "I'm going to ask you again before you piss me off, what is your problem?"

**"Fight me."**

"What?!"Chainz and Wendy exclaimed in unison

**"I didn't stutter. I said fight me and I mean NOW!"**

"Jyan! Calm down!" Wendy exclaimed, worried things were about to get out of hand

**"For one time in your life, mind your own damn business!" **Jyan snapped at Wendy, not caring about the hurt look on her face

"You know what, I've been wanting to kick your ass for a while now anyway." Chainz said, cracking his knuckles

**"Follow me." **

Chainz and Jyan stood in the white sands of the beach, far away from any people. Wendy considered running back to get Sheila and the others but was also concerned on what could happen if she wasnt there to try to intervene, even for a few moments.

**"You've been getting a pretty big head Chainz. It's up to me to bring you down a few notches."**

"I'm going to make you regret challenging me."Chainz said, who was surprisingly calm and unusually more focused than normal

**"CHAAAAIIIIIINZZZ!"**

"JYYYYAAAANNNNN!"

The two mamodo boys charged at each other as the fight got underway. They were on even terms keeping up with each others punches. Chainz stepped back and jumped in midair and Jyan followed suit. It was in midair where they began trading punches and kicks again, Jyan sidestepped one of Chainz's blows then grabbed hold of his left arm and slammed his fist into his face with his right, sending Chainz crashing into the sand. He refused to let up and began rapidly punching Chainz in the stomach, sending sand clouds everywhere. To finish things off, Jyan grabbed Chainz by the foot and began swinging him around, before flinging him with a large amount of force.

"Chainz!" Wnedy yelled, frightened and concerned that her friends were going to tear each other apart and not knowing what to do about it.

Chainz however, regained and repositioned himself in midair and back flipped through the sand and landed on his feet. He then faded towards his left, causing Jyan to take the bait and jabbed Jyan in his right jaw. Chainz took the initiative and bicycle kicked Jyan's chest, causing him to stumble back but Jyan crossed his arms in front of his chest, blocking the rest of Chainz's kicks.

Chainz pushed his foot off of Jyan's forearm and was airborne once more but Jyan was already standing behind him. Something he did not anticipate. Jyan grabbed him from behind and slammed Chainz into the sand with a perfect **German Suplex. ****(**_**A/N- If you don't know what this is, Google or YouTube it, you can also Youtube Anime German Suplex if you want) **_

"This has gone too far! Stop fighting you two!" Wendy yelled at the boys

Neither Chainz nor Jyan were listening to her. They were well aware of the distinct possibility of fighting to the death. They both enter this battle with the very knowledge that they may be in a situation where they kill an opponent or are presented with the opportunity to kill. If it meant becoming king, then it was obviously worth it.

At this point in time, Ishimaru and Josh noticed the ongoing fight on the beach but decided against stopping it for now at least. "There's no need for us to use spells since we don't need to risk anybody's book getting burned." Josh said matter-of-factly

"Well there's no need to worry about that, you couldn't burn Chainz's book even if you tried." Ishimaru said, beaming with pride

"It's already enough of a handful to have a cocky mamodo, we don't need a cocky bookkeeper too." Josh said, a little annoyed by Ishimaru'sc omment

"Excuse me?" Ishimaru asked

"You heard me." Josh said

Wendy was even more frightened at this point. The two people she hoped could intervene seemed as though they were about to throw down themselves. Things were spiraling out of control. What if one of them destroys the other or worse, they take each other out. Things had to get settled down before a tragedy occurred.

_**A/N- I didn't think my chapter was going to be this long. I decided to split the chapter in half. I shall post the other half of this another day. I'm just finally happy to be fully up to speed again and I'm writing with such a rapid pace. If the crash would have never happened, we would most likely be in the middle of The Black Corps Arc by now but better late than never at all. R&R guys! I love the feedback!**_

* * *

><p>Name: Kaji<p>

Partner: Hikaru

Rank- 40th out of 100

Book Color: Amber

Element: Lava

Book burned by- Chainz and Ishimaru

Spells-

1.) Yougan- Kaji fires a blast of lava from his hands  
>2.) Kazashield- a large blast of lava shoots from the ground like a geyser protecting Kaji and his partner from being attacked<br>3.) Yougaru- Kaji's fists become encased in lava increasing the power of his punches  
>4.) Kazahiro- a large ring of lava surrounds Kaji's opponent<br>5.) Youjin- Kaji's body becomes very hot causing anyone who touches him to get burned  
>6.) Kazahebi- Kaji summons a large snake made of lava to attack his opponent <p>


	83. When one bond breaks, another one forms!

_**A/N- Less talking, more reading!**_

Chainz and Jyan stared each other down. No words were necessary between them for now. They both wanted to end the other with one more clash.

"Chainz, finish him off!"

"You got this Jyan!"

Chainz charged, the wind cloaked itself around his body as he brought his fist forward, if one didn't know better they'd say that the wind around him formed into the shape of a cobra. Jyan followed suit and charged at Chainz, the wind cloaking his body as well, it looked as though the winds shaped itself as a wolf around his body.

Wendy's frown transformed itself into an angry scowl. Before the two could hit each other, a massive wall of sand kicked up in between them followed by a barrage of wind blades, sending them both flying into the ocean waters. They simultaneously emerged and faced their attacker. Wendy stood at the grassy ridge with her hands out and Sheila alongside her with her book opened.

"Both of you are IDIOTS! Why in the hell would you think it would be a good idea to try and take each other out. You two have been the best of friends for a while and you're willing to throw it all away for who-knows-what?!"

"Chainz was never my friend. He was simply someone I allied myself with to give an advantage in the competition. I stayed allied to him much longer than I anticipated but from this point onward, that alliance is null and void." Jyan declared not facing Chainz or anybody else for that matter. He was clearly lying about Chainz never being his friend but at the moment, he didn't care. He didn't want anything to do with Chainz, he had to distance himself before he got the desire to take back what he just said

Chainz was hurt by this, he definitely wouldn't openly admit it but he was. He was glad Jyan had his back turned when he said that so he wouldn't see the look on his face. "Whatever, I was going to kick you out of the group anyway! I don't need you! I can always get another _**sidekick**_!"

"Wait...since when did they get a say in who travels with who?" Ishimaru asked to which Josh simply shrugged his shoulders

Chainz didn't speak another word and simply at down in front of the low tide. Jyan on the other hand, stormed off to the other side fo the beach. Josh followed his mamodo partner while Ishimaru sat on the ridge and watched Chainz. It took a few minutes but Josh finally caught up to Jyan and inadvertently reached the other side of the beach. Before any words between them could be shared, a ring of purple flames appeared before them as Hori materialized.

"Fuck off!" Jyan barked

"Heh. I'm amused to see my sidekick comment struck a nerve deep within you." Hori said, revealing his sharp teeth

"I am nobody's sidekick and I will be king." Jyan stated

"Yeah yeah, you and every other mamodo." Hori said, rolling his eyes

"I don't have time for your crap." Jyan said, not in the mood to deal with Hori's mess

"I'm an Elite Mamodo, a member of The Talented Five. You have no chance in beating me." Hori remarked

"You wanna put that theory to the test?" Jyan dared as Josh opened the book in response to that

"I got better things to do than jack around with you." Hori said before teleporting away

"Jyan, what's been bothering you?" Josh asked

After a few minutes of silence, Jyan answered him. "I expect a lot of myself, so obviously I have standards that I want and need to meet. I thought I was on the right track but over time, I realized that I wasn't meeting these expectations and the ones that Id id meet, only caused me to raise the bar even higher to the point where I'm not even sure I can meet these expectations. It's not like what happened today came out of the blue, this is something that has eaten away at me slowly but surely to the point where I cannot take it anymore."

Jyan took a deep breath and continued.

"I feel that my progress has staggered as of lately. I argued with myself in my head over this almost every night before I go to sleep, asking myself what have I done to make myself better today and a lot of the times, I can't give myself a satisfying answer. I managed to put such ideas away for a while but everything started resurfacing again throughout the Light Society ordeal, watching Slash practically single-handedly bring down an entire organization which would have taken a whole army of us is mind blowing. "

"I get what you're saying but you shouldn't co-"

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to compare myself to Slash. I'm just saying my expectations were basically to get to the point where I would be at the level to where I can rely on my strength and my strength only no matter who the opponent was. There are probably about 40 mamodo left on Earth, we're past the halfway point and I'm not where I want to be and I sure as hell don't think I can be king at this rate."

"Jyan, there's nothing wrong with setting goals and standards for yourself but at the same time, you can't undermine all you have done already nor expect everything to go exactly the way you planned. Things just don't work that way. You _**can** _be king and you _**can**_get to where you want to be. It'll just take some harder training."

"Maybe you're right. Regardless, I have no desire to travel with Chainz or any of them for that matter, I don't need anybody to hold me back."

"Look at this in perspective"

"This discussion is over." Jyan snapped, cutting him off. He knew where Josh was going with this but did not want to swallow his pride and listen to it. He wanted to do things his way.

"Dude, you can't always do things alo-"

"I said the discussion is over!"

"Alright Jyan. but this is something you're going to have to learn on your own." Josh said, getting up

* * *

><p>Josh and Jyan walked back to the beachouse in silence. They eventually reached the door after a few minutes and went in to see everybody sitting around. He then noticed Chainz and Wendy discussing something.<p>

"For the last time Chainz, I'm not going anywhere with you!" she exclaimed

"Oh come on, you know I'm right."

"Before you ask Jyan, I'm not going anywhere with you either." she said, obviously still pissed with them because of earlier

"I wasn't going to ask you to go anywhere with me anyway." Jyan said coldly to which Wendy rolled her eyes

"Josh, Chainz and I will do a bit more sightseeing before we return to Japan." Ishimaru informed him to which Josh nodded

"Good riddance." Jyan managed to mumble under his breath

The following morning, Chainz and Ishimaru set out for Orlando, they waved their goodbyes to everybody and reached the bus station where they purchased their tickets and were on their way.

"Ishimaru, are you sure we should go back to Japan? What about that monster inside the volcano and The Black Corps?"

"Chainz, we can't worry about that for now. What we have to focus on is getting stronger and possibly finding a new team of allies since Wendy refuses to be around you and the fact that you and Jyan aren't on the best of terms now."

"If we're going to find out something about The Black Corps, it wouldn't surprise me if Solaria had answers. So my guess is that we should travel to Arizona after Orlando."

"Not a bad idea." Ishimaru said as the bus zoomed down the highway

* * *

><p>"Where is our next stop?" Jyan asked, sitting down<p>

"I'm not sure yet." Josh replied

"What about returning to your home in St. Louis?"

"The only problem with that, is if what Kaji said was true, then The Black Corps would find us and cause trouble for my family and neighbors."

"Perhaps but at least at your house, you have home field advantage and your own resources plus there's no way we can stay here forever." Jyan said

Josh rubbed his temples before releasing a deep sigh, a sign that he gave into Jyan's suggestion. "Find out when the next flight leaves for St. Louis." he said, defeated

"Josh, Sheila told me to come and tell you that her father got both your van and her car shipped back home and will be in your garage. Also, we will be catching the same flight but ONLY because we need to go home too." Wendy said, crossing her arms and glaring at Jyan

* * *

><p>"Finally here!"<p>

Chainz and Ishimaru stretched and left the Orlando bus station. The few hours came and went faster than either of them anticipated. Revealing his camera, Ishimaru began walking around, sightseeing. Across the street from them a girl the same age as Ishimaru and a boy were going inside a small restaurant.

The girl's golden brown hair would resembled the color of a freshly deep-fried chicken strip from the commercials, her deep blue eyes contrasted with her golden hair. Her black v-neck hugged her lean frame, her jean shorts wear short but not too short to where they would be provocative but short to where they would turn a few heads of young and older men alike. Best of all, she wore blue Vans on her feet, a brand of skateboard shoes that weren't even used for skateboarding most of the time.

"Eve! I thought you were going to take me to Disney World!" The little boy next to her whined

"No Sundance! You know why we're in America." Eve said sternly

The little boy known as Sundance had hazel hair as opposed to Eve's golden brown. His blue eyes were circled in black, looking fairly bizarre with such a pattern. His attire for the most part was fairly plain with a mere white t-shirt, some khaki cargo shorts but his socks were striped in a blue and black color scheme presumably to match his eyes and black sneakers.

"Because we're looking for a dragon-like mamodo from who was last seen in America." Sundance said, rolling his eyes

"That's right and we won't rest until we get payback after what he did." Eve said

Afetr Eve and Sundance find their table and get their drinks taken by the waitress, Eve gets up to go to the bathroom. At that moment, Chainz and Ishimaru strolled in and found their seats at a nearby table. Sundance, who was scribbling with the crayons the waitress had given him, stopped and looked at Chianz, which cause the latter to return the stare.

"That kid is a mamodo." Chainz whispered to Ishimaru

_"That kid is a mamodo..." Sundance thought to himself _

Sundance bolted out of his seat and into the women's restroom, ignoring a few stares. Going past the door, he saw Eve looking into the mirror and instantly grabbed her leg. "Sundance! What the hell has gotten into you?!"

"A mamodo and his human partner have come into the cafe and are sitting next to us." Sundance said, his voice serious

"Alright then." Eve nodded, revealing a pale yellow spell book, resembling the color of beach sand

Leaving the restroom, Eve was informed by a waitress that they were moved to a booth due to a request by her party. "Party? It's only me and him." she said, pointing to Sundance

"Just follow me." she said as they clearly had no choice but to follow

She lead a confused Eve and Sundance to the booth where Chainz and Ishimaru were sitting. They both stared each other before finally speaking.

* * *

><p>"Kamikatsu?"<p>

"Miroashi?"

"Why in the hell are you staring like that."

"I'm trying to figure which of the rumors are true."

"None of them are true you dumbass!" Eve snapped

"Wait, so you two know each other." Sundance asked, astonished

"We know **_of_**each other." Eve corrected him

"Miroashi used to go to East but dropped out at the end of sophomore year. Last I heard she ran off with this guy named Caleb and the rumors started to fly until we heard she got pregnant. She hangs around the soccer games a lot so according to the rumor mill, she's one of the soccer groupies but _**of coruse** _I can confirm that isn't true. Though from my experiences, Miroashi isn't someone I would call pleasant, hell I figured most of the rumors at least weren't true because what billionare or anybody for that matter would want to marry such a battleaxe and who would _**intentionally**_ knock her up of all people?" Ishimaru sounded like a real asshole but felt as though he was speaking the truth

Eve was furious with Ishimaru's remarks but instead of jumping on him, she thought of a better way. "But let us not forget Kamikatsu, the glorious captain of the soccer team aka **"East Tokyo's Golden Boy"** who _thinks_ he's a ladies man when all of the girls talk about how he only acts like the _**big**_ man on campus because he's the_** little** _man in the bedroom." The look on Ishimaru's face gave more satisfaction to Eve than any beating could have ever done.

Chainz and Sundance were confused as to what exactly they were talking about since it all went over their heads.

* * *

><p>"Anyway are you here to cause trouble?" She growled<p>

"Not at all." Ishiamru replied frankly

"Let's cut the crap. Have you seen a mamodo boy with dragon-like features, perhaps dragon armor?"

"No." Ishimaru said but Chainz was silent on the response

"Perhaps Solaria knows." he finally said

"Solaria?" Eve asked

Chainz explained to eve and Sundance who Solari was and her ability to send her suns all over. "Solaria patrol practically the entire Arizona desert and she had some knowledge on quite a few things so maybe she has an answer for this."

"We can't just go on a _**hunch.** _That's almost on the other side of the friggin country!" Eve said, throwing her hands up in the air

"Look, it's all you got. Either you take it or leave it." Ishimaru said flatly

Eve took a deep breath and finally looked at Ishimaru. "Fine."

Chainz and Sundance shook hands and smiled at each other. Ishimaru and Eve...were a different story.

"So it is settled, we will leave for Arizona in the oncoming days." Ishimaru declared.

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- So Chainz and Jyan are going their seperate ways and form two different paths. Eve and Ishimaru have gotten off to a rocky start. Will they mae it to Arizona before one kills the other? Who is this mamodo with dragon-like features and armor? What could he possibly connected to? What will happen next? What will happen when two path eventually collide? Find out the answers tot he question by continuing to read Iron Revolution! R&R! _**


	84. The return of Jaylin and Marisa!

_**A/N- As you guys may have noticed, my writing style has changed slightly. I have started bolding and italicizing more often now to place emphasis on certain things. Also when I do flashbacks now, I'm including the chapter number to help readers get a better understanding on how everything in the story is connected to each other since I am a really big fan of foreshadowing and as a result, it shows up in my writing a lot.**_

_**Also, you may have noticed that I switched the cover art to Jyan and Josh to show that they are going to be the main team for this portion of the Black Corps arc. The main team for The Black Corps Arc will change periodically as we progress through the arc. If a certain somebody *cough* Sufrir *cough* would have followed through on what their job was, I would have art of everybody so I can post them as the cover art when their time comes but that is unfortunately not the case and since I'm no artist, I'm not able to do so. I subtly foreshadowed this in Chapter 79 and had actually started on doing this as early as Chapter 61. (I'll let context clues put the rest together)**_

_**Anywho, enjoy the chapter.**_

"That was actually a painless flight." Josh said as he and Jyan got out of the taxi cab and stretched before paying the fare and bringing their luggage inside his house. He, Jyan, Wendy and Sheila all rode the same flight but Wendy refused to sit next to Jyan and as a result, sat towards the back of the plane before going their separate ways at the airport. Even though he was wary about returning, it did feel good to be at home. Too lazy to put his things away properly, Josh threw his bag down in the living room and trotted up the stairs.

"Why's is my room door opened...I locked it before we left." he said to his dismay as he made his way in

His tranquility did not last long when he noticed somebody was sitting in his favorite chair in front of his computer. "Hello brother." Marisa said, turning around while Jaylin, her mamodo partner sat on her lap

"Marisa! What the hell-" Josh said before he was cut off

"I've been waiting for your return." she said coldly as she had her spell book opened and glowing

_"Damn, I left the spell book in the bag downstairs." Josh thought as he turned and tried to exit his room_

_ "Hikaruga!"_

Before Josh could react, he felt the blast of light hit his back, throwing him from the room and down the stairs. He hit the ground with a thud before sitting up, feeling groggy. He felt something hard his his lap and saw it was Jyan's spell book.

Without saying anything, Jyan jumped over Josh's lap and dashed up the stairs, determined to face their attacker.

_"Hikaruga!"_

_"Chikelga!"_ Josh shouted as the two beams collided before canceling each other out. Marisa and Jaylin now stood at the the top stair, their gaze was cold and deadly.

Wasting no time, Josh geared up for another attack/

"_Chikelga!"_

Jyan fired another aura beam at Jaylin and Marisa, only for them to jump out of the way and allow the blast to go into Josh's room, forming a large hole in the wall.

"SHIT! Mom and Dad are gonna kill me!" Josh shouted, furious and afraid of what his parents would do to him.

* * *

><p>"Jaylin, why are you doing this?" Jyan asked, unconcerned with Josh's dilemma<p>

"It's none of your concern!" She retorted

"It IS my concern!" Jyan exclaimed

"I'm going to end you here and now. Marisa, use Dioga-"

"We can't do _**that**_. You know _**that** _spell would destroy my parents' house and I don't need them questioning me more than they already do. It's already bad enough the little bastard's room has that big hole in it plus we don't need any witnesses."

"We'll be in touch again." Marisa said as she and Jaylin pushed past Jyan and Josh, went into the garage and got into her car before leaving.

Jyan then sat on the stairs.

_[Flashback...3 years before start of the battle for king]_

_"Jyan, we'll be best friends forever."_

_"Forever's not long enough."_

_Jaylin and Jyan both laughed as they watched the fireflies rise up into the nighttime sky."_

_[End Flashback...]_

**_"Jaylin...did me not saying goodbye cause this?"_ **Jyan thought to himself

* * *

><p>"I thought I'd never say this, but they're stronger than I anticipated."<p>

"Bullshit. I would have been able to destroy them if you would have just let me use _**that**_ spell."

"I already told you we couldn't use it back there." Marisa, said getting impatient

"Because of your parents, blah blah blah." Jaylin said, rolling her eyes

"Not only that but mainly because I'm quite interested in this data I purchased for a handsome price."

"What data?"

"Some brat scientist who apparently followed my little bastard of a brother and his stupid friends around and saw Light Titan Treachor's defeat. He has a lot of in-depth profiles about various mamodo and the one of those files I'm sure will pique your interest quite a bit." she said before pressing a few buttons on her car as a small monitor appeared. A bunch of numbers and letters appeared as Marisa typed in a few things before she smiled and pressed another button. A picture of Jyan and Josh appeared along with a bunch of information underneath.

Jaylin read what the profile on Jyan had to say before rolling her eyes. "This research is bogus. There's no way a buffoon like Jyan could have the potential to unlock such a power and even if he did, there's no way he could wield it without destroying himself...not that I'm opposed to that happening."

Marisa did not respond to Jaylin's rambling, she pulled into a parking lot and pressed another button, causing the small monitor to retreat back inside the dashboard and ejected a black disk. Her gaze settled on a bot who looked pretty out of place. He was small, like Jaylin but his body was covered in rusty-looking armor and appeared to be a knight's helmet on his head. Most noticeably, he had rusty wings sticking out of his back.

"That kid is a mamodo and is very powerful. Watch your back." Jaylin warned as Marisa nodded in response

"You're the guy?"

The boy pulled back a piece of rusty armor covering his wrist, revealing a black brand that circled his wrist. Maris then nodded as she handed over the disk in exchange for a large wad of cash.

"Your contribution will not be forgotten and we shall pay your a visit again soon and for future reference, my name is Roto."

* * *

><p>"What was all that about?" Jaylin asked Marisa, who got back into the car<p>

"I sold it to The Black Corps."

"How do you know about them?" Jaylin asked

"Working for the FBI gives you access to pretty much every criminal syndicate known to man and in this case, mamodo. Plus, they conduct a lot of their operations in Arizona, which of course is my jurisdiction.

"But why are you interested in them?"

"The Black Corps despite being an underground syndicate, practically owns The Black Market. Roughly 35% of everything sold on The Black Market is from them and their associates, raking in millions of dollars every day."

"That still doesn't explain why you're associating with them."

"I want a bigger profit and extra resources. The plan is to infiltrate The Black Corps by joining them, siphon resources and gain followers. We go in, arrest the leader and assuming the leader has a mamodo, burn their book and then take control of it ourselves. I can pull some strings to cover it up and make it look like I came in and shut the whole thing down."

"That is...evil **and **brilliant."

* * *

><p>Jyan , not wanting to wast the rest of the day told Josh to take him to the outskirts of town and gt some quick training in. After the session, Jyan was tired but wanting to keep going. He decided to call it a day and went to the playground near Josh's house. It was there, tey saw Wendy and Sheila ont heir way home.<p>

"I'm still not talking to you!" Wendy said, crossing her arms

Ignoring her, Jyan told them about their earlier confrontation with Marisa and Jaylin.

"Who is this Jaylin person and why are you telling me about her?" Wendy asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice

"For somebody who doesn't want to talk to me, you're asking a big question. Regardless, I'm only telling you this because I feel I'm obligated to warn you. Jaylin was my best friend. I used to live in a rural village, my father even got my name from hers which of course made me think we were brother and sister for a while..."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback 5 years before start of battle...]<em>

_"Come on Jyan, you can do it!"_

_Jyan opened his mouth and fired a chikeru blast but the aura instantly dissipated and he passed out. When he came to, Jyan saw Jaylin feeling his forehead, a small smile crept on her face as she noticed him awakening._

_"I still didn't get it, did I?" he asked, frowning_

_"No need to worry, with some hard work and some good grades in school, you could be our village's representative for king." Jaylin said, her smile bright and encouraging_

_Jyan nodded at her response but stopped and rubbed his chin._

_"If there can only be one from our village then what about you?" he asked_

_"As long as one of us gets in, I'll be happy." she said _

* * *

><p>"Wait, so what happened when you got to school?" Wendy asked<p>

"Things were a lot harder than I anticipated."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback continues...]<em>

_"What a loser." one boy teased_

_"He's so weak." another one said as they all laughed at Jyan, who went back to his seat with his head hanging down_

_After class, the teacher called Jyan to her desk, her face serious. "Jyan, if you want to improve your spells, I'm afraid you'll have to go tot he remedial class."_

_"I don't need any remedial classes! I'm..I'm..just a late bloomer!" he argued_

_"Very well then Jyan." The teacher sighed as Jyan ran out of the door_

_Jaylin waited for him outside as he came up to her. "Jyan-"  
><em>

_"Save it. I don't want to hear it."_

_"Fine."_

_The next day, Jyan came into the class and took his seat as normal. The teacher began her lecture shortly after. "Class, today we will hear King Zatch's State of the Makai address on TV and you will all write a one page essay on what you liked about his speech."_

_"Teacher!"_

_"Yes Jyan?"_

_"I'm done wish my essay." Jyan said, holding up a blank sheet of paper_

_"Jyan, you're supposed to write down what you like about the king's speech and he hasn't even spoke yet."_

_"I know." he said before the class erupted into laughter_

_"Jyan, that's...very...inappropriate." the teacher said, trying to hold in her laughter_

_For the next two years, Jyan's antics earned him the name The Jackass of all trades._

_[Flashback interrupted...]_

* * *

><p>"That's nice and all but what exactly happened between you and Jaylin?" Sheila asked, wanting him to get to the point<p>

"I'm not entirely sure to be honest, all I know is that it all went downhill when we found out that my family was moving to the capital..."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback continues...]<em>

_"I have great news! I have been personally appointed by King Zatch himself to serve in The Royal Court and we will have to move to the capital."_

_Jyan was fairly upset at the news, especially when it came to leaving Jaylin but was intrigued by city life._

_Jyan then called Jaylin over and broke the news to her and to his surprise she took it in stride. "Well that means I can get the village's spot in the upcoming battle." she said proudly, though she had her back turned so Jyan couldn't see her eyes watering_

_"You're still going on about that? You know my spells aren't that good."_

_"Jyan...please work hard at your new school. Stop being the class clown, not everything is a joke." she said, her voice serious again_

_"We'll see. In the meantime, we'll live it up these last few days and do everything we ever wanted to do."_

_Over the next few days, Jyan and Jaylin practically lived every kid's dream. They ran down the hallway at school, they had all-day recess, ate nothing but sweets, he even used all of his allowance to buy toys at the general store. Before they knew it, it was the day before Jyan had to leave and they were going on one final adventure._

_"So what is the final adventure, you've been going on about?" Jaylin asked as they traversed the forest_

_"Remember the cave everybody is too afraid to go into because the grown-ups told us some scary story about evil spirits?"_

_"Jyan! We're not supposed to go in there!"_

_"Grown-ups tells kids that stuff just so they'll behave."_

_"I'm not going!"  
><em>

_"Yes you are."_

_"No I'm not."_

_"Yes you are."_

_"No I'm not."_

_"Chicken."_

_"I'm not a chicken but this isn't a good idea."_

_In response, Jyan began flapping his arms and clucked, infuriating Jaylin but making her give in._

_"Fine." she sighed, defeated as they continued on their way_

_After about an hour of trekking in a straight path, Jyan suddenly piped up. "I know a shortcut."_

_"Let's just stick to the path." she said_

_"It'll be really quick. I know this forest like the back of my hand...what the hell is that?" Jyan remarked, looking at his hand before continuing on_

_Jyan darted ahead and after a few minutes of silence, turned around to notice Jaylin was no longer behind him. "Damn it, we're seperated." Jyan cursed, turning around_

_"JAYLIN!" he called but no answer_

_"JAYLIN!"_

_Jyan turned around and went back the way he thought he came but all he saw were trees, trees and more trees. Nightfall soon blanketed the forests as the sounds of owls hooting filled his ears. He noticed the cave, their original destination up ahead. "Looks like the adventure is back on." Jyan said, going into the cave. He knew it was too dark to find his way back and figured it would best to wait until the morning._

_The cave was warm yet the air was strangely moist. He couldn't see anything around him yet kept going deeper. Two large ghastly eyes stared at him, as if it was looking into his soul and before Jyan knew what happened, he blacked out._

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>"What happened after that?" Wendy asked<p>

"I'm not sure. The next thing I know, I woke up in a hospital bed in the capital. The nurses told me I was in a coma for two weeks and we were obviously settled into our new home by then. I was upset I didn't get my chance to say goodbye but then I remembered the promise I made to her and decided to take school more seriously while _**still** _being The Jackass of all trades. Due to my father's position, he arranged for me to be sent to a private academy where I got some extra help in the remedial classes but then quickly jumped into the advanced class and before I knew it, I was chosen for the battle."

"Anyway...I'm sure the reason Jaylin has a vendetta against me is because I didn't say goodbye and never came back to the village."

"Jyan, from what you told me, Jaylin sounds like she was a good friend and had to have known what happened to you."

"Perhaps but why else would she try to hunt me down?"

"I don't know, the battle for king changes people."

"You may be right."

"It's getting late, we better head home." Sheila said, as she waved goodbye to them

Jyan and Josh also part ways as they head home as well.

As Jyan was walking, he felt himself caught up in thought.

"_I will get to the bottom of this..."_

* * *

><p>Little did they know, Jaylin was sitting in a nearby tree. She masked off her presence to them and listened to all of Jyan's flashback to Wendy.<p>

"So you told the little cheerleader about me Jyan...too bad you only know half the story." she said as her eyes glowed a bright red

_**A/N- And that's a wrap! I released the chapter a day early because I need to spend tomorrow and most of the early part of the week preparing for finals and other assignments. I won't update again until sometime in the middle of the week. Much much more to come! Stay tuned! R&R!**_


	85. Chainz and Sundance vs Solaria Part 1

_**A/N- Finals are pretty much done and over so I can commit even more time than I already do to Iron Revolution!**_

"That is the FOURTEENTH bump we went over! We are taking a plane next time!" Eve snapped

"As I recall, YOU were the one who was too cheap to buy a plane ticket." Ishimaru shot back as he sped the pickup truck down the highway.

Ever since they started their road trip from Florida to Arizona, Eve has not been very pleasant to Ishimaru. If she wasn't being unreceptive to most of his conversation starters, she was complaining. That being said, Ishimaru was no saint himself. He took to his amusement of mocking anything Eve said or any time she turned on the radio to a song she wanted to here, he would insult her taste in music.

"Well, YOU should have talked ME out of it. **_Kogansho_**." Eve said with ridicule

"Kogansho?" Chainz said

"It basically means Golden Boy. _Kogane no_ means golden and _shonen_ basically means boy...in other words, Moashi here is just being a smartass. That being said, if my new name is Kogansho then hers is _**Kijo**_." Ishimaru snickered

"You bast-" Eve growled as she lunged towards Ishimaru but the sudden stop of the pickup truck caused her to fly back and slam into her window. Rubbing the side of her head, Eve looked up and noticed they were in a motel parking lot. Aside from the somewhat rundown condition and the shady vibe it gave off, the place was strangely placid.

"This place looks like shit."

"Well, you don't have a pot to piss in right now." Ishimaru said hotly, how much more of this girl could he take?

"Give me the keys and I'll find a better place." Eve said holding her hand out

"One room please." Eve and Ishimaru stopped their bickering when they noticed Chainz and Sundance at the counter. The desk manager gave them the key as they went back to their partners.

"Ready to go?" Chainz said, dangling the keys in front of them

Heading to their room was surprisingly quiet as both Eve and Ishimaru refused to say a word to each other. "Wait, how did you guys pay for the room?" Eve asked, breaking the silence and unlocking the door

"With your credit card." Sundance said before plopping on one of two beds

"WHAT?!"

* * *

><p>A few hours have passed and everybody was settled in for the evening. Pizza boxes littered the floor as Chainz and Sundance laid in front of the television with full bellies while Praying Mantis Joe blasted on the screen.<p>

"The English Dub sucks." Chainz complained

"I don't see anything wrong with it. I mean I know it's a rerun and all but its still the same thing." Sundance countered

"Yeah, with all the good stuff cut out." Chainz retorted

Ishimaru and Eve, ignoring their mamodo partners were discussing their next course of action. "So, we're almost in Arizona. When he get there, where do we go?"

"Solaria and her human partner Calvin seem to live in this warehouse near the Grand Canyon.

"And if that leads to nowhere?"

"Things are going to work out."

"They better for your sake."

The following morning, they checked out of the motel and continued their trek as they crossed into Arizona made a beeline through the desert. Chainz stayed on the lookout for any of Solaria's suns but surprisingly there weren't any. Sighing, Chainz drifted off to sleep only to be awakened many hours later by Sundance. Opening his eyes, Chainz noticed they were at the warehouse. Getting out of the truck, he followed the others tot he door as Ishimaru pushed it open, only to see that it was just as cold, dusty and empty as before. It wasn't long before they scaled almost the entire place to no avail. Things quickly changed when a loud click echoed throughout the place as if a door had been locked.

To their surprise, they saw Solaria and Calvin standing before them, the red-orange book in Calvin's hand was opened and glowing.

"Why have you returned Chainz?" Solaria boomed

"We have some questions for you?" Chainz said, motioning to Sundance and Eve

"What do you want?"

"We're looking for a mamodo with dragon-like features. Have you seen him?" Eve asked, speaking up

"I have no reason to disclose such information with the likes of you." Solaria answered coldly

"And why is that?" Chainz asked, crossing his arms

"Clueless..." Solaria said before rolling down her sleeve and revealing the black band tattooed on her right wrist

"That's the Black Corps brand! The one Eve and Sundance are looking for must be in The Black Corps!" Ishimaru exclaimed as everything came together

"You're pretty smart...for a human." Solaria said, the look in her bloodthirsty

"I knew something wasn't right with you the first time we came here and I had a feeling you would know something about this, which is what lead me back here!" Chainz said motioning to Ishimaru as he pulled out the green spell book

"Solaria, you need to tell us what you know!" Sundance pleaded with the girl

"Sundance...I know Solaria all too well. When people like her get too stubborn, the best thing to do instead of talking is to beat it out of her."

"As part of the Black Corps oath, when we show our brand to a foe, we must kill them since the secret of The Black Corps is our top priority!"

* * *

><p>Solaria's eyes glowed a deep orange as she raised her hands in the air.<p>

"_Solarkeruga!"_

At least two dozen small mechanical suns surrounded Chainz and Sundance. Chainz grimaced as the shutters opened and the ruby cores of the suns lit up.

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!" Chainz shouted as the suns began firing a barrage of red lasers all over the room. When the barrage stopped, they returned to their feet as the suns repositioned themselves.

"Solaria can manipulate those suns at will, they don't need a spell to shoot their lasers so be careful. That being said, if Solaria isn't focused, her lasers aren't accurate."

"So the key is to attack head-on! Just my style!" Eve said with excitement

"_Hokaisho!"_

_"Upra!"_

Chainz and Sundance both opened their mouths as a focused white laser beam and a stream of red paint were released from their mouths simultaneously. Solaria moved a few of her suns in front to counter the blast. The laser blew up the suns in front while the red paint covered another sun and burned it as it faded away.

"The paint Sundance uses in his Upra spell isn't regular paint, it eats away the opponents' skin like acid." Eve said with a bit of a smile

"Regardless of what it does, it's useless if you can't get past my suns." Solaria said as her suns circled around them, forming a ring.

"I'm not going to play tip for tap with you. Calvin, you already know what I'm going for!"

"_Dioga Solardon!"_

Every ruby core on Solaria's remaining suns glowed as they all shot a laser that met in the center of the rind, energy built up as there was nowhere for Sundance and Chainz to run. After another few seconds of building up, a giant laser arrow shot downwards, crashing into Chainz and Sundance, sending Eve and Ishimaru flying as well along with a blanket of smoke and debris.

Both humans hit the cold ground with a painful thud. Sitting up, neither of them could see the aftermath of what went on but knew it had to have been devastating. Thankfully, their books were still intact due to some last second shuffling but better late than never at all. The smoke finally cleared and both Sundance and Chainz were floored and understandably so after taking a dioga spell at point blank range.

"Just one spell from me and you're down for the count already? You disappoint me Chainz and your friend there is just as bad." Solaria said, shaking her head

To her surprise, Sundance and Chainz got to their feet. Their clothes were ripped and they had burns on their body but Solaria's suns were gone now and she was left wide open.

"Yeah, you got us good with that one but don't underestimate us in the least." Sundance said as he and Chainz nodded at each other and charged at Solaria from opposite sides. Sundance leaped through the air and swung his foot down as Solaria blocked him with both hands but Chainz swept from below and knocked her off of her feet. Sundance took the opportunity to sit on her shoulder and punched her face repeatedly but she pushed him off of her as Chainz quickly grabbed her by the leg and tossed her across the room. Solaria regained her balance in midair and back flipped, landing on her feet.

"Enough of these silly games. Calvin!"

_"Solarkeruga!"_

Many suns reappeared before her. Solaria then smiled as she began make hand signs which Eve vaguely recognized as Spanish sign language.

"**_A, Be, Ce, De ,E ,Efe, Ge, Hache, I!"_**she yelled as she made the letters in sign language. As she said that, a small handful of suns separated themselves from the group behind her and floated in front of her.

**"Execute!" **Calvin yelled as the suns floated around Chainz and Sundance and opened fired, striking both of them down with lasers before fading away.

"Chainz!"

"Sundance!"

"Each of my suns have a name. Their names are what are known to humans as the Spanish alphabet. When I name a certain amount of suns, Calvin shouts the command and they do whatever said command is. As you saw with execute, it simply tells the suns to surround the enemy and open fire."

_**"Jota, Ka, Ele, Elle, Eme, Ene, _E**ñ**e_, O!"**_

**"Unite!" **Calvin shouted as the suns surrounded Ishimaru and Eve. There was now ay for either of them to run or dodge as the suns connected their laser with each other, forming a circle. The suns suddenly constricted themselves around Eve and Ishimaru's abdomens. "Ahhhhh!" they shouted in unison as the life began getting squeezed out of them.

"Let go of them!" Sundance shouted

"Make me." Solaria shot back

"Gladly." Sundance said cracking his knuckles before charging at Solaria

"_**Pe, qu, ere!"**_Solaria shouted as she made the hand signal

**"Block!"**

The three suns got in front of Sundance and knocked him back. He swung his fist in an attempt to break the suns but to no avail. He heard Eve's scream fill his ears as he turned to see her and Ishimaru suffering as the constriction on them became even tighter.

"I behoove you to find a way to break the spell or your precious human partners will either suffocate or die from internal bleeding when their ribcages are crushed and the bones puncture the organs."

Chainz and Sundance looked on as their partners were getting more and more crushed every second and the fact that Solaria's remaining suns put up an incredibly strong defense system. This bad situation just got a whole lot worse.

_**A/N- That's a wrap. Shorter chapter than what I've been posting for the last few weeks but it's all good. Solaria has been revealed to be a Black Corps Freelancer and the dragonlike mamodo they are looking for is also a Black Corps member (or perhaps even higher than just a regular member! ;) )!How will Chainz and Sundance get out of this seemingly impossible situation? What exactly does Solaria know? Find out in the next chapter of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution**_


	86. Chainz and Sundance vs Solaria part 2

_**A/N- It's Sunday, so we all know that means a new chapter!**_

Chainz and Sundance were at a standstill with Solaria at this point. Their partners were constricted by Solaria's suns and therefore were unable to cast any spells, they couldn't get lose to Solaria without her moving her suns in the way. "There has to be a way around this. I have trained many times with Solaria in the past and she always has been able to create a strong defense except when she-"

"Except when she what?" Sundance asked, not wanting to be left hanging

"I know how to get past her defenses...at least I think so." Chainz said

"I'm all ears."

Before Chainz could speak however, another sun fired a laser at them, causing the boys to jump out of the way in opposite directions. Standing up, they noticed the sun slowly close its shutter and float away. Chainz looked at Sundance and smirked to which the other returned the gesture, they sprinted on opposite sides of the room as the suns opened fire on both of them. Just as they estimated, the suns' reaction time was off, making the lasers highly inaccurate.

Chainz and Sundance continued dodging the lasers as they saw a gap in Solaria's sun formation and took advantage of it. Both of them weaved their way through the lasers and suns attempting to block their path but to no avail. Solaria was struck from both sides by Chainz and Sundance, sending her sliding towards Calvin but regaining her footing. Many of the suns faded away, along with the ones that were squeezing Ishimaru and Eve, much to their relief.

"I see you remember my weakness Chainz. Even though my suns are basically a part of my body, I can't use them effectively if I'm not focused or have too many things going on at once, requiring me to split my power. That being said, even though you freed your human partners, it came at a price."

"What do you mean?"

"I can focus my energy on one target again." she said as her remaining suns circled above her.

"_Excelles Solarker!"_

Solaria's next set of suns formed into a diamond shape and simultaneously released a laser, forming a beam.

"_Hokkado!"_

_"Lebashi!"_

Chainz and Sundance put their hands in front of them as a giant gear and a large shield made of dripping purple paint appeared before them in an attempt to deflect the large spell coming their way. Both shields held up considerably well before succumbing to the powerful attack and landed a direct hit. Fortunately for them, the shields absorbed most of the potential damage.

"This fight is futile." Solaria said, her voice icy

"Chainz...we haven't done much damage to her since this fight has started yet she has landed multiple big hits on us. We can'tkeep this upp for too muh longer."

"I know...looks like we need to get up lose and personal." Chainz said with a small smile

"Hmm?"

* * *

><p>"The way you two have taken attack after attack is impressive and must be damaging to your bodies but don't worry, it will all be over soon." Solaria said motioning her hands as her suns' ruby cores glowed a bright red."<p>

The suns surrounded Chainz, Sundance, Eve and Ishimaru again, their cores still glowing. They nodded at their bookkeepers and took off sprinting through the suns. Chainz and Sundance weaved through the suns and jumped over low-shooting beams, reminiscent to earlier when they figured out how to get to her and force her to cancel out her spell that was crushing their bookkeepers.

"I'm not making that mistake again!" Solaria said through closed eyes as she motioned her hands in numerous directions. Multiple suns blasted their lasers at Chainz and Sundance, causing a small explosion.

Chainz and Sundance emerged from the smoke, their shirts completely gone and cuts along with small burns decorated their bodies. Their faces frozen with determination. Sundance rode on Chainz's back as he began sprinting towards Solaria once more,.

"This can't be!" She said frantically as she motioned her suns to form a wall between her and them. "Your long and medium range defenses are amazing but your short range defense is non-existent. You are a strong attacker and defender but your body is frail!" Chainz shouted as he pushed Sundance over his shoulders and into the air over the crude wall her suns formed.

Sundance locked his eyes on Solaria and swung his arm back. "Defend this!" he shouted

_"Lomas Bleeze!"_

Sundance's arm transformed into a rainbow boomerang as he felt the power surging in him, Sundance continued floating through midair as he settled his weight. "With this attack, I strike down my foe with precision, speed and power!" he slung it directly at Solaria. She tried to move her suns in the way but the attack was too strong and too swift as it hit Solaria in her chest and face, curved back around and struck her in the head, causing her to crash into the ground and all of her suns to disappear.

Sundance gracefully landed on his feet as he and Chainz gave each other a nod of approval. Solaria sat up, her mouth was sore and felt a strange draft flowing between her lips. "I taste something metallic and salty...what is this?" she asked herself. Solaria grazed her hand across her mouth and looked to see her delicate fingers soaked in blood.

"Blood...my own blood..." she said softly as he hands began to tremble

"I'M BLEEDING!" she shrieked, echoing throughout the entire warehouse. Solaria had never bothered to train her body much since her suns did all of the defending for her.

Everybody except for Chainz were shocked at the scene taking place before them. The seemingly stoic and powerful Solaria was now a screaming mess because of a heavy physical blow dealt to her frail body. Solaria emerged to her feet and looked at Chainz and Sundance, her large eyes were bloodshot.

Calvin felt his phone ringed and snatched out of his pocket.

"Hello."

"..."

"Yes sir."

"Solaria, we have to cut our battle short. We have an urgent assignment."

Solaria stared at her partner blankly.

"You know we can't keep **_him_** waiting." he said as he turned to leave the warehouse

Solaria began to follow him but stopped and turned to Chainz and Sundance.

"Chainz...**only **because of our past friendship, I'll let you two go...I'll even overlook the entire bloody moth ordeal but I will warn you, do not dig any deeper than you already have. The Black Corps is NOTHING The Light Society...you will be destroyed if you persist." And with that, Solaria turned and left

"Not until you answ-" Chainz was cut off when he saw Solaria cover Calvin's body with orange light as they floated through the air and into the canyon.

* * *

><p>"What's your next big idea Einstein?" Eve asked<p>

"For one in your life, could you not be a **_kijo._**"

"Whatever. Somebody has to tell you when you come up with stupid ideas that lead to trouble."

"Lead to trouble? YOU are the one looking for this guy and I was simply trying to be helpful by giving you a direction to look but if you want to an ungrateful whor-"

"We need to get out of here and find Kira and the others. They have been living not too far away from Solaria for a while now, they may know something." Chainz said, cutting off the argument between the two humans.

* * *

><p><em>[ St Louis, Missouri...]<em>

"So we have a new member...this should be fairly amusing." said calm, cold voice

The owner of the voice sat in the grass as he looked over the newcomer. His short silver hair gleamed in the sunlight and his pale skinned matched it nicely. His red eye gave off a sinister vibe. At 5'5, he was easily taller than anybody else on the playground his white long sleeved dress shirt had it's sleeves rolled up to his elbows, his black dress pants and black dress shoes along with his height made him look fairly out of place. Most notably on his right wrist was a pearl bracelet that looked different from the pearl found on Earth's beaches and on his left wrist was a black band...the Black Corps brand.

"Yes Orion. Jaylin here is our new member and even though she is a trainee and you're a freelancer, you will treat her with respect" Roto spat

"Pfft. She doesn't even have her brand yet." Orion said with a hint of arrogance

"As long as you're under my command, there will be none of that." Roto barked

"Just because you're one of **The Four Generals of the Black Corps**, does not mean you can push me around.:

"Actually it does." Roto said, smirk

Clearing his throat, Roto turned his attention back to Jaylin. "Okay sine you're new here, I will explain how the hierarchy works in The Black Corps. Blue, The Machine Titan is the leader. Under him are Four Generals, one of which is myself, each General has a group of Freelancers they command. These groups are called **squads**. Each squad has anywhere from two to five members, in the case of my squad, there is you, Orion and a mamodo named Harrison, who is busy on another assignment right now but you will meet him later."

"Assignments?"

"An assignment is issued to you from me. These are usually tasks directly from Blue himself, when Blue gives us objectives on what needs to be done, he leaves it to us to execute them however we see fit."

"I understand. Do you have any tasks for us now?" Jaylin asked

"After delivering the data that was purchased from your human partner and now that it has been processed into our labs' database, Blue has given us the assignment of hunting down any mamodo that may be connected to the Revelation Powers."

"How does that benefit us?" Orion asked

"It seems that Blue wants to siphon this power out of the mamodo and add it to his own. So, either we capture the mamodo alive and take him or her back to one of our labs or see if it is possible to absorb their power and then take it back to Blue.

_**"**This is a perfect opportunity." _Jaylin said to herself before speaking up _  
><em>

"I think I know where to start looking."

"What the hell are you getting at?" Roto demanded

"Well you see, there is this mamodo named Jyan..."

* * *

><p>"We're finally here." Ishimaru said as he parked the pickup truck in the parking lot<p>

It took about half an hour but they reached the small town near the warehouse, the one they tried to defend from The Light Society a while ago. After getting out of the truck, they slipped into the cathedral where they saw Kira, Azure and Sola sitting in the tabernacle.

"Chainz, Ishimaru, what are you guys doing here?" Kira asked, running up to his friends

"Long time no see Kira. Everybody, this Eve Moashi and her mamodo partner Sundance." Ishimaru announced

"Pleased to meet you." Eve said, bowing

"Not bad Kamikatsu." Arashi said poking his head out from upstairs. It took Ishimaru a couple of moments to realize he was talking about Eve.

"Oh come on, I have better taste than THAT?" Ishimaru retorted

"Whatever...**_koinkeisho_**_." _Eve muttered as Ishimaru's face turned crimson

"I can't stand you...anyway, we're not here for a casual visit."

"Oh, then what are you here for?" Arashi asked

Chainz cleared his throat and made eye contact with Azure, about to speak. It was then, that everything went in slow motion for a few moments as both boys locked eyes.

_"The other side of the same coin...it's as if the strings of destiny have intertwined our paths..."_Chainz said to himself before snapping back into reality

"Azure, have you are anybody else here seen anything suspicious relating to Solaria?"

"No...not in particular other than her suns stopped floating around everywhere."

"When did you first stop seeing the suns?"

"About two weeks ago. I wanted to go see her at the warehouse and see if she was okay...but I was too scared to go."

"I see. Did Solaria ever mention anything about a dragon-like mamodo."

Azure froze as Chainz said dragon-like.

_[Flashback...Chapter 52]_

_**"See these small mechanized suns? Well, I can control them like they're my arms and legs, my spell power is based around using these. I have my suns patrol the desert at night and gather intel on other mamodo among other things and I can see what my suns see whenever I focus and meditate**, hence why I was underground and why my eyes were glowing when I arose. It takes a lot of concentration and energy in order to do so. **Well, one evening a few weeks ago, my suns were patrolling , I came across two mamodo having a conversation about the Titans. One of them was a boy wearing dragon armor and the other mamodo was a boy with mechanized features. They both gave off a really nauseating demonic presence and if I'm not mistaken, they referred to themselves as Ryu and Blue. The one named Blue had to be the Machine Titan."**_

_"Wh-What were they doing here? Are they still around?" Azure asked, now starting to get scared_

**_"I have no idea what exactly they were doing here but they were in the Grand Canyon apparently looking for something. I have not sensed them since, but I do have a very strong feeling that they are bad news."_**

_[End Flashback]  
><em>

Azure then realized that the one they must be looking for is Ryu. He was hesitant of telling Chainz this, fearful of what he may do to her. Noticing this, Chainz's face shifted from a blank look to a bit of an angry look.

"What do you know?"

"Before I tell you, what is your intention?"

"I don't have much of an intention, that is for Eve and Sundance to answer." Chainz said, shifting the question to them

"Azure it it? We have no quarrel with Solaria but we do have one with the dragon-like one."

"Why is it you have a grudge against the dragon-like one?" he asked, rubbing his chin as if he were thinking of something like a philosopher

"It's none of your concern! Tell us what you know!" Eve snapped

"Watch your manners!" Sola roared, coming over to Azure's side

"It's okay Sola."

Azure told the others what he remembered but still had something else on his mind. _"Solaria suddenly decided to let us go and whisked us away to the next town, where she knew there was a cathedral we could stay at...I wonder if she knew The Black Corps were coming and she did it to protect us?"_

"Looks like we have to take on The Black Corps in order to get to Ryu." Chainz said, cracking his knuckles

"What is our next course of action?" Sundance asked

"We sit at the house and wait for her return."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- There you have it. The dragon-like mamodo Eve and Sundance have been searching for is Ryu. Who is he and how important is he to The Black Corps? Will Ishimaru's plan work this time? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	87. Gaou's Warning!

_**A/N- As you all know we have gotten just past the halfway mark in the story. All throughout The Black Corps Arc, there will be multiple character arcs in order to wrap up character development or in some cases, enhance it. For example, Slash (who is sadly the most developed character in the story lol) had his character arc officially started right before the climax of The Light Society arc and ended after he defeated Treachor. So if your character hasn't had much action as of now, don't fret. Everybody will have their moment (or moments in some cases) in the sun. So stay tuned and please continue reading and supporting Iron Revolution. Without further ado, enjoy the chapter!**_

The sky was clear and blue, birds were singing and the sleepy suburb was quiet and mellow. The outskirts of the entire city however, was a different story. Grunts and yells sliced through the air as the sound of punch after punch, kick after kick battered the bark of the trees. Their attacker was none other than Jyan and his human partner Josh Luther. They have been training from sunrise to sunset ever since their last encounter with Josh's sister Marisa and her mamodo Jaylin. Not wanting to be caught off guard again, all Jyan did was eat, train, sleep, rinse and repeat. There was absolutely nothing else on his mind except for getting stronger.

"I can't deny our power increasing but it's different from normal." Josh noted. He was never very complimentary of anybody, especially not of Jyan but even he had to admit that Jyan was at the top of his game. He may be a joker most of the time but when he got down to it, not many mamodo were as tough as him.

Jyan focused himself as he conducted a roundhouse kick, snapping a nearby tree in half before it slammed into the ground with a massive thud. Wood chips floated above them as Jyan wiped his sweaty brow. Satisfied with his day's work, Jyan knew it was time to retire until the morning. Returning to Josh's house, Jyan solemnly ate his dinner and washed up before hitting the bed early into the night. He shut his heavy eyelids and drifted off...

Jyan soon found himself floating in a pitch black room of nothingness,it was a weird dimension of sorts. "Where...am I?"

**"You're in your subconscious." **a heavy spiritual voice said

"G-Gaou?"

**"Yes, it is me." **The aura wolf spirit appeared and towered over Jyan being anywhere from 80 to 130 feet tall. His blue body flamed brightly and proudly yet Jyan noticed his hind leg was a ghastly black aura

"What do you want? Why am I here?"

**"The seals that once contained me have weakened significantly by a sinister force...plus my body is slowly being eaten away by darkness."**

"That would explain your hind leg...but why is the darkness affecting you?"**  
><strong>

**"Your answers lie in the mirror."**

"I don't need a metaphor right now! Just tell me what exactly is going on!?"

**"You will never learn anything about yourself if I simply gave you all the answers. You need to figure it out before it is too late."**

Before Jyan could demand anymore answers from Gaou, he found himself awake and drenched in a cold sweat. He shot up and hobbled into a nearby bathroom and ran hot drips of water on his face. He felt a surge of uneasiness throughout his body and looked in the mirror...

Only to see that his reflection was normal. "Stupid Gaou..." he muttered before going back to sleep.

Unbeknownst to him and Josh, Jyan's spell book sat on Josh's nightstand, a black aura emitting from it.

* * *

><p><em>"Chikeru!"<em>

Jyan fired another aura blast and destroyed his target completely. He continued this in rapid succession, hitting every last target he and Josh set up. They had been training all morning and all afternoon like the days before and it was nearing sunset. Another day of grueling training was in the books.

"Nice work." Josh said

"Not good enough..."

"What?"

"I said it was not good enough. I need a better target...perhaps a moving one."

"Dude, chill out and let's call it a day. You've done enough."

"I'LL TELL YOU WHEN I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Jyan roared

"Jyan...your eyes." Josh said, removing a pocket mirror from his bag. Jyan was a bit shocked to see his eyes a rich amber color with bright blue sits for pupils/irises. He felt his eyes shift back to normal and dashed out of the park and back to Josh's house. Without thinking, he dashed into Josh's room and plopped himself down on the bed, thinking about what Gaou told him.

"What exactly is going on...maybe I should try and contact Gaou this time." Jyan curled up in Josh's bed and eventually fell asleep.

He soon enough found him in the same dream-like state as before but Gaou was nowhere to be found. He floated around in the darkness for what seemed like ages until he was snapped awake by Josh for dinner. Jyan ate quietly, contemplating whether or not to tell Josh about his encounter with Gaou.

"Something the matter Jyan? You're not as annoying as usual." Josh asked

"_I won't tell him...this is something only I can handle."_

"Oh, it's nothing at all...I'm going to turn in early again, I need to get some rest for tomorrow's training." Jyan said, getting up from his seat

* * *

><p>True to his routine, Jyan was up bright and early. He still had no sign of Gaou after last night, he then figured that eh couldn't force Gaou to come out and that it either had to be Gaou coming to him <em><strong>(AN- earlier in the chapter)**_ or in times of extremely high stress _**(A/N- in chapter 28).** _

He shook these thoughts out of his head as he decided to get dressed for today's training session. He slipped on some black shorts and some sneakers but opted to remain shirtless today so he could have less restriction. He went to the bathroom and wrapped both of his hands in bandages. He swung a few combo punches and was ready to get started.

Jyan and Josh returned to their usual training spot and just as they wet through the warm up regiments, their area was rocked by a large explosion.

"Josh..."

"The explosion, I know."

"We need to go there. NOW!"

"Wha- why?!"

"No time to explain. We need to hurry!"

Jyan and Josh rushed to the other side of the city outskirts. They took a shortcut through the small wooded area, disregarding the thorny branches and vines as they crossed through a small ravine. Reaching the clearing of the other side, they saw Wendy and Sheila, book opened and glowing. They were facing off against multiple attackers.

"Wendy! Sheila!" Josh yelled as he and Jyan came over.

To their dismay, Orion and who appeared to be his human partner along with another mamodo wearing a purple suit and his human partner were confronting Wendy and Sheila.

Before Jyan and Josh could react, they felt an invisible force hold them back. "What is this?" Josh demanded as he and Jyan banged against the invisible wall before them.

"Do you like it?" a familiar voice asked as they came into the clearing.

"JAYLIN!" Jyan exclaimed

"Why hello there Jyan, I see you're in time to watch the cheerleader get obliterated." she cackled

That of course is when Jyan noticed the black brands on Orion's, the other mamodo's and now Jaylin's wrist.

"That's.."

"Yes, this is The Black Corps brand. I am now a full-fledged member, it is quite unfortunate Marisa could not be with us today but that's why Harrison and Orion are here. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Your own time will come soon enough."

"Damn it." Jyan grunted, frustrated as he took a good luck at Harrison. He already didn't like the look of him and his slick purple hair and purple cat-like eyes. His torso was covered with a purple blazer and a black t-shirt underneath with matching purple suit pants along with black dress shoes. According to Jyan's eye test, Harrison was about four feet tall. He could not really see Harrison's human partner but it didn't really bother him too much seeing that he wasn't much of a piss ant anyway.

"Wendy! Why were you guys even here in the first place!" Jyan exclaimed. The invisible wall may have been strong but it sure as hell was not soundproof.

"We were doing some training of our own before we were ambushed. I don't take to kindly to the situation at hand." she said with disdain in her voice

"Enough talking. Feel the wrath of The Black Corps!" Harrison shouted as he stood face to face with Wendy

"Harrison, eliminate the cheerleader while Orion and I make sure Jyan doesn't try any funny business." Jaylin said as they kept watch on the invisible wall.

* * *

><p>"Gotcha." Harrison said as he held out his hand<p>

_"Crossargo!"_

A purple elliptical beam was released from Harrison's hand, Wendy and Sheila however, did not budge.

_"Wilasu!"_

Small clouds formed on Wendy's hands as she swiped the air and sent a wind blade forward, canceling out the elliptical beam. "There is no need for us to exchange weaker spells at each other!" Wendy exclaimed as she ran forward.

Harrison accepted her challenge and swung his fists at Wendy. Wendy however, gracefully dodged each and every punch. She responded with a combo of her own, gaining the upperhand. Harrison however, went in for a headbutt but Wendy backflipped in time, slamming the tip of her foot into Harrison's throat, knocking him back.

"You'll pay for that you little wench!" he crocked between coughs

Wendy couldn't give Harrison a change to regroup and moved in for another round of his fists exchanging. She slammed her foot into Harrison's stomach and quickly kneed his face, knocking him back again.

Blood trickled down Harrison's lip as he glared at Wendy.

"It's time to get serious."

Wendy braced her fists in anticipation as the fight just went up a level.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Short and slightly early chapter, I know. However, I have to cut the fight short in this chapter since the next chapter is solely dedicated to this and whatnot. What is Gaou's warning? What does it mean? Will Wendy defeat Harrison? What exactly is holding Jyan and Josh back? Should Jyan tell Josh about his contact with Gaou? Make your own speculations if you want but these will all be answered in the ongoing chapters of Chain Reaction: Iron Revolution! R&R folks!**_**_  
><em>**


	88. Twi Wishidon! Wendy stands tall!

_**A/N- I am already working through the initial stages of the fourth and final arc. I also have three endings for Iron Revolution in mind. The Good Ending, The Bad Ending and The True Ending. If you guys are interested when the time comes, I'll post the good ending and the bad ending after the story's finished. I obviously can't say much about the final arc right now other than it will most likely be the shortest of the four or slightly longer than the first. The pace will be fairly fast since things by that point will be pretty straightforward but alas, that is quite a bit of time away and I estmate that it won't get here until Fall at the very earliest. It all depends on how long The Black Corps arc take since I have a LOT to cover in that time frame.**_

_**I have also been thinking about what I want to write about next after Iron Revolution (which takes up 95% of my free time and is 115% of what I write about) is finished. Maybe a sequel or a prequel or even a spinoff or perhaps something entirely new altogether (if that's the case it won't be Zatch Bell related) I might just continue Sky High Battles and work on the trilogy I had planned for that (I initialy worked on that alongside Iron Revolution but I realized that it would take me even longer to complete Iron Revolution if I kept splitting time on both, so I decided ot focus all of my effort on this for now). Regardless on what i do, it's still a ways away though.**_

_**I was also asked if Iron Revolution were an anime, what would it openings be.**_

_**My answer:**_

_**Arc 1- The Chess Master arc (Ch. 1-31) - Fairy Tail's Snow Fairy (Youtube the female version though) **_

_**Arc 2- The Light Society arc (Ch. 32-80)- Naruto Shppuden OP 6**_

_**Arc 3- The Black Corps arc (Ch. 81-onwards) Well this one will have multiple OPs, 1 for each character arc. Right now, of you couldn't already tell, Jyan's character arc is taking place now. So the current OP is Naruto Blue Bird (Youtube the male version though)**_

_**Enjoy the chapter.**_

* * *

><p>"I can't underestimate you anymore." Harrison said, taking deep breaths<p>

"_Gigano Crossargo!"_

Harrison fired a much larger eliptical beam this time as purple crosses could be seen floating throughout the lavender beam.

_"Wilasu!"_

The clouds appearing from Wendy's hands were much bigger this time as larger wind blades emerged, colliding with the beam. She sent four more wind blades in order to cancel out the spell entirely, much to Harrison's frustration.

"Money Mike, again!"

_"Gigano Crossargo!"_

Another large elliptical beam was fired at Wendy and again, it was canceled out by multiple Wilasus. Wendy came after Harrison again, but this time he was ready for her. He blocked all of her punches and combos. Wendy attempted her signature backflip kick that rocked Harrison's jaw last time but he wasn't fooled this time as he grabbed her incoming leg and swung her across the field. He then took off in a sprint and leapt in the air, Harrison grabbed Wendy's legs and slammed her into the ground with devastating piledriver.

When the dust cleared, a crater could be seen stretching across the clearing. Harrison jumped out of the crater, a slick smile of satisfaction on his face. "That should do it." he said, dusting off his hands

Before he could take another moment to gloat, he felt a powerful fist connect with his chin, sending him flying through the air before crashing near Money Mike. That fist of course, belonged to Wendy. "I had enough of your talking. This battle ain't over until my book is no more!"

Wendy was now out of the crater and back in the middle of the clearing. "Let's go Sheila!"

"Right. _Wizamuku!"_

Particles formed around Wendy's tiny hands before eventually becoming black storm clouds. Small rumblings of thunder could be heard as she swung her fists in anticipation. Harrison ducked and dodged the first wave of Wendy's blows and made an effort to put some space between him and her heavy punches. He stepped back a few paces as she attempted to close the gap between them.

"Two can play at this game! Give me that spell human!"

"_Amu Crassargo!"_

A swirling lavender vortex appeared on each of Harrison's fists. He quickly closed the gap on Wendy and swung at her, she countered with her own punches. Their fists collided again and again, the sounds of thunder filled the air over and over. Harrison faded to his left before striking Wendy across her face with his right fist. Wendy saw this as an openeing and slammed her fist into Harrison's stomach, send massive shockwaves throughout his core. The force knocked Harrison into the ground before getting back up. The effects were not over as another wave of vibration and pain surged through his battered body.

"Damn it..." he growled before clutching his stomach

* * *

><p>"Just what exactly is this wall made of?" Josh wondered<p>

"Plasma barrier, courtesy of The Black Corps. Isn't technology amazing?" Jaylin said mockingly

"There has to be a way to shut if off."

"You're welcome to find the off switch."

"We don't have time for your mind games!"

"I don't think you have a choice." Orion said coldly, adding his own two cents in

"Orion, I didn't ask for your input." Jaylin sneered

"I don't need your permission to do anything. This is just your pathetic attempt at trying to take all the credit." Orion shot back

"Well Roto left ME in charge for that very reason."

"Jyan, I don't see an off switch." Josh said looking through the bushes, ignoring the arguing Jaylin and Orion

"Not a problem."

"What do you mean?"

"Since we can't find an off switch, we'll just have to make one."

Josh smirked at Jyan's suggestion. He had to admit the kid was not as dumb as he thought.

* * *

><p>"I...am going to end this NOW!" Harrison declared, now able to stand up<p>

"Sheila."

"I already know."

Money Mike held the cornflower blue spell book wide open, it glowed as he put his heart energy into blasting Wendy and Sheila away. "_Dioga Crossargo!"_

Harrison shouted in anguish and sheer fury as a purple aura left his body and formed into a large knight spirit on horseback. The knight held a large shield with a purple cross decorated and engraved into it. He held his lance out and charged at Wendy and Sheila.

"_TWI WISHIDON!"_

Wendy began moving her hands in a counter-clockwise motion, her hands spun faster and faster until a cyclone emerged. The powerful winds began absorbing debris and various things in its surroundings. It stopped Jaylin and Orion from arguing and was beginning to absorb them as well. Orion and Jayin however, stomped their feet into the ground, effectively staying put. Orion grabbed his human partner to make sure he and most importantly, his book were not consumed by Wendy's cyclone.

The knight spirit however was not as fortunate as he was overtaken by the powerful cyclone. The wind storm compressed itself into a disk-like state and Wendy hovered it above her hand. "You lose." were the only two words she needed as she tossed the disk back towards Harrison.

The knight spirit emerged and charged into Harrison, knocking him into Money Mike before both of whom were sucked into the cyclone. Dozens of wind blades cut across their bodies and sliced the book to shreds, transforming it into many bits of purple flames. The cyclone subsided as Money Mike hit the ground with a thud but Harrison faded away quickly, the Black Corps brand on both of their wrists crumbled before becoming no more.

"That wretched Harrison lost to the cheerleader. He wasn't worthy of being a Black Corps freelancer anyway." Jaylin said dismissively, looking at a victorious Wendy and Sheila then shaking her head at the now conscious Money Mike who soon enough, took off into the wooded area, most likely never to be seen again.

She couldn't catch her breath for long as the barrier near her suddenly exploded. The smoke cleared and revealed Jyan and Josh walking through, spell book opened and glowing.

"Gotta love having a homemade off switch." Josh said as he and Jyan continued their way over to Wendy and Sheila

"This isn't over yet. Orion! Get over there!"

"I ain't your security guard." Orion spat as he held out his hands

"_Rezeranum!"_

Before Wendy and Jyan could relish in Wendy's win over Harrison, they were quickly surrounded by at least three dozens of mirrors. "What is this?" Jyan asked

"Welcome to your newest nightmare. I am your host, Orion and this is my partner Tatsuya." he said with a sadistic cackle

They set their eyes on Tatsuya. He was a bit older than them, clearly in his early 20s. His short brown hair, green eyes, and tan skin were nice features but intimidating nonetheless. He had fairly tall frame at 5'10 and wore a black biker jacket, something Jyan thought he'd only see from Chainz. His light brown shirt could be seen from underneath. Looking down, one could see his black jeans and boots as well.

"Orion, I need some fun."

"Very well Tatsuya. You already know the follow-up spell."

_"Rezaniru!"_

Orion's reflection suddenly appeared on every mirror surrounding Wendy, Jyan, Josh and Sheila. "How unfortunate, you can't turn the channel...well actually you can but my face is on every one of them. This pearl bracelet on my wrist isn't any ordinary one...no, it gives me the ability to steal human souls and perhaps even absorb power. After hearing the soothing melody of your screams as I take your souls, I will absorb the power from you two." he said, pointing at Jyan and Wendy

"So you're that much of a weakling that you need to absorb other mamodos' power because you can't gain any through hard work?" Jyan sneered

"Quite the contrary. We're searching for Revelation Power so our boss to can use it for himself. A very reliable source told us about Iron Prince Slash's win over The Light Titan Treachor and how he unlocked Revelation Power on his own plus the fact that are others who can potentially access such power. With my special ability, I play a pivotal role in finding and harnessing it for our boss to carry out his goals."

"Geez, just tell them all of our plans." Jaylin said, rolling her eyes

"You...Jyan is it? Have a bounty on your head by The Black Corps, whoever hands over you and/or your potential power will get handsomely rewarded. At the very least, I will become Roto's right hand man if not much more than that."

"You're an idiot...just do what needs to be done!" Jaylin barked, already fed up with Orion

"Roto?"

"He's one of Four Generals of The Black Corps but you needn't worry about him. You have enough on your plates with Orion. Jaylin said, ready to kick back and watch Jyan and Wendy get pummeled.

In a blur, Orion moved from mirror to mirror, striking Wendy, Jyan, Josh and Sheila from various angles. He settled in a mirror above them, his smile cold and sadistic. He then disappeared and in a blur, released multiple strikes in different directions once more.

"As long as he keeps moving in multiple mirrors, it's impossible to hit him." Josh said, panting

"My mirrors are portals where I can travel at will and ambush the enemy from any direction possible. I trained my speed to where I can glide smoothly without any problems."

"Let us fix that problem then." Josh said

_"Chikelga!"_

_"Wilasu!"_

Jyan and Wendy blasted two mirrors with a powerful aura beam and a wind blade respectively but it was in vain. The mirrors reformed and were soon enough brand new again.

"Oh silly me. I forgot to mention that you can break my mirrors all you want, but they will rebuild themselves over and over again so destroying them is futile."

"Regardless, that doesn't make you unbeatable." Sheila said

"Oh and for the record, Orion is one of our weakest members." Jaylin said with a laugh much to Orion's anger

_"If we're having this much trouble with one of their weakest...then just how strong are these people?" Josh thought to himself_

"Just try and stop me." Orion said as he began gliding from mirror to mirror. He then appeared in mid air above them and pointed his hand downwards

_"Rezuno!"_

Sharp glass shards rained out of his hand and upon the group. Small cuts and lacerations decorated their arms as they had to set up a counterspell and fast.

_"Wicishido!"_

A blue cloud formed above Wendy's hands as the hail shot upwards, colliding with the glass shards until the spells canceled each other out. "I think my fun has been satisfied enough. It's time to get serious." He said as the bracelet on his write began glowing a geaming white in color. Orion began moving from mirror to mirror again, a white streak of light could be seen bouncing from pace to place

He settled for a mirror towards their left side as the twisted smile never left his face. Jyan and Wnedy were unable to hit him due to his mirrors rebuiling but mainly because of his speed. Jyan felt his heart skip a beat as he felt a dark surge beginning to build up in his body...

"Your soul is mine human!" Orion shouted with glee as he lunged from his mirror, arm outstrethed, pearl bracelet glowing even more brightly than before. Josh could not back out of the way in time nor could he use a shield spell to block him. With nowhere to go, Josh braced himself for Orion to swipe his soul.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- And that's a wrap! I had to release the chapter early on Saturday again because I most likely wouldn't have been able to do so on Sunday. Wendy has triumphed over Harrison but with no time to celebrate as they had an even bigger threat on hand. Will this be the end of Josh? WIll Jyan and Wendy be able to overcome Orion? Find on the next chapter of Iron Revoluton! R&R folks!**_

* * *

><p>Name- Harrison<p>

Parnter- Money Mike

Rank-38th out of 100

Book Color- Cornflower Blue

Element- Beams

Book burned by- Wendy and Sheila Thompson

Spells-

Crossargo- Harrison shoots an elliptical beam from his hand

Gigano Crossargo- Larger version of the first spell.

Amu Crossardo- Forms two purple vortex auras on both fists and attacks the opponent with them.

Dioga Crossardo- Harrison's most powerful spell, sends out a knight spirit with a cross shield and attacks the opponent with it.


	89. Gaou's seal breaks! Jyan in trouble?

_**A/N- I want to write a segment/gaiden/short story/whatever you wanna call it about Ishimaru's father but I'm honestly not sure where I would put it. Either, I could put it right after Jyan's character arc or just make it a separate story. I'm leaning towards the latter though. Anyway, enjoy the chapter.**_

"Your soul is mine human!" Orion shouted with glee as he lunged from his mirror, arm outstretched, pearl bracelet glowing even more brightly than before. Josh could not back out of the way in time nor could he use a shield spell to block him. With nowhere to go, Josh braced himself for Orion to swipe his soul.

Josh opened his eyes and realized that Orion did not touch him. He then noticed the reason Jyan was in front of him and Orion's palm was on his forehead. The sadistic smile Orion had faded away when he realized what happened. The pearl bracelet on his wrist turned into a deep onyx. Black sparks crackled around the bracelet as Orion pulled his hand back. As a result, Jyan collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Jyan!"

"I was intending on stealing your soul human, but knocking out your mamodo is a very nice consolation prize."

Orion's egotistical gloating was cut short when Jyan suddenly shot up, much to everybody's chagrin. Josh noticed a strange black aura emitting itself from Jyan's body. Without saying a world, Jyan slowly walked over to Orion. Josh looked into one of the mirrors and saw Jyan's face. His large eyes were now blue orbs with black slits, the line markings on his face were doubled and glowing a whitish color.

"Oh no you don't!" Orion said, retreating through his mirrors and emerging from the side, in an attempt to blindside Jyan, but the boy was not worried. He simply held out his hand as the force of the black aura alone stopped Orion in his tracks. Jyan opened his mouth and unleashed a devastating wolf howl, large black shockwaves emerged and shattered every single mirror Orion summoned.

Before Orion could make a move, Jyan grabbed him by the arm and threw him into the ground.

**"You haven't been able to shut up about that bracelet...it will be such a shame that you won't be able to wear it anymore."**Jyan said, his voice sounded as if two people were talking at once. His normal voice and a fairly deep demonic voice

Jyan then grabbed both of Orion's wrists and in one motion, broke both of them with a single pop. Orion shrieked in pain but Jyan did not care. He sat his foot on Orion's back and grabbed ahold of both his arms, standing him up. **"Let's see how far your arms can stretch."**

Jyan pressed his foot and tugged on Orion's arms. Orion's struggled to break free of his grasp only caused Jyan to pull even harder. Everybody, even Jaylin was a bit shocked at Jyan's sudden brutality. A loud, disgusting snap filled everybody's ears as Orion hit the ground with a thud. Jyan then yanked him back up and gripped Orion's neck, his dislocated shoulders and broken wrists hung akimbo. Jyan straightened his index and middle fingers as black aura covered them, preparing to strike the killing blow.

Josh, Sheila and Wendy were horrified at what they were seeing. Even though Orion was the enemy, it didn't feel right doing this but at the same time, nobody was sure how to safely restrain Jyan and get him back under control.

_"Is this why Jyan has been acting strangely lately?" Josh thought to himself as he continued looking at the scene_

Jyan continued holding Orion by the neck and his killing strike still ready. He saw Jaylin looking directly at him, her eyes stormy yet full of anticipation. Jyan gazed into her eyes and it felt as though time stood still.

_[Flashback...]_

_"You are such a slowpoke Jyan!"_

_"Cheater! You had a head start!"_

_Jaylin and Jyan ran through the rain barefoot. The water sloshed between their toes as they raced to her house on the other side of the village..._

_[End Flashback...]_

Jyan suddenly dropped Orion and stood there blankly. Orion on the other hand, limped back to Tetsuya who gave him some support. Jaylin kept her gaze on Jyan, her eyes still cold and stormy.

"You lucked this time Jyan. Next time you guys won't be so fortunate and that's a _**promise**._"

As they retreated, Jaylin noticed the black pearl bracelet on Orion's broken wrist. "Roto and overall Blue will be pleased with my discovery." she said, removing the bracelet

* * *

><p>"Jyan, are you alright?" Wendy asked<p>

"Yeah..." he answered, frowning

"What exactly happened to you?" Josh asked

_[Flashback...Chapter 87]_

_**"The seals that once contained me have weakened significantly by a sinister force...plus my body is slowly being eaten away by darkness."**_

_[End Flashback...]_

"I just...got too pissed off, that's all."

Josh and the others clearly didn't believe him but decided to let it go for now.

After returning home and falling asleep, Jyan found himself back into his subconscious. He continued to wade through the pitch black before him until he saw Gaou's ghastly eyes. To Jyan's surprise, all of Gaou was black as opposed to last time where only his hind leg was. He then noticed the cage and chains that once restricted the wold were now destroyed and laid in a piled of rubble.

"The seal is officially broken now..." Jyan said to himself

_**"Your answers lie in the mirror."**_

Jyan remembered what Gaou told him before the darkness consumed him and visualized a mirror before him. Jyan floated to the mirror and saw a different reflection. This version of Jyan was identical to him in every way except his eyes were blue with back slits, his mamodo lines on his face split into double lines that glowed white and a menacing black aura engulfed his body.

Dark Jyan disappeared from the mirror and reappeared in front of Jyan. "If you want to be king, you and I need to become one. Embrace the darkness and solitude, leave the others behind. They are the ones holding us back from our expectations."

Jyan slowly backed away from Dark Jyan as he had a smile on his face in response to Jyan's actions.

"You can't run forever. We will meet again very soon."

Jyan shot out of his bed and looked around. He shook his head as he got up and went into the bathroom. Little did he know, Josh was standing outside the door, witnessing the entire scene. He went back into his room only to see Jyan's spell book emitting the black aura.

"What the hell..."

Not sure what to make of this, Josh skyped Marty who pressed the button as he showed up on screen.

"What's up?"

Josh simply held up Jyan's book.

"Hmm...it seems as though Jyan had his revelation point. It's similar to what happened with Slash but its' energy is black...which could mean that his power is tainted."

"Even though the seven revelation powers are based on seven different virtues, the power can be corrupted if the opposite of said virtue occurs." Sly said, now popping up behind Marty

"Tell us what you know about Jyan's behavior and the possible root of it." Sly asked as he and Marty got to recording and typing Josh's explanation to them.

After about thirty minutes of explaining and recording, SLy and Marty were ready with their analysis. "It seems that Jyan has the ability to use the Revelation power of Friendship but the corrupted power of Solitude has happened instead. Anything that may have triggered this?"

Josh then explained the run-in with The Black Corps and Jyan's sudden rampage after he protected Josh from Orion's attack.

"Well according to our calculations, it seems that Jyan accessed the power sometime during the fight but there is something else that's amplifying the revelation power."

"The original king, though powerful knew that if his power was in the wrong hands , although pure, could be corrupted and used for destruction. All seven potential holders of the Revelation Powers all have the possibility of their powers becoming corrupt if they allow it to. For example, Slash was able to make the final push and access the Revelation Power of Love and overcome Light Titan Treachor because he was honest with himself and his feelings. However, if he lets hatred take his mind once again, his Revelation power would be corrupted into Hatred and eventually consume him." Sly said, rubbing his chin

"Think of it as a blessing and a curse." Marty suggested

"I recommend finding a way to getting it under control."

"Not a bad idea. Thanks." Josh said as he hung up

Josh already had the feeling in his gut that this was going to be a long, drawn-out talk.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Much more to come and yes, I intentionally cut the chapter short. Also, who do you think will be the last two mamodo standing? Tell me in your review or inbox me. No, it will NOT have any effect on the final battle in the story. (I already know who it is going to be. The challenge is getting there to that point where it can become a reality.)**_


	90. Bonds that are cherished

_**A/N- Writing this stuff really takes a lot out of a guy...I listened to Naruto's Sadness and Sorrow while I wrote this to help me with the tone. You can try listening to it while you read the chapter to see if it has the same effect on you.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>Josh took a deep breath and began his trek to the guest room he gave to Jyan. It was an extremely plain room with only a nightstand, a closet, a desk and a king sized bed; nothing more, nothing less. Wasting no time, Josh sat towards the end of the bed as Jyan finally came out of the restroom.<p>

"Jyan, I know something's going on and I want to hear the truth."

Jyan did not say anything for a few moments. "I have been...keeping quite a bit from you as of late."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when I told you guys a while back that I went into that cave and blacked out for a couple of weeks? In my coma, a pair of ghastly eyes stared me down the entire time... as I try to come closer to it...it was behind a set of bars of some sort, the power it gave off was unbelievable. When I woke up in the hospital, I felt...different. For some reason, I knew I wasn't the same as before."

"What are you getting at here? Are you possessed by something"

"You can say that...the spirit's name is Gaou."

"Gaou? As in Gaou Chikelga and Gaou Kloruku?"

"Basically. When Gaou Chikelga is cast, I release a giant aura wolf as you already know...that wolf is an embodiment of Gaou."

"So that wolf is inside of you?"

"Basically."

"I remember how frightened I was at first but Gaou protected me by sealing himself away."

"I see."

"A while ago, Gaou contacted me and told me his seals were weakening and that he was becoming corrupt…as if darkness was absorbing him. This is strange because nothing like this has ever happened before."

"How long is a while ago?"

"Sometime after we were attacked by Marisa and Jaylin."

"Maybe that had something to do with it."

"Possibly… when I saw Gaou again after our fight with Orion, I noticed that he was completely black and that he was no longer restrained by chains or held back by a gate. Which only means that seal has finally broken. Gaou told me the way to overcome this was to seek my answer in the mirror so I did and I saw a doppelganger of myself. He beckoned to me, telling me to unite with him and embrace the darkness of solitude. The darkness was so overwhelming I-"

"Jyan, it's alright if you're afraid."

"I'm not...I...well..my mind is being consumed by darkness and I don't know how to fight this! When we fought Orion and I jumped in front of you to keep Orion from taking your soul and I blacked out...the darkness overtook me and I somewhat enjoyed the thrill of breaking his bones and almost killing him...I can't understand this! I'm becoming a monster and...damn it! None of this were in my plans when I got here, none of this!"

"Jyan. First of all, you are NOT and I repeat NOT a monster. Second, things can't and won't always go as you planned but that's why we're partners, to get through stuff like this together."

"I understand that hut this is something you cannot help me with. I have to do this alone."

"That's your problem right there. By not accepting help when you clearly need it, you're embracing solitude and slipping further and further into the darkness. Believe me, I know how you feel Jyan."

"What."

"Yep. Before we met. My parents have never really been around and Marisa is Marisa. Imagine being 9 years old and coming home to an empty house...spending many nights alone. As the years went by, I became used to it but the Hell of loneliness and solitude ate me alive. However, Sheila reached out and saved me from that living hell. It was because of her that I'm still here and I thank her to this day for that. It was because of her that I got encouraged to make more friends at school, learned Japanese, and go study abroad in Japan. What I'm-"

Josh was interrupted by a loud crack of thunder and rain began beating on the roof. After taking this in, Josh continued.

"What I'm getting at is eventually I learned that we can't always do things on our own. You need friends beside you to walk through the darkness and out into the light"

"Meeting Ishi, Vincent, Haley, Rika and many others have made things even better. Don't worry about your expectations, you can still achieve your goals but you need a different mindset and approach to them. In the end, you friends aren't what's holding you back. It's you that's holding you back."

At this point, Jyan had his back turned towards Jyan, staring at the wall. He didn't say anything he simply shook his head, almost as if he was in denial about what Josh was telling him. Josh could not see it, but Jyan had a scowl on his face. The tension in his face muscles made his head ache a little.

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...Chapter 5]<em>

_"What's your name kid?" asked Chainz who had an eyebrow raised_

_"My name's Jyan."_

**_"That was the day we met..."_**

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...Chapter 5]<em>

"_Kai Lei!"_

"_Chikeru!"_

_The laser and blue aura struck the spell books as they were covered in flames. Flint and Sledge began fading away. Sledge then yelled at Ishimaru, "The battle only gets tougher from here on out, I doubt you guys will last too much longer. You only won by dumb luck, the bigger, stronger and scarier mamodo are going to eat you all alive!" and with that, they both were gone. Their books made rectangular burn marks into the grass as they were gone too. Everybody was exhausted from the battle as Jyan began jumping for joy due to his victory._

_"Man, I'm amazing." He said_

_"You obviously wouldn't have won if it wasn't for me." Said Chainz as the two began arguing again_

_Ishimaru and Josh laughed as Ishimaru then said, "Well Josh, it looks like we're a team now."_

_**"The first time we battled together and officially beame a team..."**_

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...Chapter 7]<em>

_"I got this new toy!" he exclaimed as he pointed to it._

_This "toy" that Jyan had was a rusty shopping cart. Jyan explained that he stole it after he and Josh went grocery shopping._

_"I haven't done this in forever." Said Chainz who used to silly stuff like this back in the Makai_

_Jyan climbed into the old shopping cart as Chainz got on the back of it and pushed it with the back of his foot. Chainz then back flipped and got inside the cart. He and Jyan sped down the hill. The cart sped past other children ad was going fast._

_"Hell yeah!" screamed Chainz_

_"Wooooohooooo!" screamed Jyan_

_As they reached the bottom of the hill, they realized that they weren't stopping, they sped through the grass. As they went through a clearing, they were coming straight towards CJ, Beat and Angie._

_"Ahhhhhhhhh!" they yelled as they were about to collide into the three mamodo._

_"Holy shit!" yelled CJ_

_"Uh-oh." Said Beat_

_Angie however, didn't say anything. She unsheathed her katana and three quick swipes later. The shopping cart froze in motion and suddenly appeared diced into metal pieces and scraps. Chainz and Jyan fell to the ground with a thud. As soon as they looked up, they saw the katana pointed at their faces._

_"You'll put someone's eye with that!" yelled Jyan_

**_"The first crazy stunt we pulled..."_**

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...Chapter 9]<em>

_Meanwhile, outside of the museum the bus trunk popped open, Chainz, CJ and Jyan all climbed out. Chainz popped his neck, shoulders and knuckles. He didn't expect the bottom of the bus to be so cramped._

_"Jyan, that's the last time we go with your plan." said Chainz_

_"Nobody said that you had to listen to me." Jyan said shrugging his shoulders_

_CJ shushed the other two mamodo as he pointed to the entrance. They then walked through the entrance and to their surprise; they saw the security guard busy chatting away with the teacher. They walked past them and looked around. CJ then sniffed the air and started running, Chainz and Jyan followed suit and soon enough, they ended up in the cafeteria. They saw that there were lines and lines of various foods. They three mamodos looked at each other and snuck behind the counter, remaining unseen. They received a close up look and it was a sight to behold! There was American Cuisine, such as fried chicken, cheeseburgers and pizzas, there was sashimi, onigiri, and spicy octopus tentacles chilled on ice, there were piles of egg rolls, baked lizards and warm soba. Chainz looked around to another lie of food and saw sandwiches, sandwiches and more sandwiches. Jyan saw the dessert table; there were blocks of Ice Cream in every flavor, various cakes, sweet roll dumplings, dango, cookies and brownies. CJ saw the fruit and salad bar, which consisted of melons, star fruit, strawberries, grapes, mangos and other fruits._

_The boys then looked at each other but frowned a little. There was still one problem. Nobody knew where to start! Chainz rubbed his chin and smirked._

_Meanwhile, Ishimaru and the group were viewing various sculptures; Seiku sketched a few of them. Ishimaru and Vincent's stomachs growled simultaneously. Kana sweat dropped at that instance. She then said, "I guess that's a sign that we should go eat."_

_As they came to the cafeteria, they saw no food, a pile of plates and many angry students. Ishimaru and the group approached the group in order to find out what was going on. Ishimaru then approached a nearby student, asking what had happened._

_"Apparently, three kids came in and ate everything."_

_"I see." Ishimaru said as he went back to the group_

_**"The first crazy adventure we ever went on..."**_

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...Chapter 82]<strong><br>**_

_Jyan gave Wendy a deadly glare and smacked the basket out of her hand, spilling some of the sandwiches, causing her to gasp in reaction. "What the hell man? If you weren't going to eat them, just say so. I have room for more."_

_**"You think everything is a joke you high and mighty bastard." **Jyan snarled, now on his feet grabbing Chainz's shirt. His voice was different from normal...it was demonic and fairly bloodthirsty_

_Chainz pushed Jyan away a few inches, giving them a little bit of distance. "I'm going to ask you again before you piss me off, what is your problem?"_

**_"The last time we even spoke to each other...damn it."_**

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...]<em>

_"A little bit higher, almost there!" Jyan said as he reached for the jar of candy off the high shelf_

_Wendy finally breathed a sigh of relief as Jyan got off of her shoulders and opened the jar, sharing their newfound treasure_

**_"Wendy is definitely the strongest girl I know."_**

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...Chapter 81]<em>

_"Can't catch me!"_

_"Too slow!"_

_"I got two buckets and I ain't afraid to use em!"_

_Chainz, Jyan and Wendy were running around on the beach in their swim clothes flinging sand at each other. Their joyous laughter filled the air and that morning quickly became known as the day nobody wanted to end._

**_"..."_**

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...]<em>

_"No matter what, we will always be a team!" Wendy said_

_"Agreed."_

_"For once, I couldn't have said better myself." Jyan said_

_All three of their tiny hands met in the air as they performed a group high five._

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback..Makai, 3 years before start of the battle.]<em>

_Jyan and Jaylin stood waist-deep in the creek outside of the village. It was a starry night and they were catching hermit crabs, Jyan noticed Jaylin had a pretty serious look on her face._

_"Jaylin..."_

_"Jyan, everybody knows you as the class clown, but I know you're more than that. No matter what anybody says to you...you're not worthless and I know you would make a wonderful king. Anytime you find yourself stranded in the darkness, just know that you are never alone because **together** we will walk hand in hand toward the light." _

_[End Flashbacks]_

* * *

><p>Jyan was glad his back was turned because tears were streaming down his face...the last flashback was too much for him. Josh however, knew what was going on and quietly left the room.<p>

"In spite of these good memories, I have felt so lonely and so stressed. I was so hellbent on living up to my lofty goals that I wasn't correctly prepared for them and that's where I failed. I have take the people around me for granted...I understand Gaou's metaphor in full now. The first part was noticing the darkness coming from me, hence Dark Jyan and the second part was noticing and cherishing the bonds I currently have."

Jyan felt his eyelids grow heavy and he drifted off.

Finding himself in that familiar dream-like state again. Jyan patiently waited until Dark Jyan appeared once more.

"So you're finally back. Don't start crying again weakling." he taunted

Jyan formed his fighting stance equipped with a new resolve, ready to face the darkness from within.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Yeah, I know this chapter was very flashback heavy but everything in the story is connected to each other. One part may not seem to be very important at first but later on in the story when things are connected, the Fridge Brilliance trope comes into play. R&R! Til next time!**_


	91. Tier List

_**A/N- I'm going to release a databook at the end of the Black Corps Arc with a lot of really detailed information about EVERY character (human partners and mamodo). However, the following is the tier list in the story AS OF CHAPTER 90. (So it could all be updated as early as Chapter 91)  
><strong>_

_**Any mamodo associated within a certain tier could realistically beat another mamodo in that tier and below it and have a fighting chance against someone in the tier above them. For example, Slash without his revelation power, is #1 in the Elite tier but Hori who is #3 in the Elite Tier can still fight him and realistically beat Slash. As shown in the story, Slash an fight a Titan but barring a massive power-up like a Revelation Power, he would most likely lose.**_

**_Another example is Chainz, Jyan and Azure. All three of them are about even with each other. If Chainz and Jyan fought or if Chainz and Azure fought or if Jyan and Azure fought about ten times. It would most likely be 5 wins apiece for both sides. They are obviously the three strongest in the middle tier. That being said, Wendy could fight Chainz and realistically beat him.  
><em>**

**_Also if any of the middle tier fought the upper middle tier mamodo, they would be at a disadvantage but they could still realistically win. Now if a middle tier fought an Elite or a Titan, without a major power up, they would lose. That isn't to say they wouldn't do any damage obviously but you know where I'm getting at._**

**_Another thing is that former villains and whatnot are lower on the tier list now because of character development and the fact that surviving characters obviously get stronger as the series goes on. For example, Jyan had a dogfight with Carlos but if they were to fight as of Chapter 90 as opposed to Chapter 28 when they did fight, Jyan would wipe the floor with him. _**

**_In spite of this, upsets DO happen. So don't take this at 100% face value. also, due to our friend character development and certain circumstances in battle, the tier list will obviously change as mamodo move up ad in some cases, down the tier list._**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Titan-<strong>_

_**1. Blue**_

_**2. Solin**_

_**3. Arkham (deceased)**_

_**4. Treachor (deceased) **_

_**T4. Slash (with revelation power)**_

_**T4. Jyan (with revelation power)**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Elite-<strong>_

_**1. Slash (without revelation power)  
><strong>_

_**2. Angie**_

_**3. Hori**_

_**4 Gansu Genso**_

_**5. Gatrion**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Upper Middle<strong>_

_**1. Ryu**_

_**2. Black Corps General (To Be revealed in a later chapter)**_

_**3. Roto**_

_**4. Black Corps General (To be revealed in a later chapter)**_

_**5. Demos  
><strong>_

_**6. Toshiro (deceased)**_

_**7. Kai**_

_**8. Beat**_

_**9. Jaylin  
><strong>_

_**10. Orion**_

_**11. Sola**_

_**12. Skyde**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Middle Tier<strong>_

_**1a. Jyan(without revelation power)  
><strong>_

_**1b. Chainz**_

_**1c. Azure**_

_**(Honestly I don't know if Chainz, Jyan and Azure are at the very top of the middle tier or at the bottom of upper middle tier. They're really teetering over the edge towards Upper Middle but to be safe, I kept them in Middle Tier.)**_

_**T4. Sundance**_

_**T4. CJ**_

_**T4. Wendy**_

_**5. Grace (deceased)**_

_**6. Kira  
><strong>_

_**T7. Harrison (deceased)  
><strong>_

_**T7. Chase (deceased)  
><strong>_

_**8. Paschal (deceased)  
><strong>_

_**9. Carlos (deceased)**_

_**10. Myth (deceased)**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Lower Middle Tier<strong>_

_**1. Adella (deceased)  
><strong>_

_**2. Kaji (deceased)**_

_**3. Cero (deceased)  
><strong>_

_**4. Zander (deceased)  
><strong>_

_**5. Maxwell (deceased)  
><strong>_

_**6. Claire (deceased)  
><strong>_

_**7. Zane (deceased)**_

_**8. Alice aka Wild Cub (deceased)**_

_**9. Alice (deceased)**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Bottom Tier<strong>_

_**1. Donovan (deceased)**_

_**2. Dino (deceased)**_

_**3. Sage (deceased)**_

_**4. Valkyrie (deceased)**_

_**5. Rage (deceased)**_

_**6. Pierre (deceased)**_

_**7. Carter (deceased)**_

_**8. Tyson (deceased)**_

_**9. Gregory (deceased)**_

_**10. Unnamed Mamodo Girl (deceased)**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>There have about 55-60 revealed mamodo (and some who havent debuted just yet). So stay tuned for an updated tier list at the end of the arc. So, comment, agree, disagree, doesn't matter. Tell me your thoughts. See you guys on Wednesday.<br>**_


	92. Overcoming the darkness!

"You do realize that fighting me is futile right?" Dark Jyan taunted, his eyes in abundance of hatred and coldness

"Overcoming you is all that matters right now." Jyan said, opening his mouth as he felt his eyes roll to the back of his head. Blue particles of aura formed in front of his mouth as the beam fired towards Dark Jyan, who effortlessly moved out of the way.

"Fool. Fighting like that shows that you depend way too much on a human of all creatures to tell you what to do and how to attack. Pathetic." he sneered as he opened his hands and began firing black aura blasts. Thinking quickly, Jyan moved out of the way and dodged the oncoming blasts coming from Dark Jyan. He could not get close without Dark Jyan firing more black chikerus at him.

_"He's right, I can't use my chikerus the normal way this time because this isn't a regular mamodo battle...it's just like a battle back in the Makai. If he is supposed to be me then maybe I too can fire them from my hands instead of my mouth..."_

"Stop being naive and accept solitude for what it's worth. You're much stronger for doing so."

"There's no need for me to do THAT!"

Jyan opened his palm and fired off a chikelga, Dark Jyan followed suit and the beams clashed. Jyan's held strong but the blue aura was eventually pushed back by the black and exploded on impact.

"Trash." Dark Jyan grunted but was taken by surprised by a blur that darted out of the smoke and before he could react, a fist connected to his jaw, sending him flying back. In midair however, he regained his composure and backflipped, landing on his feet. Jyan quickly confronted Dark Jyan as they traded punches and kicks. Dark Jyan cut through Jyan's defenses and pummeled him across the face, his fists connecting with Jyan's face again and again. Dark Jyan swung once more but Jyan ducked this time, causing Dark Jyan to miss. Noticing that he left himself open, Jyan slipped behind him and slammed Dark Jyan with his signature German Suplex.

Dark Jyan however, was not stunned for long and broke free from Jyan's grasp before blasting him at point blank range with another chikeru. Upping the ante, Dark Jyan shot two chikelgas, one from each hand. The significantly more powerful black aura beams as opposed to their chikeru counterparts, were coming at Jyan fast.

"I'm going to do what I know best."

Jyan felt his eyes roll towards the back of his head one more as he fired a chikelga beam from his mouth. This was a large full chikelga as opposed to the separate, smaller ones Dark Jyan released. The beams collided towards the middle as they began another power struggle. Once again, Dark Jyan's beams pushed back Jyan's chikelga to the point where it was getting close to the currently unconscious Jyan who was trying his best to keep it at bay. Jyan could feel himself succumbing to the beam and tried to fight it. Unbeknownst to him, dark flares of aura seeped up his legs, tattooing itself on his skin, resembling black vines of ivy.

"_I am NOT a part of darkness...this is NOT who I am. I WILL be king without it!"_

Just when Jyan's chikelga was going to dissipate and take a direct hit from Dark Jyan before being fully consumed by darkness, the blue chikelga erupted in a huge flash. The blast immediately forced the two opposing black chikelgas to dissipate and slammed into Dark Jyan at full force, knocking him into the ground where he lay defeated. The black vines tattooed on Jyan's legs had spread to his face but he disregarded them at the time being.

Jyan walked over to his defeated doppelganger and held out his hand.

"What...what the hell is this?" Dark Jyan demanded

"Remember what you said to me in our previous encounter? That you and I must become one in order for me to become king."

"What of it?"

"You were right."

Jyan picked up Dark Jyan by the hand and pulled him into an embrace. Confused, Dark Jyan's hateful glare shifted into one of sadness and of longing, he felt his body become light and noticed that he was fading away. The ice cold prison of solitude had been thawed and within a few more seconds, Dark Jyan faded away completely.

"You were right but not in the way you think. Even though you symbolized solitude and the darkness that once resided in my heart , you also symbolized my potential and what I haven't achieved yet...I'm not sure how to fully explain it with words but I just know that I unlock a great deal of ability. Now...there's one other thing I must do."

Jyan walked through the darkness, he was not sure how he knew where he was going, but chalked it up as being guided by the spirit of the now reformed Dark Jyan. He felt himself come to a halt when two familiar ghastly eyes appeared before him. Dark Gaou looked down onto him before scoffing.

_**"Where's the REAL Jyan at?"**_ he demanded

"I AM the real Jyan."

Before anything else could be said, Jyan instinctively placed his hand on Dark Gaou. The black aura wolf's body burned like fire, giving Jyan third-degree burns on his hand but he refused to move his hand. The markings all over Jyan's body glowed a bright blue before disappearing and Gaou's body went from a sinister black back into blue. His eery red eyes shifted back to yellow with black slits. Removing his hand, Jyan noticed that his severely burned hand was now healed due to Gaou's blue aura returning and repairing the damage.

_**"Thank you for vanquishing the darkness but you must realize that now that my seals have been broken, I cannot be resealed and as a result, you have access to my power. That being said, my power is extremely difficult to control and can result in your own death and the death of those around you should you ever tap into it and lose control."**_

"Sounds like I have to start training in order to control it."

_**"I would highly recommend that. As a result, your general spell powers have been amplified but be warned, do NOT tap into my power unless there is an extenuating circumstance or for training purposes. For now that I am unsealed, I cannot guarantee the safety of yourself or those around you. In the event you do tap into my power, only take what you need. Using too much will cause you to lose control and will be disastorous."**_

"Just what I need, more rules. Regardless, as long as **we** have **our** friends beside us. There's no way we can fail."

Gaou was taken aback by Jyan's sudden inclusion, though he had to admit he liked the boy's enthusiasm.

_**"Very well then. You will wake up in 3, 2, 1..."**_

* * *

><p>Jyan's eyes shot open as he realized he was still sitting Indian style. He got up from the floor, his body felt significantly stronger, renewed with a vigor like never before. He ran to the window, lifting up and sticking his head out. He saw streaks of sunlight poking out of the window, the happy chirps of the birds filled the air, the clear blue sky decorated with streaks of pink and orange and the morning breeze fluttered through the now opened window.<p>

Jyan turned to see Josh standing in the door way, his spell book no longer emitting a black aura but now a very bright blue one.

"Josh, is that..."

Josh gave his signature nod of approval which told Jyan everything he needed to know.

* * *

><p><em>[Distant Pacific Island, near Hawaii...]<em>

Jaylin and Roto were lead into The Black Corps throne room where Blue sat in his throne, playing with a paddle ball. His temporary amusement with the contraption ceased when he looked up and nodded as both of them knelt before him.

"Permission to rise?"

"Permission Granted."

"Sir, I have made a discovery that would pique your interest. " Jaylin said, presenting Orion's pearl bracelet, still glowing with dark energy.

Blue motioned to one of the goons standing beside him who took the bracelet from Jaylin, looked it over and gave it to him.

"My theory is that even though Orion's bracelet was intended to absorb souls, I think it can absorb Revelation Power because as you already know, our souls are not bound to this world nor to our bodies. They are bound to our spell books so attempting to suck it out of our bodies would be futile. However, it seems that the bracelet has the properties to siphon energy from a mamodo, immediately incapacitating them. "

"And who is the mamodo that the energy in this bracelet was siphoned from?"

"Glad you asked that. It was a mamodo named Jyan who I believe is a holder of Revelation Power because the energy is similar to the type of energy the research files on Slash's revelation power described."

"This is an excellent discovery, you will end up replacing Roto as one of my Four Generals at this rate if you keep it up."

"What! Why you-" Roto snarled, ready to attack Jaylin

"ROTO! Stand down or else!" Blue roared

"How do you want us to proceed?"

"Eliminate Jyan but absorb his Revelation Power before doing so. Make sure you kill his human partner too since he'll know too much, if anybody else gets in the way, take care of them too."

"Ooo-rah." Jaylin and Roto saluted in unison

_"Jyan, your days are numbered so enjoy them while you still can."_ Jaylin said to herself as a demonic laugh filled her head

* * *

><p><em>[St Louis, Missouri]<br>_

Meida rode in the back of the limo as the chauffeur took her all over the city. She had taken her private jet here from Florida because she hadn't heard from Hori for well over week and had to check on him. Last she heard, he mentioned "doing some recon in St. Louis" before teleporting away. After a couple of hours of driving through the city ,she finally saw the white haired sadist sitting in a local park. Getting out of the limo, she quickly made her way over to him.

"What have you been doing this whole time?"

"I have been monitoring Jyan's progress for a while now and he accessed Revelation Power not too long ago. So I want to check something out."

Meida knew that look in his eye all too well and she had to admit even she was getting bored with sitting around and doing nothing.

"Lead the way."

* * *

><p>Jyan told Sheila and Wendy the whole ordeal with Gaou, conquering Dark Jyan among other things and Wendy figured that Jyan had suffered enough and was ready to hang out with him again. They decided to get some training done in order to help Jyan learn how to control his newfound power and to get some training in for Wendy as well.<p>

Like usual, Jyan was shirtless and had bandages wrapped around his fists and forearms. Wendy on the other hand, had on a sports bra (much to Jyan's dismay due to her being nine and not having any reason to wear one to which of course she socked him.) The black shorts she usually wore under her skirts and dresses and a white headband with a large black letter W in the middle.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"Don't be that way! I got one for you too." she said, holding up another one but this one with a letter J on it.

"I'll pass."

"Fine then, Josh can wear it." she said, flinging it in Josh's face before he could protest

Before Jyan and Wendy could train or even argue for that matter, a ring of purple flames suddenly appear in front of them as Hori and Meida materialized.

"Hello there sidekick." Hori sneered

"While you're trying to be funny, you should be more concerned about getting an ass whooping." Jyan said cracking his neck then knuckles

"Is that so? Bring it then." Hori said, ready to fight

Josh and Meida instinctively revealed their spell books. What was going to be a day of light training has quickly turned into an all out brawl.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN-**__**That's a wrap for this chapter! Yes, Jyan's Revelation Power is Friendship. The other five Revelation Powers will all have their own unique scenarios so stay tuned for that. We are getting very close to the climax of Jyan's character arc which will have a few more twists and turns. Hori vs Jyan in the next chapter. What will happen? Who will win? Find out by continuing to read and support Iron Revolution! R&R!**_


	93. Hori vs Jyan! Ryu finally encountered!

_**A/N- I am very happy to report that Iron Revolution has received almost 1500 views and have had hundreds of visitors in the entire month of May. Thank you all so much for the love, support and attention. When I first created this story, I did not expect to be received with much fanfare, I have the best fans on this site and I couldn't ask for more. **_

The afternoon sun burned in the clear sky as Hori and Jyan stared each other down. Their books glowed with indigo and blue lights respectively, anticipating the others' moves.

"You've come all of this way just to challenge me? I'm flattered." Jyan retorted

"I didn't come here for you, I came because of your Revelation Power."

"You're out of your league."

"You're just a worthless sidekick who gets in the way. I don't desire to waste too much time with you, that power is **_MINE!_**" Hori spat

"If you want it, come and take it." Jyan said, glancing at Josh

_"Chikelga!"_

Jyan fired the focused aura beam from his mouth, Hori quickly teleported in a purple flash and reappeared in front of Jyan, punching him in the face, taking advantage of Jyan's temporarily unconscious state. Jyan quickly came to and sent his knee into Hori's stomach. Hori teleported and reappeared again in midair raining a barrage of punches upon Jyan. Josh, thinking quickly on his feet, flipped a few pages.

_"Chikelga!"_

Jyan fired another focused aura beam and hit Hori at point blank range, sending him flying into the ground. Hori stood back up and opened his palm, facing it towards Jyan.

_"Nekoru!"_

Hori fired a purple fireball from his hand but Jyan blocked it with his fists. "You'll have to do better than that."

With that being said, Hori teleported and reappeared in front of Jyan's face, but Jyan was ready for him this time and blocked his second barrage of punches. He grabbed Hori by the arm and tossed him but before he hit the ground, Hori teleported and landed on his feet.

_"Chikelga!'_

_"Nekoruga!"_

Jyan opened his mouth as a large concentrated aura beam emerged, Hori released a large beam of purple flame from his palm. The beams collided towards the middle and held steady. "I don't think so!" Hori yelled as the purple flame beam overcame Jyan's chikelga and blasted him. Not letting the attack faze him, Jyan ran forward to confront Hori.

"_Gaou Kloruku!"_

Jya's speed picked up as wind built itself around him. He shifted to running on all fours as blue aura coated his body before forming into claws over his hands and clawed shoes on his feet. Aura wolf ears and tail also formed as he released an ear-shattering howl. With his newfound blazing speed, Jyan disappeared in a blur before finding himself within Hori's range. He clawed and sliced at Hori who was dodging his attacks with only a fair amount of effort before elbowing Jyan in the back. Jyan swung his deadly claw at Hori's leg but Hori was just as fast and teleported himself behind Jyan and as a result, grabbed him by the leg.

Hori tossed Jyan into the air, teleported himself into midair slammed his elbow into Jyan's spine, teleported headbutted him in the stomach before teleporting again and kicked him into the ground, making a large crater. Hori stood over the crater as an eerie silence crept up on the scene. Nobody said a word until Hori broke the silence.

"How disappointing and to think trash like you unlocked Revelation Power. Let's be serious here, I KNOW you aren't using it and quite frankly, it's resulting in a losing battle for you."

Just as Hori was about to turn and walk away, he felt a tearing pain on his chest. On instinct, he clutched his torso before hitting the ground. Jyan emerged from the tunnel, his eyes glowing red. Blue aura surrounded his body as the Gaou Kloruku spell wore off. Just as Jyan was walking towards Hori, the blue aura suddenly faded away, causing all of the pain from Hori's previous assault to hit Jyan like a train.

Jyan howled in agony as he fell to his knee, the internal injuries stacked up on him like layers. Fighting through the pain, he struggled to his feet and saw Hori also on his feet. His shirt was virtually nonexistent and four diagonal lines streaked across his chest. Blood slowly dripped down his torso, his eyes filled with fury.

"I...can't...believe this. I'm an ELITE...and YOU actually wounded me. DAMN YOU!"

Hori teleported and reappeared in front of Jyan, striking him in the head and neck in rapid succession. He slammed his fist into Jyan stomach, sending him flying. "MEIDA!"

"_Nekoruga!"_

Hori fired another beam of purple flame from his hand and blasted Jyan in midair, setting off an explosion. Jyan's body fell from the sky and hit the ground with a thud.

"Jyan!" Wendy shouted

Jyan laid there as plumes of smoke emerged from his body. His left shoulder was seperated, his knee ligaments were torn and his ribs were bruised if not broken. It was a miracle that he was even conscious, Jyan closed his eyes and saw himself standing before Gaou.

"Gaou...I tried to use my Revelation power but it quickly faded out and I'm not sure why."

_**"I noticed the same thing. We can't worry about that right now though, I will give you some of my power. I cannot do anything about your injuries for now but this will numb all of the pain and allow you to keep going."**_

"Thanks."

* * *

><p>Jyan's eyes shot open as blue aura surrounded his damaged body and with a renewed vigor, he jumped to his feet and pointed at Hori. "I don't give a damn if you're elite or whatever. I'm not going to let an asshole like you become king!"<p>

"Bring it on then."

Hori teleported and reappeared in front of Jyan once again. A familiar combo of punches were unleashed by the dark flame mamodo but Jyan kept up with everything he dished out. After blocking and evading Hori's punches, Jyan caught Hori off-guard and hit him directly into his previous sliced skin, causing Hori to hiss with pain. Hori on the other hand, did not let Jyan overcome him however and held up. He teleported away from Jyan and right by his book keeeper.

"Jyan, let's end this now!" Josh said as he, Sheila and Wendy all ran over to his side

"I agree."

"_GAOU CHIKELGA!"_

Jyan opened his mouth as the massive blue aura wolf emerged. The wolf opened his massive jaws and charged towards Hori, anticipating his incoming prey. Reaching his destination, the wolf stretched his jaws around both Hori and Meida.

"Meida, get back!" Hori commanded as his bookkeeper scrambled out of the ongoing path

"_Amu Gou Nekoru!"_

Purple flames coated Hori's arms as he lifted them up and held the wolf's jaws open, much to Jyan, Josh, Sheila and Wendy's horror.

"How powerful is this guy?!" Sheila exclaimed, looking on in shock

"He's considered one of The Talented Five for a reason." Wendy added in

Josh put more power from within into the spell book as the blue light glowed brighter. The wolf's jaws closed in more on Hori, despite his spell heavily strengthening his arms. Hori continued pushing back but to no avail as the wolf closed its jaws and exploded, knocking Meida back and sending up a large cloud of smoke.

"I think we did it.." Josh said

It turns out however, that Josh had spoken too soon since Hori was still standing. However, hiss shirt was complete gone, burns were apparent all over his body and the claw marks on his chest left by Jyan's Gaou Kloruku spell, has now scabbed over. Exhausted from fighting Hori in combination with his internal battle the night before, Jyan fell to the ground completely overexerted.

"That was as powerful as I anticipated, if it wasn't for my Amu Gou Nekoru spell nor my elite training, that probably would have done me in. Again, I don't know how you were able to acquire this Revelation power but let it be known that II will get my hands on it eventually. Don't think I'll forgive you for scarring me...I have never had an opponent even come close to touching me in this entire battle so now I have to return the favor."

"You...bastard...you aren't going to burn my book?" Jyan coughed though he knew Wendy would step in herself before that would happen plus Josh wouldn't simply hand over the book himself either.

"No. Because I'm not satisfied and I won't claim your life until I get the challenge I deserve. So go ahead, live and live with the purpose of beating me so I can get that challenge."

"You think too damn highly of yourself if you think I'm going to waste time with the likes of you on my mind when such energy can be better focused elsewhere. That being said, we will cross paths again and I plan on winning."

For about half of second, Hori's look became that of surprised but then smirked at Jyan's comment. "Heh, we'll see about that then."

With that, Hori summoned a ring of flames around himself and Meida, teleporting away.

"I don't get it. I would've beaten him had my Revelation Power not gave out...why did it suddenly stop working after I was able to scar Hori and get out of that crater?"

"Maybe Marty will have an answer." Josh said, making a mental note to call him

"Until then, all we can do is keep training." Wendy said

"I agree."

Josh called Marty that night and explained Jyan's encounter with Hori. After taking note of all of this and pressing some keys into a nearby computer, Marty nodded and turned back to the screen. "As I thought. In order for Revelation Power to work, the partner and mamodo must be in sync and the reason you're fighting has to also be for a reasonable cause. From what you told me, I think you two had fine sync, but Jyan tried to used the power only to get an edge over Hori and that is when it shut off."

"Makes sense. Maybe the original Mamodo King did that as another precautionary to keep the powers from being abused." Josh added

"Precisely." Marty said as he hung up.

* * *

><p><em>[Arizona Desert...]<em>

"We've been coming and going for days! Who knows when they'll show up!"

Eve and Ishimaru along with Chainz and Sundance had waited for days at the old warehouse waiting for Solaria to show up. Ishimaru was hopeful his plan would work. Just as he was about to give up hope, they heard a heavy door open. To their relief, Solaria and Calvin appeared though her facial expression was grim. There was no way she was pleased to see them.

"You have made a grave error." she said coldly gazing upon Chainz and Sundance

It was at that moment, that they realized Solaria had company. As another mamodo entered the main room, he towered over Chainz and Sundance at about five foot ten inches. His spiky, unkempt dark brown hair reached his shoulders. A black long-sleeve shirt could be seen under his mantle. Most notably was the type of mantle it was. It resembled a monstrous, skeletal dragon face whose mouth was wide opened and the fangs were still are sharp to the touch, pressed flat between two sheets of metal. This had to be Ryu.

Ryu's book keeper was a lanky teenager at six foot two. He wore dark blue jeans, and a black hooded sweatshirt, his short black hair poked out of his hood and his emerald green eyes were menacing. He clutched a maroon spell book in his right hand.

"Solaria, what is this?" he demanded

"Nothing sir..."

"Sir? Solaria, you take orders form this guy?" Chainz retorted

"I am Ryu, one of the **Four Generals of the Black Corps**. In fact, I am the Head General and de-facto 2nd in command."

"Ryu! I've been waiting for this day for many months and have been biding my time, getting stronger for this day. Today you die!" Eve shouted, already having Sundance's spell book opened and ready

"I don't know who you are or what your problem is but you have a death wish and therefore, I will grant it." Ryu chuckled as his bookkeeper opened the spell book, casting a bright maroon light.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Hori defeated Jyan but they have vowed to cross paths again. We learn that Revelation Power is not always activated and can only be triggered under certain circumstances. Ryu is finally encountered. Will Eve get her revenge? Find out in the next chapter! **_


	94. Tragedy Strikes! The wrath of Ryu!

"I don't know who you are or what your problem is but you have a death wish and therefore, I will grant it." Ryu chuckled as his bookkeeper opened the spell book, casting a bright maroon light.

"Enough! Sundance go!"

Sundance charged towards Ryu, ready to attack him head-on. Ryu on the other hand, stood there making no movements, anticipating the moment his spell is cast.

"The first spell, _Dodranon!"_

Ryu held his palm out while a white beam formed into a dragon's head and was released. Sundance jumped to the left as a long serpentine body extended from the head and wrapped around his body before tripping him. Sundance extended his arms and broke it into pieces as it dissipated.

"Despite its appearance, that spell was pretty weak." he scoffed before getting back on his feet

"_Upra!"_

Sundance opened his mouth and spat out a stream of red paint, the waves sloshed in the air as it rain upon Ryu.

"The second spell, _Aagasu Dodranon_!"

A large mouth of a European Dragon emerged from the ground and slammed its heavy jaws shut, protecting Ryu and his bookkeeper. The paint smothered the dragon's mouth as it quickly dried and burned like acid, eroding away some of the dragon's scales. As a result, it immediately dissipated, exposing Ryu and his human partner.

"Enough child's play. Isaac!"

"Right! The third spell, _Dodrarudo Mokerudon!_"

The skeletal dragon mantle shifted into a live dragon as the head unleashed a mighty roar before extending itself forward and opening it's jaws. It went directly for Sundance as it chomped into the hard floor, biting through it like potato chips. The dragon's head wanked itself out of the hole it chewed and extended itself towards Sundance again. Sundance dodged and jumped as the dragon head bit at his heels, dodging once more, the dragon peeled back.

Jaws still wide opened, the dragon head released a plume of smog, causing Eve, Sundance, Ishimaru and Chainz to cough and choke. Solaria's grim look did not change as she watched the battle unfold. She had seen Ryu use this spell many times before and the outcome was never pretty.

"The smog is so thick."

"Damn."

Over the next minute or so, the smog cleared up significantly but the warehouse was still hazy. Just as Eve was about to call for another attack, the warehouse was illuminated with a green light.

"Time to split the fun around." Ishimaru said

"Ugh, always getting in the way! Mind your own damn business!"

"Shut up you two!" Chainz barked, grabbing their attention

"Eve, this guy is no joke. The more assistance the better." Sundance said to which Chainz nodded to

"Perhaps." Eve said as Chainz and Sundance ran towards Ryu

Chainz and Sundance unleashed a combo of punches as Ryu blocked them all, each with one arm. Chainz quickly dropped low in an attempt to sweep Ryu, but the Black Corps General jumped right before he was able to and moved his head to the right as Sundance came in for a jab to the head. Ryu then got himself into a handstand and spun, kicking Chainz and Sundance repeatedly, sending them flying. Chainz and Sundance both landed in front of their human partners but they weren't out yet. They quickly returned to their feet and charged at Ryu again.

"_Hokaisho!"_

_"Upra!"_

Chainz opened his mouth as the concentrated white laser beam shot forward, Sundance spat out another stream of red acid-like paint. Ryu crossed his arms and crouched down to where his the top of dragon mantle was exposed. The beam and red paint hit Ryu simultaeneously but the mantle absorbed all fo the damage. Ryu stood up, seemingly unfazed.

"Is that all you got?" he asked, laughing

"Damn." Chainz grunted, he knew they had to coordinate something on a larger scale since typical hand to hand and middle tier spells wouldn't work in this scenario.

"Isaac!"

"Right. The sixth spell, _Gigadraco Chainsen_!"

Ropes and chains emerged from the ground from every side as they wrapped around Chainz, Sundance, Ishimaru and Eve. Everybody screamed in agony as the restrainers glowed before slamming them into the ground, retaining their grip. "What is this!?" Ishimaru shouted

"It feels like the power from within is being drained from my body!" Eve shrieked

"We can't break free from this!" Sundance growled

"It's no use to keep fighting it. My Gigadraco Chainsen spell summons special ropes and chains which in turn nullify spells, and in the case of humans, Heart Energy. This battle is over."

* * *

><p>Ryu dissipated the spell as his defeated opponents laid there. He shook his head at the mess before him before revealing a devilish smirk. "You told me I was going to die but unfortunately that will not come to pass. Instead, your death is now imminent."<p>

Eve and Ishimaru struggled to get off of the ground and were barely standing at this point. Ryu's spell not only drained their Heart Energy and any source of heart Energy that was flowing towards them but he also drained a good portion of their natural energy. Ishimaru saw the pained expression on Eve's face, her eyes mixed with anger, fury and sadness.

"Now, die." Ryu snarled

"_Teiru Dracosen!"_

A dragon tail appeared on Ryu's backside as long spikes emerged. Ryu raised it towards the ceiling and swung it downwards, aiming for Eve's heart. Eve stood there, not even trying to get out of the way, preparing for her death.

"What is she doing?" Chainz questioned

"EVE! GET OUT OF THE WAY NOW!" Sundance shouted, tears forming into his eyes

Sundance's plea fell on deaf ears. Eve stood there, eyes closed and waiting for the finishing blow. She felt her body crash into the ground before hearing a loud scream echo throughout the warehouse. Eve then realized she did not feel any pain nor any blood. She was somehow still alive! Eve slowly opened her eyes to find herself laying on the ground without any wound whatsoever. She then saw Ishimaru hunched over, clutching the left side of his face.

Eve's eyes widened when she realized Ishimaru had pushed her out of the way at the last moment and took Ryu's tail slash directly! Eve slowly went over to Ishimaru and tried to move his hand away from his face. Ishimaru gently jerked his arm away from her. "It's...just a scratch."

Eve saw Ishimaru's arm covered in blood, his shirt was ripped to shreds and blood stained his pants and did not look to be stopping anytime soon. This was obviously no scratch.

"You...you IDIOT! Why did you save me! I should be dead right now!" she shouted

"I don't know...my body simply moved by itself."

Before Eve could say anything else, Ryu's laughter filled the warehouse. "Pathetic. I don't know whose worse, between you two poor excuses for mamodo or your lame-ass human partners. Isaac, give me a spell so I can turn this place into ashes."

"No! You can't do that this is my ho-" Solaria exclaimed, devastated by the carnage, losing her stoicness.

"What? You got a problem with me torching this dump?" Ryu sneered

"No..no sir."

"Just as I thought. Isaac!"

_"Gigano Dodranon!"_

A large white serpentine dragon emerged from the ground and unleashed a stream of fire towards the ceiling, setting off an explosion. Ryu pointed into another direction as the dragon unleashed another chain of flames, causing the back rooms to explode and catch fire. The dragon let off one more plume of fire, setting off another explosion.

"Remember the smog spell I used at the beginning of our so-called battle, well I guess I should tell you that it's also a trigger I use to make explosions with my fire."

"Simply burning their books is boring. Burning them alive however, is much more amusing." Ryu said as he, Isaac, Solaria and Calvin got on the dragon's back. Solaria gave a sad look at Chainz and the burning warehouse as they teleported away.

* * *

><p>Debris fell everywhere as they were surrounded by flames. "How are we going to get out? If our books are caught in the flames or hit by falling debris, we're done for!" Chainz exclaimed<p>

"Perhaps but I don't care about my book at the moment, all that matters right now is getting everybody to safety." Sundance said

"Right. Let's find a way out then."

Chainz and Sundance went into the flames, clearing a path and dodging various amounts of debris.

* * *

><p>Eve laid into a fetal position, clutching Sundance's spell book into her chest. She couldn't see her surroundings due to the large chunks of debris but she felt it was futile since they were going to burn to death.<p>

**"I can't believe this is happening again..."**

_[Flashback...]_

_Eve crawled through the hallway as smoke obstructed the view leading tot he stairs. Flaming chunks of the ceiling pelted her as she tried to escapes before a flaming chunk of ceiling slammed into her back, causing her to hit the hot ground with a thud.  
><em>

_[End Flashback]_

Eve's body trembled as she closed her eyes, waiting for her impending doom but soon felt a force lift her up and carry her. She faintly opened her eyes and saw a familiar-looking young man with bushy black hair and dazzling blue eyes, she noticed his strong arms were decorated with tattoos. She noticed Sundance's spell book was no longer in her grasp but saw that he had the spell book under his shirt._  
><em>

"Caleb..." she said weakly

Eve felt herself blink twice and saw that it was actually Ishimaru carrying her through the fire. He emerged from the burning warehouse as it collapsed completely, making it outside with very little time to spare. Sundance and Chainz were already waiting for them outside, due to them clearing the path. Ishimaru let Eve down before falling into the sand, Eve sat by Ishimaru, holding his head up.

"Why? Why would you do a foolish thing like that? Why did you try to play hero?"

"I told you already...my body moved on it's own. Plus, there's no need for you to die a senseless death." Ishimaru said before closing his eyes

"You idiot...don't die on me!"

* * *

><p>"Moashi-san! Ishimaru-san!"<p>

Eve turned to see Rika and Azure pulling up in her jeep.

"What made you decide to show up?" Eve said as she rode in the front of the jeep as Chainz, Sundance and Azure looked after the heavily bleeding Ishimaru

"Azure suddenly came to me and said he had a hunch that you guys were in danger so we decided to ride out here to check up on you guys."

"He has really good intuition." Eve said, glancing back at him

"We better hurry! If we don't make it in time, Ishimaru is going to die of blood loss and smoke inhalation!" Sundance exclaimed

Rika pressed the gas as they blazed down the highway. They spectacularly make it to the village hospital where the doctors rushed Ishimaru on a stretcher into the operating room. They sat in the waiting room for hours but their waiting finally paid off when the head doctor walked out and saw Eve.

"Mr. Kamikatsu will make a full recovery." she said

"That' a relief." Sundance added in

"But..."

"But what?"

"Mr. Kamikatsu's face was cut up pretty badly and his left eye was damaged beyond repair so we had no choice but to remove it..."

Everybody was silent upon hearing that. To Eve, it felt like somebody kicked her in the gut, she had no words to describe how she felt nor could any leave her mouth as she felt the wind leave her body.

"Can we see him?" Sundance asked

"Sure, go ahead."

Chainz opened the door as he and Sundance went into the room. Eve stood outside, she felt that she couldn't face Ishimaru.. Especially not after what just happened, it was her fault his face was disfigured. If it wasn't for her, Ishimaru wouldn't be in such bad shape. Her silence was broken by Ishimaru's voice.

"Where is Eve?"

"She's outside."

"Well, tell her to come in."

Eve took a deep breath and went into the room. She saw Ishimaru sitting up, he was shirtless and bandages decorated his arms and the left side of his face. Eve grimaced when she saw the surgical scar near the side of Ishimaru's torso. She immediately knew that he had a bronchoscopy. _**(A/N- It's a surgical procedure done on those who have inhaled debris particles due to smoke inhalation)**_

"_Seeing him like this is..is...is reminding me of Sindri...this is bringing back all of those memories." She said to herself_

"The left side of my face...it feels weak." Ishimaru said, lightly touching the bandages

Eve and the others frowned at this. None of them had the heart to tell him the truth about his face.

"It's...almost as if it is hollow." he said to himself, still lightly touching his face

"Eve, can you unwrap my bandages, I want to look at the other half of my face."

The mixture of pain, sadness and guilt were too much for Eve as she quickly left the room. Everything was hitting her at once as it flashed through her head in a cycle over and over and over again. She ran down the hall and out of the hospital and kept running through the village as the memories kept playing through her head.

_[Flashback]_

_Eve grabbed onto Caleb's neck as he carried her out of the fire. His arms gently lowering her down as the inferno behind them continued._

_[Flashback]_

_Eve stood in the rain looking at the tombstone before falling to her knees and slamming her fists on the ground._

_[Flashback]_

_"NO! NO! NO!" Eve screamed hysterically as she saw Sindri's heart rate monitor go flat and the doctors run into the room with the defibrillator in tow_

* * *

><p>Eve fell to the ground as her feet gave out. She didn't even try to get up as she felt herself completely shut down. <em><br>_

Back at the hospital, Chainz and Sundance were both sitting there, deep in thought over their decisive defeat and the aftermath that came with it.

"Sundance."

"What's up?"

"Never again."

Unbeknownst to all of them, a shooting star shot across the starry nighttime sky.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Heavy chapter. Ryu quickly and decisively defeated both Sundance and Chainz. Ishimaru lost his eye and had his face cut up. Who are Caleb and Sindri and what was Eve's relationship with them? What happened to them? What does all of this have to do with Ryu? FInd out the answers tot hose questions among many more by continuing to read Iron Revolution! R&R!**_


	95. Healing deep wounds!

_**A/N-Instead of sadness and sorrow, I used Naruto Shippudden's despair while putting this together.  
><strong>_

Ishimaru sat in the hospital bed staring at the covers. He clutched the sheets between his fingers tightly as he heard the news over and over in his head. Chainz somehow gathered up the courage to tell Ishimaru about what happened to his eye. Ishimaru wanted to cry but couldn't, he was not sure how he could only cry out of only one eye. His black and brown hair draped over his face, casting a shadow as the room was blanketed in silence.

* * *

><p>Eve sat on the ground and looked up at the starry sky. She regretted running out of the hospital like that but the sudden impulse was beyond her control. She couldn't pick herself up at all, resembling a statue.<p>

"Go to him."

Eve turned her head and saw Rika standing there, a bag of groceries in hand.

"Huh..."

"You heard me. Go to Ishimaru-san and the others. You need them as much as they need you right now."

Rika yanked Eve off of the ground, causing the blonde to note that Rika was much stronger than she gave her credit for. Eve felt herself hurry off back towards the hospital, she stopped for a moment to turn back to Rika.

"Rika?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

Rika smiled as Eve continued on her way. She galloped down the village lanes, past the closed market, past the small schoolhouse, past everything. She saw the hospital up ahead and picked up her feet, she flew through the automatic doors and ran up the stairs, not stopping for the elevator. She got to Ishimaru's floor and saw the nurse changing clipboards on his door. The nurse turned and greeted her.

"Hi there. Are you here to see your boyfriend?"

"He's not my boyfriend! He's just some idiot I'm working with!" Eve snapped

"Well okay then." the nurse said before making her leave

* * *

><p>Ishimaru heard Eve's words through the door and frowned in response. He knew they obviously weren't a couple, it was that the last part stung a little. He knew Eve had said much worse to and about him and viceversa, he then figured he was just sensitive at the moment, given all that's happened.<p>

"Ishimaru..."

Ishimaru looked up and saw that it was Sundance who called his name. He did not say anything but Sundance interpreted by his look that he was waiting for him to continue.

"Eve isn't truly mean, she's really a kind and loving person on the inside."

Ishimaru's raised eyebrows indicated his interest so Sundance continued.

"Eve has been through quite a lot and is very guarded about her feelings. She doesn't have much family left aside from her dad who isn't around most of the time and her brother. She had a boyfriend named Caleb who meant the world to her, after her mother died and she was kicked out of the house, Caleb invited her to stay with him and she felt that she couldn't be happier. However, all of that changed once he became mean and abusive...I'm not entirely sure what spiked the change, but he abandoned Eve without even telling her goodbye and it devastated her."

Ishimaru looked down again for a moment but then looked back at Sundance.

"People reached out to Eve but many of them did not have good intentions and some even tried to use her. So she ended up moving back in with Sindri, her brother. Eve and I first met not too much longer after that..."

* * *

><p>"At first, Eve was fairly cold to me but really warmed up to me as time went on. I knew she needed someone to be there for her. Sure, she had her brother but she needed a push, so I was more than happy to reach out and give her my hand. We went on to defeat many opponents and were becoming a solid team...but that fateful night...<p>

_[Flashback...]_

_"Caleb?! Wha...what are you doing here?!"_

_Caleb stood at the doorway, his arms decorated with tattoos like usual and in his typical clothing. However, his blue eyes were no longer warm and welcoming but menacing and hateful. A black brand circled around his wrist and a pale blue book rested in his hand._

_"That book..."_

_"Yes Eve, I also have a mamodo." he said as he forced his way in  
><em>

_Trailing behind him was a small girl with_ _braided pink hair and round green eyes. Her white romper contrasted with Caleb's dark clothing. Her ballet shoes and matching fake leather belt could hardly be seen in the dark night. Most notably however, was the black brand on her wrist. Sindri however, saw what was going on and stood in front of his sister. _

_"Leave now!" _

_"Ralodo!"_

_The girl blasted a stream of snow at Sindri, knocking him into a wall._

_"Sindri!" Eve yelled as she pulled out Sundance's spell book_

_"Upra!"_

_"Ralodo!"_

_The Paint and Snow clashed as the battle was underway. After a long and intense fight, Caleb eventually gained the upperhand and had them pinned down. He stood over them, spell book opened and ready to finish them off. He found the spell he wanted but couldn't bring himself to chant it. Looking up, he saw the look in Eve's eyes, it was a look of pain and sadness. He thought seeing her in pain and misery would satisfy him...but it didn't. "What a fool I've been..." he said, chuckling to himself as he simply closed the book.  
><em>

_"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? FINISH THEM OFF!"  
><em>

_Caleb turned and saw Ryu and Isaac standing in the doorway.  
><em>

_"You heard what I said, follow your orders."_

_"I can't..."  
><em>

_"You told me that these two were causing trouble and you said you would personally eliminate them. I come to check on your progress and you're backing down. You have done The Black Corps a great disservice with your cowardly actions."_

_Caleb stood in front of Eve , Sundance and Sindri. Protecting them."_

_"Ophelia, stand by my side! I can't atone for all of the bad things I've done...but at the very least I can protect them."  
><em>

_"_Relirium_!"_

_Ophelia charged forward and detonated her body as a wave of frost and a flowery spike of ice smothered him and Isaac. When things cleared up, Ryu and Isaac were standing, seemingly unharmed._

_"No way!"_

_"I admit, if it wasn't for my dragon mantle , you would have given me some pretty solid damage. That being said, attacking me is one of the worst sins you could ever commit."  
><em>

_"Dodranon!"_

_Ryu opened his palm a white beam formed into a dragon head and released a fireball, hitting Caleb directly and sending him flying through the wall. Ophelia's book was caught in the inferno and was quickly consumed by the flames. Ryu pointed the dragon in another direction and sent flames into the living room, the dragon released more and more plumes of fire all throughout the house. Eve and Sindri's house was completely swallowed by flames as Ryu and Isaac turned and left._

_Eve scrambled over Sundance's book as debris rained around her. She glanced over towards her right and saw Sundance struggling to get on his feet before collapsing. More flaming debris rained from the ceiling as Eve crawled towards the front door. More debris fell as she scurried through the hallway, stopping every few seconds, checking on Sundance's book. It was at that moment, she felt a strong force lift her off of the ground. _

_Eve then realized Caleb carrying her on his back. His shirt was tattered and serious burns were present on his torso and shoulders. His body painted with blood and lacerations all over his back. She saw Sundance under his arm and his book under what was left of his shirt. Eve watched as Caleb somehow emerged outside of the burning house and set them down in the grass and tossing Sundance's book back to her. Caleb turned and ran back into the house in spite of being badly burned and after a few minutes of anticipation, he dragged Sindri out of the burning house and collapsed immediately after._

_"Caleb!" Eve shouted going to his side and holding him up in her lap_

_"Eve...I'm sorry." _

_"Caleb, don't worry about that right now! We have to get you and Sindri to a hospital now!"  
><em>

_Caleb shook his head in response. "No Eve...that mamodo, Ryu mortally wounded me when I took that fireball directly and when all of that burning debris hit me afterwards."_

_"You don't know what you're saying-"_

_"Eve...I'm just glad I was able to find some redemption before it was too late..." Caleb closed his eyes for the last time, finally succumbing to his injuries. Eve noticed the black band tattooed on his wrist crumbling away into thin air. _

_Eve's hands trembled as she sat there frozen stiff. She didn't even move when the paramedics came and put Caleb and Sindri on stretchers. She didn't move when she and Sundance were also put on stretchers. She didn't react when they covered up Caleb's body either.  
><em>

_[Flashback interrupted...]_

"Her brother's injuries were not nearly as bad as Caleb's but he was still in critical condition. Eve and I visited him in the hospital every day as he lay in his coma..."

_[Flashback...]_

_Eve and Sundance went into the ICU where Sindri was located. The numerous tubes and machines he was hooked up to was ridiculous. Computers and machines beeped in the background. There were even tubes in his throat and neck. Eve simply laid her head on his bed. "Sindri...you're almost all I have left. Please don't die."  
><em>

_Eve then felt a hand on the back of her head, she looked up and saw it was Sindri's. Before anything could be said, his hand suddenly jerked and fell back towards the bed. Eve looked up and saw the heart monitor line go flat. _

_"NO! NO! NO!" Eve screamed, hysterical, the doctors quickly rushed into the room with the heart defibrillator and ushered Eve and Sundance out of the room._

_[End Flashback...]_

_"_After that happened, Eve closed her heart completely and has refused to get close to anybody else. She seems to think that she curses anybody who gets close to her so she pushes them away. I may seem to be very happy-go-lucky but I can read and understand the feelings of others very well. Eve doesn't hate you at all, I think it's quite the opposite. Aside from that, don't let what happened get you down too much."

"He's right Ishi. Whether you have only one eye, no eyes or even a hundred eyes, you're still Ishi to us and people, especially you will have to accept that."

"Heh. I guess you're right, I'll keep moving forward...or at least try to." Ishimaru said, though he was still very torn up inside.

* * *

><p>Eve was still standing outside the door listening to everything. Tears streaked down her face but she was smiling.<p>

"Stupid Sundance..." she said, semi-laughing to herself. She straightened up her face before going into the room.

"So are you going to lie in bed all day or are we going to get to training soon?" Eve asked crossing her arms

"Oh come on, I just got hurt not too long ago. Plus I had surgery."

"So you're making excuses now **_Kogansho_**?"

"I can never catch a break with you, but I suppose that's why you're a _**Kijo**_."

Everybody couldn't help but smile at the scene going on. Moments like these made healing physically and emotionally that much easier.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- So now we know why Eve wanted her revenge on Ryu. I want to say thank you to Beloved Princess for allowing to use such a great character with quite a history. That being said, I tied Rewritten Promise (Beloved Princess's story starring Eve and Sundance which I highly recommend) canon into Iron Revolution though I diverted away and created an alternate chain of events in order to fit the context of Iron Revolution and to connect it to the current plot. We'll be getting back to Jyan in the next chapter so until then. R&R!  
><strong>_


	96. Lolo awakens! Orion vs Jyan again!

The sun rose from the sky and shined down on the Hajime Estate. The lawn alone rivaled the size of a football field, inside the mansion, many maids and butlers scrambled around, beginning the daily chores. The head butler oversaw their work and reported to the estate's master daily. He was a fairly plain man in his mid 40s, his once slick black hair now a salt and pepper blend. Unlike the other butlers who wore plain black suits, he wore a silver vest over a black dress shirt, symbolizing his authority. After leaving the others to their chores, he made his way to the Master Bedroom. Opening it, he noticed the bed was empty. Surprised by this, he franticallys earched the room, the master had been in a coma for quite some time now.

"Winslow, no need to look for me."

Winslow quickly turned his head and saw Lolo standing at the doorway, he had been sweating and shirtless, signaling that he must have been out training all morning.

"Wh-When did you wake up Master Alexander?"

"I came out of my coma a few hours ago, I didn't want to cause aq big disruption, so I slipped out without notifying anyone. Also, no need to call me by my full name. Your family has served mine for generations now, your father served my father as Head Butler. You were my caretaker when I was a small boy and you were a teenager. Call me Lolo."

"I can't really help it Master Alexander, it's quite a habit of mine."

"Suit yourself then...anyway, what have you heard from Solin?"

"Master Solin has been away for a few months now but he did call some time ago and said that he had some news for you when you woke up, the number is on your nightstand."

Nodding in response, Lolo walked over to his nightstand and picked up the paper with the numbered. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed the number and heard it ring a few times before it was finally answered."

"It's about time you get out of bed."

"Callous as always, aren't you Solin?"

"If you say so. Anyway, I'm sure Winslow has already told you."

"That'll be correct. What is your location?"

"We are currently residing in the house on your private beach in teh city you humans call Miami."

"Have you found Alana yet?"

"I have had no luck in finding Alana. That being said, I found something even more intriguing. I met this child named Sara who is the spitting image of the woman you wanted me to find. She had a diary and photo album that once belonged to her. I have been looking through it each day, seeing if it obtained anything of use. She logged her days as a maid working at your family's estate and how she met you..."

"What's your point?" Lol asked, harshly cutting him off

"Sara is your daughter and my new human partner."

Instead of hearing a response from Lolo, all he heard was a click. That being said, Solin was not surprised in the least with Lolo's action. He sighed and set the phone down before walking into the living room where Sara happened to be sitting and scribbling in a coloring book.

_"I managed to regain five more spells which now leaves my total at six. I also don't fully understand why my ice is blue instead of black like it was when I was Lolo's partner. I also noticed Treachor's presence fade away a few weeks ago so he had to have been defeated, which of course makes my mission easier. Still, I need answers."_

Solin went into the office and opened up a laptop monitor. He typed a few keys in and Blue suddenly appeared on the screen. Solin noticed that he appeared slightly surprised to see The Ice Titan calling him.

"You may speak."

"I noticed Treachor's presence fade away a while ago, this must have been your doing."

"On the contrary, it was actually the one they call The Iron Prince. It seems what they have said about him back in our world are indeed true since he overcame a Titan, even though Treachor was the weakest one out of us four."

"Treachor must be even weaker than I thought. I fought The Iron Prince months ago and destroyed him like it was nothing, you're meaning to tell me he got strong enough in such a short amount of time to be on par with a Titan?"

"You hate the Revelation Powers to thank for that."

"That was a secret heavily guarded by the king and his Royal Forces, how can you possibly know about that?"

"When you have eyes and ears everywhere, you pick up such things."

"Regardless, where is Alana? The girl who was Arkham's human partner. Arkham was killed by you and therefore you were the last one to see her. Tell me what you know."

"If you want to know what happened to the girl, come to my island in the Pacific and find out for yourself." he said, laughing as he hung up

_"Damn it. There's no way I can fight him in my current state, even if I am stronger than almost every mamodo left right now. I would need to activate Tao mode in order to stand a chance but that's a highly risky move right now. I need to get my old strength back and more in order to prepare."_

Within a few minutes, Solin had a bag packed for himself and Sara. He told her about their new mission to travel and find strong opponents plus train in order to prepare for the biggest battle of their lives.

"Failure is not an option Sara, understand?"

"Yes!"

Solin and Sara set out for their journey with no map, no navigator, no butlers, nothing but destiny as their only guide.

* * *

><p>"<em>Chikeru!"<em>

_"Wilasu!"_

The wind blade and aura blast collided with each other as a standstill before exploding. Jyan and Wendy along with Josh and Sheila had been training with excellence. Ever since his encounter and loss to Hori a couple of weeks ago, Jyan upped his training from twelve hours a day to eighteen. Josh and the others disapproved of such extreme measures but Jyan ignored their concerns and kept up the intensity. Even Gaou himself warned Jyan about overexertion, to which Jyan stubbornly continued on.

"_Chikelga!"_

Josh pointed into a wooded area as Jyan fired the aura beam. Tree after tree were mowed down instantly, even if they did not agree with his training methods, they had to admit that Jyan had gotten a lot stronger. Controlling his Revelation Power on the other hand, was still a major challenge.

"Times up."

* * *

><p>They turned and saw that the voice belonged to none other than Jaylin. She stood towards their left with Orion and Tatsuya, Jyan noticed that Orion's arms were covered by casts and were in slings in order to hold them upright. Marisa was once again not with her.<p>

"What do you want?" Jyan snarled

"Your Revelation Power, that's what. When Orion tried to take your human partner's soul and you got in the way, some of your Revelation power was absorbed by his bracelet instead. We're here for the rest of it."

"That's not going to happen."

Orion stood in front of Jaylin and walked towards Jyan before stopping. Jyan and Josh nodded to each other as they met Orion halfway in the clearing. Tatsuya had the spell book opened and the glow from it reached throughout the entire area.

"Jyan, we'll back you up." Wendy said

"No, stay out of it this time. He made this one personal."

Wendy reluctantly agreed but was on standby regardless. If things got out of hand or if she detected an opening via Jaylin, she was going to seize the opportunity regardless of Jyan said.

"I don't need these arms to use spells!"

_"Rezeranum!"_

Mirrors quickly formed around Jyan and Josh. Unlike last time however, mirrors appeared all throughout the woods as opposed to only the clearing, making their battlefield even bigger.

"_Rezaniru!"_

Orion's body glowed with a beige light as he showed his razor sharp teeth due to a twisted smile.

"_Chikelga!"_

Jyan opened his mouth and fired the powerful aura beam but Orion quickly retreated into one of his mirrors.

"Figured he would do that..."

"I didn't use my full strength last time we fought and heavily underestimated you which I paid the price for. I'm not taking any chances with you."

"Just the way I like it." Jyan yelled as he ran forward, he smashed one of the mirrors with his bare fist but like last time, the mirror quickly reformed, perhaps even faster than last time. Jyan felt feet on his back as he turned his head to realize that Orion was on the offensive. Jyan quickly turned around and knocked Orion off of him. Orion however, jumped into the air and rained a barrage of kicks on the aura user.

Jyan however, blocked many of his kicks and grabbed Orion by his leg, dragging him to the ground. Jyan then sat on top of Orion and slammed his fist down over and over. "You can't protect your face with your arms in a cast,s o this leaves a perfect opportunity!" Jyan continued his assault with no intention of stopping but Orion headbutted him, knocking him off. Orion retreated into one of his mirrors, readying his next move.

"Fight me like a man and stop hiding in those mirrors you bastard!"

"Catch me first!

Orion darted from mirror to mirror, sending Jyan and Josh on a chase. He lead them deeper into the wooded area and came around another mirror before delivering a kick to Jyan jaw, catching him a little off-guard.

Jyan however, turned around and slammed his fist into Orion's stomach, sending him crashing into a tree. Orion however, jumped up and entered another mirror. he glided from mirror to mirror once again and emerged, wrapping his legs around Jyan's neck in an attempt to choke him to death. Jyan fell to the ground as Orion tightened his grip.

"Jyan! I'll get him off of you by using a spe-"

Josh fell forwards as Tatsuya punched him in the back of his jaw. Josh got to his feet and returned the favor, hitting the somewhat older bookkeeper in the nose. Tatsuya tackled Josh as they rolled through the dirt, occasionally hitting tree roots. Josh ended up on top of him as he grabbed a handful of Tatsuya's brown hair and slammed his head into the ground. Tatsuya kicked Josh off of him and returned to his feet.

Jyan felt himself losing consciousness due to Orion's deadly grip. Before he allowed himself to blackout, Jyan closed his and focused as he drew some of Gaou's power and forced Orion off of him. Taking into huge mouthfuls of air, Jyan got to his feet as Josh returned to his side. Orion returned to a nearby mirror and caught his breath. Josh pointed directly at Tatsuya as Jyan ran forward in order to position himself directly into Tatsuya's path.

"_Chikelga!"_

Jyan jumped into the air as his chest expanded and released the powerful aura beam from his mouth. Tetsuya was flipping pages in his book in order to quickly counter the spell.

"_Rezuno!"_

Orion emerged from his mirror and to their surprise, he shattered the cast on his right arm and fired a stream of glass shards and countered the aura blast in mid air. Both spells were at a standstill and evenly matched.

"_So his arms being broken was just a trick..."_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- After all of the drama in the last week or so, it was time to get back to Jyan in order to do what I do best and that's writing about kicking some ass. Part 2 of Orion vs Jyan comes out this weekend! R&R folks!_**


	97. The spirit from within!

_**A/N- The OP I use before I start writing as of now is Fairy Tail Evidence aka OP 7 (The song not the actual video lol). Which one could say is the current theme for Iron Revolution. We're currently starting to make the uphill climb into the climax for Jyan's Character Arc. I also used Naruto OST Evil during Jaylin's dialogue.**_

_**Disclaimer- I don't own any of these tracks! **_

"_Chikelga!"_

Jyan jumped into the air as his chest expanded and released the powerful aura beam from his mouth. Tetsuya was flipping pages in his book in order to quickly counter the spell.

"_Rezuno!"_

Orion emerged from his mirror and to their surprise, he shattered the cast on his right arm and fired a stream of glass shards and countered the aura blast in mid air. Both spells were at a standstill and evenly matched.

"_So his arms being broken was just a trick..."_

* * *

><p>The blasts subsided as Orion then shattered the cast on his left arm. "Now, it's timefor you to face my full wrath!"<p>

"_Rezuno!"_

Two massive streams of mirror shardserupted from Orion'shands and rained down upon Jyan and Josh. Josh quickly jumped into some woodland foliage to escape to incoming barrage while Jyan was mowed down by the attack. Orion then landed on his feet and unleashed punch after punch after punch. He grabbed Jyan by the neck and slammed him into a tree. Hand still wrapped around his neck, Orion slammed Jyan into the tree's bark over and over until he toppled it over.

Jyan struggled to break out of Orion's grasp_**,**_ but to no avail. Orion tossed Jyan with all of his might and sent the black_**-**_haired mamodo through multiple trees. Orion jumped into a mirror and literallyflew from mirror to mirror until he reached where Jyan landed and emerged.

_"Rezuno!"_

Orion unleashed another blast of mirror shards from his hand as they made yet another direct impact on Jyan. "AHHHHH!" Jyan yelledout in agony

"You're done for!" Orion growled as he slammed his fist downwards, intending to aim for Jyan's throat.

Orion realizedhis fist did not connectwith his target. Looking down, he saw Jyan's hands had caught his fist. "I don't think so." Jyan said, forcing Orion off of him_**.**_

Jyan returned punch after punch to Orion's face and Orion complied with an exchange of his own. Orion leaped into the air and Jyan followed suit, they exchanged yet another round of punches and kicks in midair. Orion swiped at Jyan but Jyan dodged and landed on his feet. Orion did the same as he made another direct attack towards Jyan but the black haired mamodo was able to dodge his incoming blows.

"_Chikelga!"_

_"Rezuno!"_

Jyan planted his feet on the ground as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fired the focused aura beam from his mouth, Orion opened his palm and released the blast of mirror shards and they collided on impact with each other, making it an even standstill. The blasts subsided as Jyan came charging at Orion. Jyan's fist collided with Orion's jaw, his leg slammed into his stomach and finished up his combo with four more punches to the face.

"I'm just getting warmed up!" Jyan exclaimed as he kicked Orion in the face and sent him flying through the air. Orion however, regained his composure and retreated to a nearby mirror.

"_Gran Rezuro!"_

All of the mirrors glowed with a beige light as a smile crept on Orion's face. "What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to attack?"

"Don't mind if I do!"

Jyan ran forward and took off from the ground into the air, he took aim at the mirror Orion was sitting in. Josh pointed at Orion, spell book glowing brightly.

"_Chikelga!"_

Jyan released the aura beam from his mouth as it collided with Orion's mirror. The mirror did not break, instead it glowed with the blue aura and fired the beam back at Josh and Jyan. Jyan quickly pushed Josh out of the way, dodging the beam. "Well if direct spells won't work, I'll just do it the old fashioned way!"

Jyan ran forward once again and punched the mirror, the mirror sparked and sent the shockwave through Jyan's body before forcing him into the ground. "Damn it."

Orion emerged from his mirror as he began darting from mirror to mirror. Jyan quickly took off in order to keep pace with him. He jumped and dodged tree after tree, branch after branch and stump after stump. When he felt like he would slow down, Jyan pushed himself to run even faster, he wasn't going to let Orion win and he sure as hell wasn't going to let him have a fighting chance at being king.

"Give it up, you have no way of winning." Orion taunted

"Keep dreaming, I've only just gotten started." Jyan said with a smirk

After running aimlessly through the woods for about ten minutes, Josh finally caught up to his partner. "Sorry about that, let's get him!"

Jyan closed his eyes and focused as he called on Gaou's power to flow through his veins. Josh, knowing what Jyan was doing already knew which spell to call on.

"Gaou, we call on your power, the sixth spell! _Gaou Kloruku!"_

Jyan howled to the sky as a blue aura cloaked his body and he got on all fours. Aura claws appeared over his hands and claws appeared on his shoes. Canines grew in his mouth as he became a blue flash. The newly enhanced Jyan found himself directly in front of Orion and_**,**_ with one swing, sent shockwaves at him, shattering all of the mirrors in his path.

"Damn it." Orion growled_**.**_

_"Just like last time, if __**multiple **__mirrors are broken at once, they don't reform. I know how to win**!**"**  
><strong>_

"Jyan_**,**_ go!" he shouted_**.**_

Jyan unleashed another howl towards the sky as multiple blue soundwaves emerged and shattered every mirror within range. Orion tried retreating to the other mirrors he scattered_**,**_ but they were too spaced out_**,**_ and by the time he _**reached **_one, it would be shattered by Jyan. Soon enough, there was nowhere for Orion to run_**:**_ the writing was on the wall and his fate was sealed.

Jyan leaped in the air, still on all fours_**,**_ and swiped his claw downwards_**,**_ but Orion suddenly caught it! Orion held the aura-enhanced claws as best as he could_**,**_ but felt himself being pushed back_**.**_ He felt his feet continuing to slide back_**,**_ but he fought on with all of his might_**.**_ But reality began dawning on him in how futile his actions were. Orion clung onto Jyan's aura claw and the aura began to seep onto him.

"I can't let you win..."

"SOMEONE WHO WOULD JOIN THE BLACK CORPS ISN'T WORTHY OF BEING KING! A BASTARD LIKE YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THE HONOR OF GAINING SUCH A TITLE!" Jyan erupted as he forced his will upon Orion and his power began to overwhelm the Black Corps Freelancer

He felt Jyan's aura fill the wounds in his arms. The aura in his arms grew and grew. The pressure became thick quickly and before Orion knew it, the aura's pressure felt unbearable. To his horror he saw blue lights poking out of his skin as the pressure became heavier and heavier. Orion felt an explosion being released from his arms as they detached from his limbs and his body blew into Tatsuya's_**,**_ causing their book to be covered in blue flames_**,**_ hitting the ground.

"I lost! This isn't possible!" Orion managed to shout as he faded away_**.**_

"We did it...we took down Orion."

"Alright! They did it!" Sheila exclaimed_**.**_

"Good job_**,**_ Jyan!" Wendy exclaimed as they finally caught up to them.

"Pathetic..." Jaylin muttered to herself, acknowledging Orion's defeat_**.**_

The Gaou Kloruku spell wore off and Jyan stood tall in triumph. His victory however, came at a price_**:**_ Jyan fell to his knees and vomited. Not food but blood_**,**_ and lots of it_**. **_Mouthful after mouthful of dark red blood stained the grass as Jyan struggled to breathe. Finally catching his breath_**,**_ Jyan panted loudly.

"What's goingon with you_**,**_ Jyan?" Josh asked, concerned with his partner's sudden illness_**.**_

_**"Jyan used up too much energy from all of the nonstop training he's been doing. Even for a mamodo, excessive training with little rest **__**in **__**between will cause one to overexert **__**themself**__** and get **__**them **__**sick. The fact that I gave Jyan more of my power than we have been training with made things somewhat worse."**_

"Is there a cure for this?"

_**"Fortunately, a few days of rest should do the trick."**_

Josh's sigh of relief was interrupted by a slow rhythm of clapping. They turned to see it was none other than Jaylin.

"Bravo Jyan. Bravo."

"Jaylin..."

"I never really liked Orion anyway_**,**_ so you basically did me a favor."

"What the hell happened to you? Why are you involved with The Black Corps? What is your problem with me?" _**  
><strong>_

"Is this about me not saying goodbye when I moved away? That was because I-"

"It's not about that! It's what happened to me after you left."

"What happened? What are you talking about?"

**"All you need to know is that I'm going to kill you and steal your Revelation Power."** she said in an ominous voice as he eyes glowed red_**. **_

_**"Jyan, that isn't the Jaylin you knew. She's **__**possessed **__**by an entity similar to me." **__**  
><strong>_

**"The furball is correct."**

"How? Why?"

**"It all started when we went into the woods that day. After we split and were **_**separated**_**, I assumed you were also lost and ended back up in the village**_**,**_** so I also found my way home**_**,**_** but then I heard your parents were looking for you, noting that you haven't come home that night. The next morning, I informed your parents about what **_**had **_**happened**_**,**_** and a search party was conducted. You were eventually found in the cave**_**,**_** unconscious**_**,**_** and you guys moved to the capital city.**

**I later found a map and decided to investigate what **_**had **_**happened in that cave. I had a feeling that you found something in there **_**that caused**_** you to be knocked unconscious. After going to the cave**_**,**_** I felt a strange presence, like **_**something**_** I had never encountered beforehand. I saw ominous red haze and ghastly eyes staring deep into my soul. Next thing I knew I was out like a light."**

Jyan winced a little at that last part_**;**_ it was similar to what he encountered.

**"I eventually came to and arrived back at our village**_**,**_** completely torn up**_**,**_** and had to be nursed back to health. I knew something wasn't right with me**_**,**_** but I endured it hoping**** it would go away. ****Then attackers**** from your MOTHER'S clan **_**came**_** to our village and ransacked the place, ignorant to the news that you guys had already packed up and left for the capital. We tried to fight them off**_**,**_** but they were too strong. I felt a surge of power throughout my body and blacked out. When I awakened, I saw nothing but **_**burned**_** corpses everywhere and our beloved village was completely burned to the ground."**

Jyan's eyes widened at Jaylin's revelation of the fate of their once proud hometown. Both Sheila and Wendy had covered their mouths in horror as Jaylin continued on.

**"I screamed and ran towards my old home to find my parents**_**,**_** but they were also dead. I searched aimlessly for any survivors who could tell me what happened**_**,**_**but when I finally found our neighbors, they threw rocks at me and called me a monster. It happened a few more times that day and I eventually was left to ****wander**** the region. That **_**was **_**when my spirit revealed herself to me. It was **_**then that I**_** learned that I was responsible for the village burning down, I was responsible for killing all of those attackers, **_**and **_**I was responsible for killing my parents and neighbors."**_**  
><strong>_

Jyan was looking towards the ground at this point. He had a lot of fond memories of beingwith Jaylin's parents. They were some of the nicest people he'dknown and often spoiled both him and Jaylin. He hadalways called them Uncle and Auntie_**—**_hell_**,**_ he was planning on paying them a visit and doing something nice for them after he became king.

**"My possessor often speaks **_**to **_**me as a form of **_**subconscious, **_**and she began to raise some interesting questions. She asked me why I always followed you around when you would lead me ****into**** peril or troublesome situations**_**,**_** without so much as a second thought. I resented you for such things**_**,**_** but I defended you, gave you the benefit of the doubt**_**.**_** I thought that since you had gone into the cave, you would be going through the same thing as me."**

"I am going throu-"

**"SHUT UP! You may have a monster inside you**_**,**_** like I do**_**,**_** but it's NOTHING like what I've endured. I had to go through physical torture every waking second**_**,**_**as I didn't have the LUXURY **_**of**_** my spirit putting seals on **_**herself**_**...**_**. ...**_**don't look at me **_**as if **_**you don't know what I'm talking about. I sensed the seal during our first encounter**_**,**_** and I destroyed the seals during our second encounter**_**,**_** so you can have a taste of what I have had to go through for YEARS. Anyway, when I found out where you lived in the capital city, I went there and saw **_**you**_** laughing and playing like you did back in the village. I watched you eat dinner with your parents and just have a jolly good time and just flat out act like I never existed."**

Jyan didn't say anythingbut his hands were noticeably balled up into fists.

**"Fuck Jaylin**_**! **__**Why**_** should I give a damn about her? Why should I send her a letter or visit her? Why should I ask about **_**her **_**when I can have fun, have a family, live in a luxurious city**_**,**_** and have everything handed to me**_**?**_**" **she said, obviously mocking Jyan.

**"It was then **_**that **_**I realized that the spirit possessing me was a source of power and wisdom**_**,**_** so I allowed her to advise me and direct me. After leaving the capital for the countryside, I **_**enrolled **_**into a boarding school for assassins and I trained for the next two and a half years**_**,**_** and was eventually selected for this tournament. Once I get rid of you Jyan**_**,**_** and get what I want from The Black **_**Corps**_**, I will become Mamodo Queen and I will hang King Zatch the Appeaser in the town square before erasing all of my enemies**_**,**_** one by one."**

"You've become a monster..._**."**_

**"OF COURSE I'm a monster. That's all that's left of me**_**;**_** but**_**,**_** you know what, that isn't a bad thing. ****POWER IS EVERYTHING! ****And I have lots of it...**_**. Now**_** you know why I bear this hatred for you**_**,**_** Jyan**_**,**_** and let it be known ****that**_**,**_** NEXT TIME, I guarantee Marisa will be with me**** and I swear I will kill you, the cheerleader**_**,**_** and anybody else who's around you**_**;**_** and just so you know,** **killing doesn't mean squat to me. I killed an instructor during a death match back when I was still in school. Your days are limited."**

Jaylin revealed a smoke bomb and slammed it on the ground, disappearing without a trace.

Jyan was appalled by everything he had heard; it was a lot to take in at once. The mental picture frame of him and Jaylin together fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. He vomited again, coughing up chunks of blood_**;**_ he clutched his stomach as he tried not to black out.

_**"Jaylin**__** isn't responsible for all that's happened**__**:**__** it's the spirit that's been possessing her. She's still in there**__**,**__**somewhere. We have to set her free from the spirit's and The Black Corps' control."**_

"So be it_**,**_ then." Jyan said, his resolve solidified_**.**_

Before Jyan could say another word, he fell to his side and faded out of consciousness.

"Jyan!" Josh exclaimed, running over to him_**.**_

Jyan's beef with the Black Corps just got personal.

Jyan's beef with the Black Corps just got personal.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- So Jyan stomps Orion and Roto's squad is now down to just him and Jaylin. We learned why Jaylin hates Jyan. We also see that Jyan's going to be out of commission for a few days. Jaylin is pretty serious with her threat scratch that..guarantee this time so that's another thing on their plate. How will this be resolved? Found out by continuing to read Iron Revolution! R&R folks!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Name- Orion<strong>

**Parnter- Tatsuya**

**Rank-36th out of 100**

**Book Color-Beige**

**Element- Mirrors**

**Book burned by- Jyan and Josh Luther**

**Spells-**

**1.) Rezuno- he shoots mirror shards from his hands**

**2.) Reshieldo- summons a large mirror to absorb the enemy's attack and reflect it back**

**3.) Rezaniru- allows him to travel through mirrors**  
><strong>4.) Rezeranum- summons a bunch of mirrors around the enemy and he travels through the mirrors to attack<strong>  
><strong>5.) Spexamus- gives him the ability to steal a human's soul.<strong>  
><strong>6.) Gran Rezerio- gives the mirrors Orion summons from Rezeranum the ability to absorb spells and reflects them back toward his opponents<strong>


	98. A clash of ideologies! When clouds form!

"Hyaah!" Hori yelled, shattering a tree into woodchips with his fist.

He had been training on his own for quite a while again. Hori would tell Meida that he would be out for a few days and retreat to a forest or a mountainous area to train. Today however, he was going to a park near one of the condos Meida's family owned. The coastal US was fairly decent in summertime as far as weather goes. Tourists from all over flooded the streets going about their merry ways. Hori tended to avoid these things, not so much because he was antisocial but moreso because he found many folks, human and mamodo to be annoying.

Satisfied with his work, he was ready to call it a day. The afternoon sun blazed in the sky as the sunlight refracted off of his back. While the heat may be bothersome to others, it felt pretty nice to Hori.

"You should be ashamed of yourself! Peeking in the women's changing room is very inappropriate!"

A sharp, stern voice caught Hori's attention and he teleported to its location. Hiding in a nearby tree, Hori focused on the voice's owner.

The voiced turned out to belong to a young girl with curly blonde locks that reached down to her waist, her blue eyes bore a striking resemblance to sapphires. Hori knew right off the bat that she was a mamodo, even if he didn't, the lines running down her mouth gave it away. Her white dress, knee high socks and black buckles shoes made Hori scoff at her appearance.

"I'll peek at whatever the hell I feel like, why don't you act like other kids your age Patty?"

"I told you this a million times already Patrick, a Heroine of Justice does not have time to play silly games or other things normal children do. It's quite a sacrifice but somebody has to do it!" she said in a melodramatic fashion

Patrick, Patty's partner looked like any other human in Hori's eyes. (They all looked the same to him.) His black hair was nicely combed, his brown eyes reminded him of the stuff Meida drank in the morning. He was not sure how tall he was but estimated roughly 5'8. He noticed a scar over the boy's nose but thought nothing of it. Hori wasn't one to care about what somebody was wearing especially considering that the boy wore a light blue shirt with a black horizontal stripe on it and matching brown cargo pants, typical white and blue tennis shoes. Lastly, he noticed a blue scarf tied around his forehead.

Hori heard enough already plus he needed a good fight to calm of his pulsing nerves.

Before Patrick could argue with his partner, he noticed the flash of purple light as Hori materialized. Instinctively, he revealed a white spellbook, ready to make a move.

"How pathetic, you're droning on and on about being some kind of heroine. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were a follower in King Zatch the Appeaser's ideology."

"Our king did his best to be kind and benevolent along with showing us the path to justice. I studied intensely on his philosophy and his ideals became my own. I sense something within you...it's power is warm and nurturing yet very ominous at the same time. That being said, as the Heroine of Justice, it is my duty to cleanse you of your wretched ways"

Amongst the commotion, a small boy with chestnut hair watched Hori and Patty in the bushes.

"Cleanse me of my wretched ways huh? Sounds like a challenge!"

Hori teleported and reappeared, catching Patty off guard and punching her into a tree. He dusted off his hands and turned to walk away in disappointment.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Hori turned around to see Patty responding with a punch of her own and sending him towards a tree, Hori however teleported in midair and reappeared before her. "Patty, I'll blast him with a spell, Jun-"

"Patrick, dont!"

"Why not?"

"He does not have his human partner with him. You should know by now that the Heroine of Justice only fights honorably."

Hori simply laughed at this. Apparently this girl did not recognize who he was, most mamodo knew of **The Talented Five** which consisted of himself, Angie, Slash, and two other mamodo named Gansu Genso and Gatrion. All five of them were given that name due to their excellent performance in the Elite Review. An annual exam where mamodo attend in order to be officially recognized as elite. Typically out of the hundreds that are invited, only one-three of them are granted elite status, there even some years where nobody was granted Elite status but the year Hori attended, all five of them passed. This was the first time more than three had passed since **The Four Mamodo Prodigies** of the previous battle class. (Zeon, Brago, Ashuron and Elzador).

Hori snapped out of his thoughts as he blocked all of Patty's incoming blows, to his surprise, Patty was able to parry all of his combos as well. He had to admit the girl had some skills but he wasn't a member of the T5 for nothing. Hori faded to his right then came at his left, walloping Patty into another tree. Normally that would have KOed any typical mamodo but little did Hori know or perhaps even care, Patty was no typical mamodo. She was far tougher than she let on. Patty was back on her feet once more and wiped the blood from her mouth.

"What is...your name?"

Hori normally didn't give his name out which wasn't necessary for him to do so a lot of the time since many knew who he was already. "Hori." he finally spoke'

"Hori of The Talented Five? I've heard stories about you but had no idea what you looked like. That being said, it was an honor to fight you in hand to hand combat."

"I don't need the lip service. You are in no position to judge anybody like you're a deity of sorts."

"I'm not judging anybody, I'm simply trying to help others."

"So you want to Demon Queen so you can bring peace and help others."

"My main goal is not to become queen but to help my partner into becoming a better man and anybody else along the way."

"That's fine and all but if you were queen, how would you bring Justice to the Makai?"

Patty was silent to Hori's question, nobody ever asked her exactly how she would do such a thing.

"Bringing peace and justice to an entire world is a fool's dream and mere wishful thinking."

Hori held up his finger and walked over to Patty, putting it into her face. "The magic number is one."

"What do you mean?"

"If just ONE person is evil or violent then peace is impossible. If just ONE person is breaking the law or doing something bad then there is injustice. You say you want to cleanse the Makai of it's injustice but once you clean up the injustice, another wave of evil will simply sprout up, making it a never ending process."

"That may be true, but at the very least I can make things as peaceful as possible by inducing justice."

"Such a childish fantasy. There is a balance to EVERYTHING and that includes good and evil. If there is an imbalance in favor of evil then obviously a wave of good will balance it but if there is an imbalance in favor of good there will be a wave of evil to balance it."

"Enlighten me on what kind of king you want to become then?" Patty asked, fairly angry with Hori trying to step on her dream

"I don't sit on anybody's side. I have no intentions of making the Makai a better or worse place. All I care about is seizing power and will do whatever I can to obtain it. Power is everything."

"Even if that means bringing destruction and destroying the lives of others."

"If that's what it takes then so be it." Hori said flatly

"Your lack of empathy and compassion is disconcerting." Patty said shaking her head

Hori was silent, he did not respond to Patty's comment right away. After a few more moments, he finally spoke. "Such things you speak of are only a breeding ground for weakness and that's one thing I will not tolerate as king."

"We'll just agree to disagree. I bid you good day sir and our paths will cross again." Patty said as she and Patrick turned and walked away. She glanced over to her bookkeeper and noticed he had a stoic look one his face. Patty wondered what exactly was on his mind.

Hori on the other hand, returned to Meida's condo that evening. "What kept you this time?" she asked with semi-interest

"I got caught up in some annoying and unwanted company." he said gruffly as he plopped his tired body into bed

_[flashback..]_

_"WEAKLING! NOTHING BUT A WEAKLING! YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS!"_

_Hori felt that saliva spatter onto his face as the drill sergeant screamed at him. He felt a strong pair of hands toss him into a cold metallic room that was no bigger than a closet. He pressed his hands on the cold door as the rain began to beat on the metal roof. He looked through the small slot and could only see rain and the ground it was beating on, he pounded on the door, screaming for somebody to let him out but silence was the only thing responding to him. Defeated, Hori sat in the cold corner as the rain continued..._

_[End Flashback...]_

Hori's cold stoic face left it's usual place and for a moment, he had a sad frown. Thankfully, it was concealed in the darkness of the bedroom so nobody could see it. The white haired mamodo eventually drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>[Pacific Island near Hawaii...]<em>

"What the hell have you been doing?! First Harrison now Orion!"

Roto rubbed his temples in frustration. He had just received the news from Jaylin regarding Orion's defeat and he was not pleased or amused to hear that he and Jaylin were the only ones left of their squad.

"I left you in charge because I thought you could handle things while I kick back but I see that was a mistake. This would NOT have happened under my watch.,"

"Will you stop your bitching already? I can handle Jyan and the others by myself."

"I'll have to see it to believe it." Roto said flatly

"Don't step on my toes lest you want to get caught in the path of blind fury."

"No need to worry about me."

Before Jaylin could respond, a Black Corps Goon came out to greet them. "He's ready to see you."

Jyalin and Roto walked into the throne room where dozens of goons stood in single file lines on both sides of the carpet. Blue sat at his throne as the two approached it and knelt.

"The other generals have brought to my attention that your squad has been decimated. That being said, I have also noticed it as well when I stopped sensing the presence of Orion and Harrison. Any explanation for this?"

Both Roto and Jaylin were silent. Blue gave them a disapproving look before continuing.

"We have researched Orion's pearl bracelet and have placed it under the care of a dedicated scientist with vast knowledge of the Revelation Powers and its secrets. I tasked him with a project on how the bracelet can be best used for mass production so I can distribute devices to my other squads in order to obtain the Revelation Powers at a faster rate."

"That being said, there has been a bit of a change of plans. The scientist in charge of the project has requested that we capture a Revelation Holder for experiments and I approved of said notion. I have ordered all squads to be on the lookout for a potential Revelation Holder which brings me to my next point. The one you call Jyan is to be captured with his book intact and for insurance, you are to capture his bookkeeper alive as well."

"There are some people who would provide an interference to our mission."

"You already know what to do if that happens." Blue said rolling his eyes

"If anybody tries to protect him, I will make sure they are destroyed." Jaylin said, bloodlust in her eyes

"Failure is NOT an option this time. I don't ever want to see the two of you again until he is captured. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir."

"Get out of my sight."

Jaylin and Roto nodded as they left the throne room. A large white serpent-like dragon was waiting for them outside. Ryu's ability to summon these creatures made transportation for Black Corps members between the island and their destinations significantly easier and faster. Roto eventually hopped off of the dragon and used his own wings to fly across the ocean.

* * *

><p><em>[St Louis , Missouri...]<em>

Josh checked Jyan's forehead and changed to cold cloth on his forehead. He, Wendy and Sheila all took shifts when it came to tending to Jyan. It seemed that every thirty minutes to an hour, Jyan had chills, nausea or was heavily sweating. Checking the clock, Josh noticed that Sheila and Wendy were on their way over for their shift.

Clouds danced in the sky and the wind picked up, taking a chilling form. The air became thick and humid, signalling a potential storm on the horizon.

_**A/N- Hori and Patty's ideologies are opposite of each other and will probably have more interactions in the future. Jaylin and Roto have been somewhat reassigned and have nothing to lose at this point. Jyan is incapacitated and has not recovered yet. What will happen next? There's only one way of knowing, R&R folks.**_


	99. When clouds darken!

_**A/N- Please keep in mind to not jump the gun and wait until everything is all said and done. (As in the day I post the story's epilogue)**_

"How long do you think it will take for Jyan to get better?"

"A couple of days or so."

Sheila and Wendy were walking down the sidewalk on their way to Josh's house. They agreed to help Josh take care of Jyan, who was still sick from overexertion due to all of the training he's been doing over the last few weeks with little rest and overexposure to Gaou's power, which his body wasn't fully used to. The girls brought various things for Jyan and for Wendy to keep herself entertained with. Medicine, coloring books, toys and even some video games among other things. Looking up at the sky, they saw the clouds forming over the sky and noticed that the temperature had dropped a bit.

"Looks like we better hurry up." Sheila said as she and Wendy quickly dashed up the sidewalk, reaching their destination

After ringing the doorbell a few times, Josh answered.

"It's about time you two." Josh said as he let them in

Wendy quickly went upstairs towards Jyan's room while Josh and Sheila trailed behind her. Opening the door, she saw Jyan laying in his bed, covered in blankets. Wendy saw that his eyes were closed and he was not moving. After quickly going over to him, she heard his soft and gentle snores and smiled a little. He didn't look like such a devil when he was sleeping...he looked like any other little boy.

"Hey Wendy, we're heading to the mall with some people we know from school to run some errands. Will you be alright taking care of Jyan by yourself for a few hours?" Sheila asked

"Yeah, I should be fine. Have fun on your date."

"Wha...no! That's...not what we're doing." she said, flustered

"Right..."

"Anyway, you know my number and Josh's number. In case you forget, they will be written on the table, call us if you need anything or if there's an emergency."

"Okay."

After seeing them off and the carpool picking them up, Wendy made sure to close and lock the door before going back upstairs. She grabbed the small chair from the desk Josh's parents put in Jyan's room sometime ago. Propping herself up in the chair, she looked at Jyan, who was still fast asleep.

_"We have trained a lot over these past few weeks. That was the most intense I have ever seen Jyan. He surely has changed a lot sense the beginning and he's had the same influence on me as well. I remember hearing about him back home and how much of a troublemaker he was...which of course turned out to be pretty accurate but he has a very real chance at being king. I know he will learn to fully control Gaou and his energy one day and when that happens, we all better watch out. Being around Chainz also helped me too...when I first met those two, I thought they were the two biggest idiots on the planet but they ended up becoming my best friends."_

Wendy smiled to herself at that thought and heard a loud plop. She looked up to see the cooling pad fell off of Jyan's forehead. Picking it up she felt the heat singe her fingertips and knew it was time for a new one. She went into the bathroom and found the box sitting on the bathroom counter. Retrieving one from the box, she returned to the bedroom and placed it on his forehead. Wendy felt her balance slip and fell onto the floor, her necklace got caught on the bed rail and tightened around her neck. Wendy quickly picked herself up, freed the necklace and coughed a little. She looked down at her palm where the idol rested, observing it.

It was not flashy nor was it made of any precious gems or metals. It was a crudely carved idol with a black string-like band going through it and two metal clips towards each end, which was used to connect the necklace together. Wendy clutched the necklace in her hand and sat back down in the chair by Jyan's bed. "Well, I know you're asleep and all but it's no fun to sit here and talk to myself and besides, you always do all of the talking. So for once, it will be me doing the talking. It may not look like much...but this necklace is a big part of me. It has brought happiness and also a lot of pain..."

_[Flashback...]_

**_I originated from a small tribe of nomads who specialized in air spells and I lived with my entire family, it was somewhat rigorous but we were happy. A sudden illness broke out in our tribe and I was one of the few who did not fall ill and was sent out to get medicine for everybody. It was on my way back that I met a mysterious person..._**

_Wendy walked down the country lane as she carried the large backpack containing all of the medicine for everybody back at her tribe. They weren't able to go to their summer area due to most of the tribe being sick and unable to move. She had to get a move on and return home as quickly as she could. Up ahead she saw someone standing in the middle of the road. Wendy could not see the person's face due to the hood obstructing their identity, she couldn't even tell whether the person was male or female either because of the baggy robe over their body that extended all of the way to the ground. _

_"That's a lot of herbs you have on your back there little girl."_

_"Y-Yes. I have to bring these to my tribe so they can recover."_

_"A young girl shouldn't have to carry such a heavy burden. Tell ya what, I'll lighten your load for you."_

_"What do you mean by that? I really have to-"_

_"Hear me out. I will give you this magical charm in exchange for the herbs." The hooded figure said, revealing the necklace_

_"I don't think I should." she said, not impressed with the shoddy craftsmanship and besides, it seemed just too good to be true._

_"Don't judge something by how it looks. It's what's inside that counts." the shady figure said pointing to Wendy's chest_

_That last part resonated within Wendy as she reluctantly agreed and exchanged the plants for the idol. As a result, she returned back to the tribe quicker than expected. _

_"Where are the herbs girl?" the chief demanded_

_"We don't need them. I have something much better."_

_"Oh?"_

_Wendy revealed the necklace to the tribe to which she was met with a mix of anger and laughter. Distraught, Wendy retreated to her home and went to bed without any dinner. After what seemed like a few moments of slumber, she suddenly felt herself being shaken awake. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw her mother sitting next to her._

_"Wendy come quickly."_

_"What? Why?"_

_"It's the chief's son."_

_Wendy quickly sprang up and hurried outside where many other tribe members were gathered together. Pushing her way through the crowd, she saw the chief with eyes full of tears. He saw Wendy and burst into even more tears, Wendy felt a pit in her stomach as she went inside the chief's dwelling and couldn't believe her eyes. The chief's son was on his feet, jumping around, dancing and laughing with the other children._

_"The chief's son has been ill for months now and the medicine man said he didn't have much time left and even with medicine, the chances were still bleak but here he is, completely cured." Wendy's mother said to her_

_"Wendy." _

_Everybody was silent when hearing the chief's booming voice.. "Y-Yes?"_

_"Thank you and on behalf of the tribe, we are sorry we did not believe you about your necklace." to which everybody else agreed_

**_"Over the next few weeks, everybody slowly but surely recovered from the illness and I was deemed a heroine. Numerous feasts were held in my honor and we moved into our summer grounds. Things couldn't have gotten any better..."_**

_The tribe's children were all outside where the nomadic village had set up their summer grounds playing a game of kickball and just so happened to be Wendy's turn. She kicked the ball into the sky, far out of the reach of any outfielders, making it a homerun and winning the game. Her teammates swarmed her with high fives and pats on the back._

_"Good job Wendy."_

_"Nice job."_

_"Just what one would expect from the local heroine."_

_Wendy rubbed her head sheepishly at all of the attention she received and wanted some space. She felt her dress being tugged by a small hand, turning around she saw a smaller girl with a doll in her hand. She was half the size of Wendy and most likely half the age as well. She had short light blue pigtails, a red blush on her cheeks and a green dress on._

_"Wendy...I want you to have one of my dollies." she said, holding it up to her face_

_Wendy was taken aback by the offer. The doll was a beautiful porcelain one with black hair, lovely green eyes and painted red lips. Her dress was a really frilly and lacy green along with white stocking and black leather shoes. None of the other children have given her such a wonderful gift._

_"Her name is Amicita or Ami for short. It means friendship and she is my friend...and so are you." the little girl said smiling_

_"T-Thank you." Wendy said, blushing as she took Ami from the little girl_

_"What is your name?"_

_"I'm Aria."_

_"Well Aria, consider me your friend." _

_Wendy was met with applause from the other children as the celebration continued. _

_The ongoing celebration however, was shortlived. A loud rumble filled the air as many of the other children pointed to the incoming mudslide and quickly darted for higher ground. Climbing up a nearby hill, Wendy and numerous children made it to high ground. Much to Wendy's horror, she saw others who weren't as lucky. Child after child was swept away by the current and it got to the point where Wendy couldn't even look anymore._

_After a few minutes to disaster subsided and what was once their refuge to play and have fun was not a wasteland. _

_"Wendy!"_

_She turned around to see her parents standing with the other adults who frantically came for their kids. Wendy got to her feet and sprinted to them, crying in their arms. Wendy saw other parents reunite with their children as well. Once all of the surviving children were reunited with their parents, there was the tasks of the parents whose children were not as fortunate, including one blue haired woman and her husband._

_"Aria!"_

_"Aria!"_

_"Aria!"_

_It then dawned on Wendy that Aria was swept away by the current. Wendy looked down at the doll the little girl gave her earlier that day and felt the tears ooze down her face, her body shook and fell to the ground as grief overtook her._

**_"Half a generation was wiped out in a mere few minutes. Our chief told us that a mudslide hadn't occurred in well over 500 years so he assumed that it was naturally past due. We immediately packed up and moved away from our traditional summer grounds never to return. After a while, our mental and emotional wounds were beginning to heal but then it happened again..."_**

_Wendy felt herself being shaken awake by her mother. "Wendy, wake up."_

_"Wha.."_

_"We need to leave."_

_Wendy quickly got dressed and looked outside. She saw multiple bandits stetting numerous homes on fire and their leader looting the tribe of its assets. They blasted beams from their hands, striking down villagers left and right. Wendy's mother covered her eyes as she picked her up and quickly fled. _The aftermath was nothing that was easy to look at. Homes were burned to the ground, tribesmen were dead or wounded and they had to move again.__

**__"What was once considered two freak accidents became a regular occurrence Whether it was a natural disaster, a bandit attack or a monster attacking, we ended up moving fifteen times over the span of six months. Take into consideration that we only move 3-4 times a year as the seasons progress. Before I knew it, everything was adding up..."__**

__Wendy felt herself being shaken awake. At this point it was simply Deja vu once again. Opening her eyes, it was not her mother waking her but the chief himself. He motioned to Wendy to follow him and she complied. Going to his dwelling, Wendy saw the other tribesmen and tribeswomen gathered Many of whom were giving Wendy harsh glares. The chief signaled everybody's attention.__

__"My tribesmen. You have all been summoned here today because of something that I'm sure many of us have speculated for a while.__

__A wave of grumbling rose throughout the chief's home before he signaled them for silence. "Wendy, when you brought what you called a magic charm, it healed the sick yet as time went on we had a mudslide that wiped out half of a generation of tribesmen, we lost homes and more people to bandits, some of our traditional grounds were destroyed by various creatures of the Makai. __

__A wave of dark omens such as these have not occurred in centuries yet disaster after disaster occur in the matter of months. We have no choice but deem you as cursed."__

__Wendy's eyes widened on this. She knew that the numerous occurrences were odd but there was no way she could have been responsible for this happening. There just had to be some kind of mistake, these misfortunes was just all coincidences and unfortunate circumstances of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.__

__"Mama...Papa..." Wendy began to say but saw her mother crying into her father's shoulder as they appeared to be ashamed.__

__"Traditionally, the punishment for being deemed cursed is **death** but seeing that we lost so many of our tribesmen in only a few short months, why should we make our ancestors weep any further? You are hereby expelled from the tribe, you are free to take any belongings you desire but it is recommended that you take only what you would need."__

__Wendy felt the salty tears sting her eyes as she turned and left the chief's dwelling. How could she fight the chief's ruling? All evidence seemed to point to the accursed necklace. Wendy grabbed a small bag and packed a few things. She then saw Ami, the doll Aria had given to her. She picked up the doll and stroked it's hair and beautiful porcelain face. Aria's face and voice burned itself into Wendy's mind.__

___"Her name is Amicita or Ami for short. It means friendship and she is my friend...and so are you." ___

___Wendy felt the tears stream down her face as she clutched the doll tightly and her body trembled as Aria's death was also fresh in her mind. The girl's screams as she was swept in the mudslide echoed through her ears. Wendy threw the fragile doll against the wall and smashed it into dozens of pieces.___

___She stood up and left their home. She saw her parents and other tribesmen standing towards the outskirts leading into the wilderness. Wendy embraced her parents for what seemed an eternity before letting go. Picking up her bag, she walked into the wilderness, leaving her tribal grounds behind.___

__ Wendy waved goodbye to her parents and continued walking.__

__**"That was the last time I ever saw my parents. I wandered from place to place with nowhere to go. I eventually came upon an orphanage in a town on the other side of the Makai. They quickly took me in and enrolled me into their school..."**__

__Wendy looked at her bed, it was plain and nothing really fancy or feminine about it. She laid into the bed, staring at the ceiling and that's when she felt it. The idol necklace poking her chest. Looking down at it, she felt her hand tremble and tears fill her eyes. On impulse, Wendy yanked the necklace in an attemtpt to snap it off her neck. She yanked it again but to no avail.__

__"Why won't it come off?!"  
><em>_

__Wendy pulled and pulled on the necklace as hard as she could and it stayed put, she threw herself across the room , trying to snap the necklace but all of her efforts were in vain. Red welts painfully appeared all over her neck as she looked to the floor. __

__"Does this means I will always be cursed?"__

**__"At that moment I accepted my fate. I stopped trying to fight it and realized that I was destined for a life full of misery and was a danger to those around me. I didn't want anybody else to get hurt so I pushed away everyone who would try to get closed to me. Over the next few years, I built my strength up and excelled at school and won the tournament held at our orphanage. As the winner, I was chosen for the battle to become king or queen in my case obviously. Then a few weeks before we were sent here, it happened again..."__**

__Wendy tossed and turned in bed as she tried to ignore the commotion outside. Explosion after explosion rattled off in her ear. She knew what was going on, demons from other dark clans were attacking the town. It was a long time since anything had happened but Wendy knew that it would not stay that way forever.__

__"Why should others have to suffer because of me? I shouldn't be sitting here in this bed while the other students and townsfolk are out there." __

__Wendy rose from the bed and made her way outside. Getting into the sunlight, she saw the carnage, houses where burned or damaged, many others were wounded. She heard more explosions and knew it was the result of spells hitting each other, Wendy ran through the streets, zipping past houses, students, everybody. She figured if she left the town, the violence would stop and her curse wouldn't affect them. Before she can leave however, she was taken off her feet by an incoming blast. Looking up, she saw a man but he wore a black mask and one could not identify his face.__

__"That necklace will be mine." he said darkly__

__"Take it. I want it gone." she said, seeing this as a blessing in disguise__

__"You don't understand. That isn't any necklace, what you have around on your neck is a priceless artifact and the only thing that can remove it, is **death**." __

_Wendy's eyes widened at his revelation. _

_"Dying's the only way to get rid of it huh...looks my tribe made the right decision in banishing me then."_

_"Tribe you say? Oh, so you WERE from that air tribe we annihilated?"_

_"What?!"_

_"You heard me. I said we picked up some information that this necklace was possessed by a tribe of nomadic demons who specialized in air magic. So we raided the place and killed everybody because they wouldn't fork over the necklace. You should have heard the beg and scream for their lives."_

_Wendy was frozen by this information, her eyes were still widened and she felt herself shut down completely._

_"No...no...mother...father...chief...all of the other kids. They killed them...they killed them all."_

_"Don't get so upset, you'll be joining them all in the afterlife soon enough!"_

__The dark clan member's hand covered itself with dark energy and formed into a blade as he attempted to stab Wendy but missed. Somehow Wendy got to her feet and took off running. When she had a little bit of distance on him, she turned around as clouds formed on her hands and she tossed wind blades at him, kicking up some dust. That however, did not slow him down as his body turned into shadow after images and he was in front of her. Hand covered in shadow energy again, he thrust his into Wendy's stomach, impaling her.__

__Wendy saw the blood staining her clothes and felt her vision fade away. Her attacker being an adult male, it was no surprise he could injure her like that. "So I guess this is it for me..." Wendy said as she closed her eyes__

**__"The attack was over shortly after it began and even though the dark clan was wiped out, they did damage the town quitte a bit. The casualties for the town was moderately low. Many of the deaths were other students who laid down their lives to defend the town, orphnaga and school they loved so deeply. The man who attacked me was killed by my homeroom teacher not too long after I had blacked out. I spent the next few weeks recovering before coming here."__**

_[End Flashback...]_

Wendy sat there in the chair, her chin resting on her knees. She still held the carved idol in her hand as she tucked it back into her shirt. "Thank you for being a good listener Jyan. Of course, I'm talking to someone who's asleep but it still counts in my opinion." Wendy stood up from the chair belt felt a hand grab hers, turning around, she saw that the hand belong to Jyan, whose eyes were still closed. and appeared to still be asleep.

Wendy's smile quickly faded as she froze in her tracks.

"No...why now?"

She turned over towards Jyan who was sweating heavily at this point, he tossed and turned in discomfort.

_"Jyan feels it too then. This demonic aura is really strong and nauseating. It's heading directly to Josh's house, I gotta get in touch with them and soon."_

Wendy quickly ran out of the room and down the stairs, she grabbed the phone off the kitchen table and tried to dial Sheila's number and heard nothing but silence on the other end. "Damn it. The line's dead."

She quickly ran to the front door and jerked it open. Looking outside, everything was still the same except that the clouds were now a noticeable gray. A flock of crows squawked as they flew over Wendy and perched themselves into a nearby tree.

"_I don't want to leave Jyan here alone but if I carry him, not only will moving him be a bad thing but he would also slow me down. Sick or not, Jyan can handle himself. I have to find Josh and Sheila and fast."_

Wendy locked the door behind her and took off down the sidewalk, determined to reached them.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Well that's a wrap. I don't have much to comment on right now other than that was the longest chapter I've written in a while, so stay tuned for the next chapter. R&R!**_


	100. When clouds begin to rain!

_**A/N- Wow,, this is the 100th chapter. It has been an amazing two years writing Iron Revolution and I would like to thank everybody for all of the praise, criticism, support and loyalty. I spent many sleepless nights, many months of storyline writing and planning, many storyboards, many ideas and drafts scrapped. However, it has all been worth it and I don't regret a damn thing.**_

_**We are about 60% done with Iron Revolution with tons of stuff to go. I believe I have mentioned this before but I am currently in the initial stages of writing and preparing the final arc. I have the entire concept and storyline done for the most part as well as who will be participating in the final battles and whatnot. I will obviously comment a lot more on this when the time comes but for now, continue to enjoy the rest of The Black Corps arc. **_

Wendy continued sprinting down the sidewalk, she had been running for the last twenty minutes or so without stopping. Seeing the shopping district up ahead, she picked up her feet and made it tot he area. She frantically looked around and saw the only mall on that side of the city. Wendy ran through the automated doors and continued looking around, she got on the escalator but quickly lost her patience and pushed her way up. On the upper floor, Wendy ran through the store, wasting no time whatsoever.

Wendy saw the exit that lead into the rest of the mall and took it. Sliding around the crowds and pushing through random bystanders, she saw a table near the food court where a handful of teenagers were gathered, most notably Josh and Sheila as well. Turning around, Sheila saw Wendy coming towards them and alerted Josh.

Sheila and Josh excused themselves from the group and ran over to Wendy. No words were exchanged, the look in Wendy's eye told them what they needed to know.

"Lead the way." Sheila said removing both Wendy's and Jyan's book from her purse and handing Jyan's book to Josh

The three quickly made their way to the exit. Which surprised Wendy due to all of the trouble she had to go through just to get there. They galloped down the busy sidewalk as they were in a frantic hurry to reach Josh's house.

_"I feel the demonic scent growing stronger...it may not be a smart idea to let them get to Josh's house."_

"Josh. You go on ahead to your house! Sheila and I will intercept them before they get to your house. Jyan is in no condition to fight so he will only be a liability!"

"But.." Sheila began to say but Josh cut her off

"Wendy is right. There's not much Jyan and I can do right now. Alright, I'll go tend to Jyan. Good luck you two."

"Thanks."

Josh saw a nearby bus loading up on passengers and quickly jumped on board. Sheila and Wendy however crossed the street, going a different path. Wendy let her instincts take over and followed the scent, ready to cut them off before they could go any further. They cut through alleys, around buildings, under overpasses and finally found themselves in one of the city's numerous parks. Going through the interest, one could see it was deserted as there was no one around. No children, no joggers no anybody. However, Wendy saw a few figures ahead and sprinted a few feet further where the demonic scent was the most concentrated.

Reaching the attackers, Wendy and Sheila saw that it was none other than Marisa, Jaylin, Roto and his human partner.

"Why hello there, cheerleader." Jaylin sneered

"Sheila, it has been quite a while since I've seen you." Marisa said fondly

"You guys don't ever give up do you?" Wendy growled

"Jyan is the prize the Black Corps is after and we will have him. Once we siphon his Revelation Power, I will kill him and get my revenge."

"Not if I have anything to say about that."

"Get lost cheerleader, our mission doesn't concern the likes of you." Jaylin said dismissively

"I will not let you get to Jyan."

"Then you have made a very deadly mistake." Roto said coldly

_"Hikaruga!"_

Jaylin opened her hand as a beam of light can barreling towards Wendy, she quickly grabbed Sheila and jumped out of the way as it exploded behind them.

"What's wrong cheerleader? Is my first spell too powerful for you?"

"Not at all. Sheila!"

_"Wilasu!"_

Clouds formed on Wendy's hands as she swung them both, creating two wind blades. Jaylin smirked and held her hands out as they exploded, kicking up dust. When the dust cleared, multiple cuts were decorated on Jaylin's arms, causing blood to slowly leak.

_"How...how could this be? Her demonic presence isn't very strong yet her spell did much more damage than I anticipated."_

"What's wrong Jaylin? Is my first spell too powerful for you?"

"You're gonna pay for that you bitch." Jaylin said disappearing then reappearing in front of Wendy. She swung back her fist but Wendy quickly blocked it. Their hand to hand combat continued as they traded punch after punch going tip for tap. Wendy picked up the pace and Jaylin followed suit, their combos becoming more complex. Wendy saw and opening and took advantage of it as she collided her fist into Jaylin's face, knocking her back a bit.

"_Her demonic presence is getting stronger? This weak little cheerleader has never shown any potential for this level of strength, how cans he suppress it that well?"_

The clouds in the sky had darkened to the point where they were nearly black. Drops of rain sprinkled down and thunder rumbled in the sky. The drizzle quickly evolved into light rain and puddles began to form all throughout the park. Sheila glared at Wendy and viceversa, "So, you're stronger than I initially anticipated, this should be more interesting than I thought it would be."

"Perhaps."

"_Aras Hikarudo!"_

A flash sparkled from the sky and multiple lance-like projectiles made of light rained down on Wendy and Sheila. Sheila quickly rolled out of the way but Wendy took off running, turning and dodging every lance that rained down. Once the barrage stopped, the missed projectiles extended from the ground. Jaylin grabbed a nearby fallen projectile as it formed into what appeared to be a lance. Gripping the hold on it tightly, she charged at Wendy before tossing it. Wendy jumped over the lance-like projectile as it exploded behind her. Jaylin picked up another and tossed it but Wendy ducked under it. Jaylin picked up projectile after projectile but Wendy rolled, dodged and umped over all of them.

"I'm going to take you down!"

_"Wizamuku!"_

Black clouds identical to the ones in the sky above them formed on her hands and lighting crackled around them. She swung one fist down on Jaylin but she blocked it. Wendy slammed her next fist into Jaylin's stomach, sending her flying backwards. Wendy did not let her get away as she released punch after punch into Jaylin's body, Jaylin fell into a nearby puddle as the water splashed everywhere. "You're done." she said as she raised her right fist and slammed it into Jaylin's stomach, sending sparks of lightning into the puddle, the water conducted the electricity and electrocuted Jaylin, kicking up a large cloud of smoke.

"AHHHHHHH!" she screamed as the area around her exploded

When it cleared up, Wendy stood over Jaylin as the other girl's dress was burnt but still in tact. A small stream of smoke emerged from her body, and it seemed like she was out cold.

"Is that it? Did we win?"

Unnoticed by Wendy, a smile appeared on the seemingly unconscious Jaylin's face.

_"Multias Hikaru!"_

A small orb formed in Jaylin's hand as she tossed it at Wendy, shattering it into multiple pieces. The shattered projectiles surrounded Wendy completely, whenever she tried to move, the projectiles honed in and and attacked her, slicing through her skin. Wendy was completely trapped with nowhere to go or no way for her to fight out of it.

"Did you honestly think I'd go down that easily? I let you attack me at close range to drop your guard down so I can use this spell on you. Now, you'll feel to true extent of my wrath."

* * *

><p>Josh got off of the bus in front of his house and was fully prepared to run inside, but to his surprise he saw Jyan fully dressed. However, he was leaning on the door frame, barely able to even stand up.<p>

"Josh, no need to worry about me. We gotta get going." he said as he hobbled over towards Josh

"There's no way in hell you can fight right now." Josh said but he then saw the look in Jyan's eye and conceded to the black haired mamodo

"You don't think I know that? Still...I have to protect Wendy."

"How can you protect her if you can't fight?"

"I will use Gaou's power...even if it completely destroys my body."

"Jyan, relying too much on Gaou is what got you in this condition in the first place. Now you want to use even more of his power when you can barely even stand?"

"Look, we don't have anymore time to waste, we have to hurry!" Jyan snapped

Jyan told Josh that he sensed multiple mamodo in the park towards the middle of the city to which Josh noted was a five to ten minute drive. Opening the garage, he remembered that the emergency van had been taken to the shop for repairs plus his parents were furious when they found out that him, Ishimaru and Arashi had driven it to Arizona.

"Damn it..." he cursed under his breath as he picked up Jyan and placed the boy on his back. Josh then proceeded to sprint down the sidewalk as they trekked out of the suburb and into the city.

"_The next bus won't come around here for a while and there's no telling how long it would take for a cab to get here. All of that is valuable time that we'll be wasting..."_

Josh focused up ahead and continued running down the sidewalk as the light rain pelted them. Jyan, clung onto Josh's neck as he felt a mix of things running through at the moment.

_[Flashback...Chapter 99]_

_**__"At that moment I accepted my fate. I stopped trying to fight it and realized that I was destined for a life full of misery and was a danger to those around me. I didn't want anybody else to get hurt so I pushed away everyone who would try to get close to me."__**_

_[Flashback...Chapter 65]_

_"What's up?" Jyan asked_

_"Please take care of Wendy."_

_"Whatever dude, I'm not her babysitter." he scoffed_

_"You'll understand what I mean eventually." Azure said, walking away_

_[End Flashback...]_

**_"It took me a while to figure out what Azure meant when he told me that. I didn't know why or what kind of king I wanted to be...but I found my reason."_**

Jyan snapped out of his thoughts when he realized that Josh was running down a back road in order to avoid freeways. He clung onto his bookkeeper's shirt as he continued onwards. Thunder crashed in the clouds once more, causing a flock of crows to depart a nearby tree and fly over them.

* * *

><p>Wendy stood a few feet away from Jaylin. The various projectiles floated around her, waiting for the command to strike her again.<p>

"Why are you trying to collect the Revelation Powers?" Wendy asked

"That's honestly isn't any of your business but since you're going to die anyway, I will tell you. Blue, The Machine Titan is the leader of The Black Corps and desires the **Seven Revelation Powers. **The Revelation Powers were of course sealed by the original demon king and they each represent a virtue which are known as **Love, Friendship, Compassion, Courage, Forgiveness, Faith and Hope. **It is said that the original king split all of his power into these seven virtues before his death shortly after. Blue wants to acquire all seven of them for his own power and thanks to technology, we have discovered an artificial method to accessing this power. Once the Revelation Powers are collected, Blue will absorb them all and will use his power to grant himself immortality and become the god of the Makai."

"That's impossible!" Wendy exclaimed

"Shut your mouth, insolent wench!" Jaylin yelled signaling the multiple fragments to attack Wendy

Wendy yelled out in pain as the fragments battered her body from every possible direction, causing her to cough and choke on the ground. She stood up, breathing heavily.

"_Should I use **that **spell? No...not yet but I think I know something that could work just as well."_

Jaylin signaled the bouncing projectiles to attack Wendy again and as the the projectiles rained on Wendy once more, Sheila was ready.

_"Twi Wishidon!"_

Winds formed around Wendy and became a cyclone. The cyclone sucked in all of the projectiles homing in on her, Wendy raised her hands and began manipulating the cyclone. Wendy shifted to her hands to form the cyclone into a disk.

"Here's a taste of your own medicine!"

Wendy hopped off her back foot as she spun and tossed the disk at Jaylin. The disk collided into the girl before opening up as a cyclone once again and sucking ehr inside. The bouncing projectiles attacked Jaylin and due to the high speed winds, the projectiles became bullets and rattled the girl. Dozens of wind blades cut and sliced Jaylin's skin before slamming her into the ground.

"Damn...it." Jaylin growled getting up. She looked up at Wendy and saw a totally different girl than before. Her long blue hair was raised and swaying in the wind, her eyes glowed brightly and her demonic presence increasing rapidly.

_"How much of her power has she been suppressing this whole time?"_

_"Rin Hikaruzen!"_

Multiple rings of light energy appeared around Jaylin and idly floated around. Wendy knew right away that this was not a good sign and had to act fast. One of the rings floated in front of Jaylin as she sent it zipping towards Wendy, who dodged it and saw the ring slice a large tree in half before it hit the ground. The next ring floated in front of Jaylin as she put her hand in the center of it.

_"Hikaruga!"_

A massive white beam released itself from the ring's center at Wendy, she couldn't completely dodge but was able to avert most of the damage.

_"Those rings are able to slice through things like a buzzsaw and they double as a spell enhancer. There's no way I can hit those things from the ground..."_

"Sheila, I'm going to destroy those rings...you know which spell to use."

"Are you sure you want to use it now?"

"Yes."

"The fifth spell, _Wi Ma Feiruku!"_

A blue ring formed and closed in around Wendy's body as a gust of wind hit her body and wings formed. A blue wind disk appeared above her head, she slowly opened her eyes and a fierce look was fixated in her eyes. With her own resolve beyond solidified, she took off to the air.

"That's not going to get you off easily!"

"_Hikaruga!"_

Jaylin fired the beam through a ring but Wendy flew around it. Jaylin continued this attack by firing enhanced Hikaruga beams through the rings, missing Wendy each time. Jaylin then quickly sent a ring at Wendy in an attempt to slice her in half but they were prepared for something like this.

_"Wilasu!"_

Wendy tossed a much larger than normal wind blade at the ring, causing an explosion. When the smoke cleared, it was shown that the ring had been destroyed. Wendy circled the air around Jaylin and Sheila began putting her all into the book.

"_Wilasu! Wilasu! Wilasu! Wilasu!"_

Wendy sent wind blade after wind blade at each of the rings, destroying them all. After destroying her last target, she picked up more air and maneuvered a U-turn before descending from the sky, picking up large speeds and slamming Jaylin in the stomach, sending the girl flying into a thick oak tree. Jaylin got up and was ready for Wendy's assault. Wendy rained a fury of punches and kicks, many of whom Jaylin blocked or countered with her own. Wendy however, grabbed Jaylin and took her up into the sky.

Wendy began flying around in circles, picking up speed as she went around over and over . She made a back flip in air before doing a complete nosedive. Nearing the ground, she dropped Jaylin, causing a large crater to form into the terrain. She picked up enough momentum to regain her balance in air.

"This spell enhances my body,my speed, gives me the ability of flight and amplifies my spell power. This is one of the multiple tricks up my sleeve."

Marisa ran over the crater Wendy formed by dropping Jaylin in the ground. Wendy could not hear what she said but saw a bright light illuminating from the ground. She then saw a blur shoot up into the air, when the blur came to a halt she saw it was in fact Jaylin. Her transformation was similar to Wendy's sans a blue disk over her forehead. Four white wing segments were extended from her back.

"This fight will now commence in the sky."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Wendy has found Josh and Sheila, she has intercepted Roto and Jaylin. Blue wants the Revelation Powers so he can become (in his own mind) a eternal god of the Makai. Wendy is going toe to toe with Jaylin. Jyan and Josh are on their way to the battlefield even though Jyan is in no condition to fight. Lots more to come in Iron Revolution! R&R!**_


	101. When the rain falls!

Marisa ran over the crater Wendy formed by dropping Jaylin in the ground. Wendy could not hear what she said but saw a bright light illuminating from the ground. She then saw a blur shoot up into the air, when the blur came to a halt she saw it was in fact Jaylin. Her transformation was similar to Wendy's sans a blue disk over her forehead. Four white wing segments were extended from her back.

"This fight will now commence in the sky."

* * *

><p>"If that's the case, then so be it."<p>

_"Wilasu!"_

Wendy swung her arms as more Wilasu blades were call forth. Jaylin, with her newfound speed, dodged all of them. She then tackled Wendy in midair, sending her plummeting to the ground. Wendy however, regained control in midair and slammed into Jaylin. Both girls willing to return the favor began smashing into each other, creating two blurs in the air. The clashing eventually subsided and both of them panted and were gearing up for round two.

"_Aio Uruku!"_

Wendy flew towards Jaylin as an orb-like forced was released from her body, passing through Jaylin. Jaylin's wings stopped flapping and were completely still.

"What is this? I've completely slowed down!"

_"Aio Uruku allows Wendy to control the air around her and heavily slows down the opponent. It also allows her to move faster, once Jaylin took to the skies, I knew this spell would come in handy.." _

"This tide of the battle changes here!" Wendy exclaimed grabbing Jaylin by the wings as she flew around in a circles, each circle faster than the last. She picked up more speed before letting go, throwing Jaylin into the ground at borderline mach-3 speed. She collided with the ground, forming a much larger crater than last time, the impact rivaling a small earthquake.

"Heh." Wendy puffed, beaming with satisfaction as she lower herself to the ground and her wings dissipating. It was a tough battle but she was able to overcome Jaylin. She walked over to the crater where Jaylin lay, prepared to finish her off. As soon as she got towards the crater's edge, she was ready to strike. She motioned to Sheila to give her another spell but before she could get a chance to do so, a curt smile appeared on Marisa's face.

"_Why is she smiling?"_

At that moment, a blur sprang up through the crater, slamming into Wendy's stomach, sending her flying into Sheila. Wendy crawled away from her human partner and stood to her feet. Jaylin's blow knocked the wind out of her (no pun intended) but that wasn't going to stop her from fighting back. Looking at Jaylin, all of the power she put forth in her attacks on Jaylin and she only had a few scratches and some tears in her clothes here and there.

"You must be wondering why I don't have very many injuries, well I will admit it to you. I've been playing around with you this whole time!"

Wendy's eyes widened at this revelation, she hasn't been taking their fight seriously!

"Of course, you're far stronger than I anticipated and I commend you on that but...it's not enough to beat me."

_"Orubu Hikaruku!"_

Light engulfed Jaylin's body as jolts of light expanded from her body and formed into clones of herself and soon enough, there were six Jaylins. "Most mamodo aren't worthy of seeing this spell including yourself, but since you've been somewhat entertaining and the sheer fact I want to dispose of you, I'm giving you a reward of witnessing this."

The five clones surrounded Wendy in a circle as each of them took turns beating and attacking Wendy. Their punches and kicks sent Wendy bouncing around the circle like a pinball. Sheila had to do something and fast.

_"Wilasu!"_

Amongst all of the punching and kicking battering Wendy's bruised body, she released wind blades, causing the light clones to dissipate, only to have them regenerate a few seconds later.

"Weak spells like that won't destroy my light clones!" Jaylin said, simply watching the action from afar. She didn't find it necessary or worth her energy to attack Wendy alongside her clones when they clearly had it under control. One of Jaylin's clones swung her heavy fist into Wendy's face, leaving another bruise and knocking the girl into the ground. Sheila felt her hands grip into the book, leaving scratch marks.

"_Wizamuku!"_

The black clouds formed around Wendy's fists as she swung at the clones eventually catching and destroying each of them but they regenerated once again and restarted their assault on Wendy. Their nonstop punching and stomping making it difficult to watch.

"I already told you! Weak spells will not work on my clones!" Jaylin sneered, clearly enjoying the clones' continuing beatdown

"_Wicishido!"_

A bluish cloud appeared above Wendy and released loads of ping-pong ball-sized hail, forcing the clones to dissappear but like the other attempts, they reformed yet again. The clones grabbed Wendy , held her down and each took turns laying down punch after punch. Wendy could not even feel pain anymore, the ongoing assault left her body numb and swollen, she had no idea how many bones were broken or how much internal damage she had.

Sheila couldn't take this anymore. She knew Jaylin had used her clone spell not only to hurt Wendy but to also bait her into using a powerful spell, knowing it would use up most of her Heart Energy but what choice did she have? If she didn't do something soon, there's no telling how much more Wendy could take.

_"Wendy..."_

_[Flashback...]_

**_"I remember when I lived with my sick mother in middle school about four years ago and my father was hardly around, he was also so busy but I never resented for it. He was always thinking about us and did what he had to support his family. Though by the time the following year rolled around, my mother died from her illness and I saw even less of my father. I was watching him on tv and witnessed him dropping dead...I remember how hysterical I was at that moment. They say it was the stress that gave him a heart attack. We later found out he had gotten involved with some shady people and I had to transfer schools plus move in with my aunts and uncles. I also changed my last name to Thompson. I was completely dead inside..."_**

_Sheila was walking home from school, going around the various commuters who were in a hurry and seeing many cars speed past her as they maneuvered through traffic lights. She felt the back of her neck and saw that it was wet, looking up she saw the rain beginning to fall and in response, retrieved her umbrella. After propping it up, she continued walking. _

_Sheila continued down a few blocks, getting closer to her home before hearing a loud clang. Deciding to check it out, she saw a young girl sitting among some tin trash cans. _

_"Kid, what are you doing here?" she asked_

_The girl did not answer her, she only turned around and looked at her, eyes full of emptiness and cold. This particularly touched Sheila since it was identical to the look she gave off in her own eyes. _

_"You can't sit here in an alleyway in the middle of the rain. I'll take you to the police station so-"_

_"It will be useless to do such a thing, my parents and everybody else are all dead."_

_"But-"_

_"Just leave me alone." The girl said, getting up and walking off. It was at that moment Sheila noticed the sky blue book the girl left behind. _

_**"Something changed within me once I saw her walk off like that and I felt myself rising out of my depression due to my desire to help her." **_

_"Hey, you left your book."_

_The girl turned around and hurried back over there. "Give that back to me."_

_"I'm going to find out who you are." Sheila said, opening the book _

_Before the girl could protest any further, a bright blue light shined from it._

**_"We accidentally got into our first battle shortly after that and after defeating the enemy, we became partners. I admit, we didn't start out the best of friends but over time, we realized the effect we had on each other and how much we've come to need one another. Wendy later told me about her necklace and the circumstances behind it and I vowed to make her queen so she could find out or at least find defeat someone with those resources."_**

_[End Flashback...]_

What was once light rain had evolved into moderate rain. Sheila's hair and clothes were completely soaked, water droplets formed at the ends of her black locks. Regardless, Sheila put a lot of her Heart Energy into the spell book, determined to overcome Jaylin and Marisa.

_"_The seventh spell_, Wispara Lanzadon!"_

Wendy's spell book glowed a bright blue light, reminiscent of the time they first met. A large, black storm cloud formed above her. It crackled and boomed with lightning. Despite being bloody and bruised, Wendy was on her feet, she swung her arm down and pointed at the clone in front of her, a lance of lightning fell down, colliding into the clone, destroying it. Electricity surged from the lance and the various rain puddles throughout the grass conducted the electricity, amplifying it and hitting the other four light clones, destroying them as well.

Sheila fells to her knees, clutching her chest. Most of her Heart Energy had been depleted but the fight still was not over yet. "No..I can't fall. Not here, not now. I have to win this!"

Wendy's sentiments were the same. "_Her power...it's incredible but what concerns me the most is the fact that Roto and his Human Partner have been standing idly this entire time. Even if I do beat Jaylin, there's no way I could fight Roto as well but if I retreat, then they will get to Jyan and that's my main motivation right now. To protect him."_

* * *

><p>Josh sprinted even faster through the heavier rain, he had to get to the park as quickly as possible. He was only a few minutes away and couldn't afford to stop. "Josh..."<p>

"What is it?"

"Remember when I told you that when our books are burned, we go back to our world?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Well, I wasn't being entirely honest with you."

"What do you mean? What happens when your book is burned?"

**"We die."**

Josh stopped in his tracks after Jyan's last two words.

"Our souls are not bound to this world nor our bodies , they are bound to the book. Once the book is destroyed, the soul becomes free and leaves this world. With no soul, there is no magic and with if we run out of magic, we die. That's why we must rest after every battle."

"So that means the other books we burned were mamodo we..."

"Yeah."

* * *

><p>Wendy was now in close range of Jaylin and threw a combo of punches and kicks at her but Jaylin kept her at bay by blocking all of them. Finding an opening, Jaylin punched Wendy in her already damaged stomach, forcing the girl to vomit blood. Jaylin grabbed her by the collar and placed her hand on Wendy's stomach once again, but instead of punching her she simply laid her palm out.<p>

_"Gigano Hikaru!"_

Wendy's eyes widened as Jaylin blasted a large beam at point blank range. The powerful beam went into her stomach and came out through her back, forming a hole in her abdomen.

"WENDY!" Sheila screamed at the top of her lungs

That did not stop Wendy however as she got back up. She noticed the hole in her stomach but brushed it aside. "No matter how many holes you pierce my body with, I won't let you get to Jyan!"

"Stay down! Damn it!" Jaylin yelled, charging towards Wendy

_"Hikaruku!"_

Jaylin's speed rapidly increased as she slammed her forearm and elbow into Wendy's throat, getting blood spat into her face. Now hovering over Wendy in midair, Jaylin thrust her arm back and stabbed her arm into Wendy's shoulder to the point where here hand could be seen on the other side. It was at that moment, Jaylin felt something wrapped around her back.

Jaylin saw that Wendy's impaled arm locked itself behind her neck. 'That's impossible, I clearly dislocated your shoulder and severed tendons. Your left arm shouldn't even be attached!" Jaylin pushed and struggled to break free but was unable to do so. Wendy's grip rivaled that of a jaws of life.

"_Wendy...no...please don't tell me you're intending on doing what I think you're doing!"_

"Release me dammit. Let..go!" Jaylin continued squirming and struggling but Wendy kept her hold on her.

"Sheila! CHANT THE SPELL!" Wendy shouted

"No...I can't...I can't do that to you..."

"IF YOU DON'T, JYAN AND JOSH WILL FALL TO THE BLACK CORPS! PLEASE SHEILA! PLEASE!"

Sheila felt an icy wave of despair hit her. Her body trembled and her legs turned to jelly, her tears hot and salty. The rain continued pelting her head and drenching her clothes. The spell book in her arms glowed even brighter than before.

At that moment, everything flashed before Sheila. All of the battles, laughs, tears, arguments and adventures they went through. It was too much for Sheila who felt even more tears gush out of her eyes. Wiping her wet face with her equally went hands, she stood up. Spell book opened, she closed her eyes before opening once again.

"The eighth spell, _Dio Wi Beasolia!"_

A beautiful white cloud appeared above Wendy and Jaylin before fading away to reveal a large red sphere. Wendy redirected the sphere directly behind her, pointing towards not only them, but Marisa, Roto and his human partner.

"Fool! You'll blow yourself up too!" Jaylin exclaimed

Wendy did not respond, only a smile on her face and piercing glare at Jaylin, who clearly had a look of fear in her own eyes.

"This isn't good. If I don't something fast then there's no way Jaylin's book will survive that attack." Roto said to himself, as he and his human partner made their way over to Marisa in an attempt to help get her out of the way.

* * *

><p>A mental image of Jyan flashed in Wendy's head as her smile widened.<p>

"_I'm never letting go..." _she thought to herself as a she felt a tear release itself from her eye and hit the idol on her necklace. Her damaged arm gripped Jaylin even harder than before. Wendy swung her free arm downwards as the sphere released a massive beam, engulfing both herself and Jaylin along with everything else behind them.

An explosion completely rocked the entire area.

_**A/N- Yeah, you won't know how things turned out until the mid week chapter. R&R folks!**_


	102. Mission Accomplished!

"_I'm never letting go..." _she thought to herself as a she felt a tear release itself from her eye and hit the idol on her necklace. Her damaged arm gripped Jaylin even harder than before. Wendy swung her free arm downwards as the sphere released a massive beam, engulfing both herself and Jaylin along with everything else behind them.

An explosion completely rocked the entire area.

* * *

><p>Sheila coughed as the black smoke blanketed the area, she heard an eerie silence and waited for the smoke to clear. After a few minutes, she saw Wendy still standing but motionless. She also saw Jaylin who was also still there. Her clothes were nearly rags, burns all over her skin, her lip busted and bloodied. She stood a few feet away from Wendy, the explosion knocking her back a bit of a distance. Looking further to the right, she saw Roto standing in front of Marisa and his own human partner unscathed, having taken the attack head-on. That was easily their strongest spell! How could Roto and the humans behind him have not a single scratch on them?<p>

"My armor is not ordinary armor. Not even attacks like that can break it." He said grimly

Roto's wings extended from his back as he raised himself into the air, hovering over everybody. Sheila was not sure what he was about to do but knew it couldn't be any good.

"Wendy! Get out of the way!"

Wendy did not move. She weakly looked up towards Roto without saying a word.

_"That last attack...took everything we had and it still didn't finish off Jaylin. I don't have any Heart Energy left so I can't cast any spells...this isn't good."_

"I have to admit...that last attack did some pretty nasty damage but it's not enough to bring me down." Jaylin said, glancing back at Marisa

Sheila knew she couldn't let Wendy just stand there. She found the strength to sprint towards Wendy in order to drag her out of the way, the water sloshed on her legs and seeped into her shoes and socks, the rain pelted her from every direction but she kept going. It felt as though she was running in slow motion and that time slowed down all around them.

"Where do you think you're going human?! Daren, now!"

_"Ganzu Garisen!"_

Turret guns formed on Roto's wings as multiple laser blasts erupted from them like a machine gun.

"Ahhh!"

The oncoming lasers struck Sheila in the shoulders, arms and legs, sending the girl into the wet ground and flinging the spell book from her hands. Roto's assault continued as Wendy was also struck, the lasers piercing multiple areas of her body. Wendy slowly fell backwards, her eyes wide as saucers and blood flinging itself from her mouth. The necklace released itself from her neck and hit the ground with a tiny splash.

"_Aranzo Hikaru!"_

A crossbow appeared in Jaylin's hands as she aimed it directly at Wendy. Before Sheila could reach her hand out to Wendy, a light arrow shot from the crossbow and passed through Wendy's forehead at the blink of an eye. Sheila's stomach tightened and no sound escaped from her mouth, the spell book now covered in purple flames.

Wendy's body crashed into the ground, water splashed everywhere. Sheila crawled over to her fallen partner, the rain puddles now stained crimson. Her trembling hands parted Wendy's hair and laid gently on her fading body. Nothing came out of her mouth but an agonized shriek to the heavens.

* * *

><p>Jyan and Josh finally made their way to the park's entrance but immediately saw the carnage and aftermath.<p>

"We...we...we were too late."

Jyan climbed down Josh's back and slowly walked over to Wendy. He got on his knees next to her body and looked down at her. Her clothes were tatteres, her saw the holes in her body and her bloody mouth. He noticed her eyes were still wide open and looked into them.

"Wendy...what did they do to you?" he said, his large brown eyes watering

"Jyan..." she whispered faintly

Jyan lowered his ear to her.

"Thank you...for being a good friend."

Wendy grabbed Sheila's hand, bringing her closer.

"Sheila...you were the best partner I could have ever hoped for."

"Wendy...what am I supposed to do without you?"

"Sheila, you have made so many friends and formed many new bonds plus I'll live on in your heart. Though I will also tell you one other thing, don't make the same mistake I did regarding your true feelings."

The rain had poured down even harder than before, Jyan's face couldn't be seen due to his hair casting a shadow over his eyes.

**_"Another person important to me that was taken away by this battle for_ _king. You never know what you had until it's gone...no...better yet, you __know what you have, you just thought you'd never lose it."_**

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback Chapter 54]<em>

_"Don't do that! That is gross!" Wendy shouted at Jyan in disgust_

_"Okay." Jyan said before he cracked his thumbs_

_"Stop that!"_

_"Okay!" Jyan said as he put his finger in his nose_

_"So this is what they meant by jackass-of-all-trades." Wendy growled_

_[Flashback Chapter 83]_

_"Before you ask Jyan, I'm not going anywhere with you either." she said, obviously still pissed with them because of earlier_

_"I wasn't going to ask you to go anywhere with me anyway." Jyan said coldly to which Wendy rolled her eyes_

_[Flashback...]_

_"No matter what, we will always be a team!" Wendy said_

_"For once, I couldn't have said better myself." Jyan said_

_[End Flashback]_

* * *

><p>Jyan picked up Wendy's necklace off of the wet grass, the rain washed the blood off of the idol and dripped from his hand.<p>

* * *

><p>[<em>Flashback Chapter 99...]<em>

_It may not look like much...but this necklace is a big part of me. It has brought happiness and also a lot of pain..."_

_[End Flashback]_

* * *

><p>The idol rested in Jyan's palm as he raised the necklace to his neck...<p>

* * *

><p>[<em>Flashback Chapter 99]<em>

_ "Thank you for being a good listener Jyan. Of course, I'm talking to someone who's asleep **but it still counts** in my opinion."_

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>Tears mixed with rain streamed down Jyan's face as the necklace was now around his neck. Wendy was completely gone and her book only ashes, Jyan's mind began to race.<p>

"Why did you go alone? You were one of my best friends...Why did you have to leave me like this! You were everything to me! Dammit! Dammit!"

Jyan slammed his fist into the wet grass, sending rainwater everywhere. Fallen tree branches and rocks began to shake as a blue aura began to form around Jyan. His body shook and he clutched fistfuls of his hair as he released a scream into the sky. The aura began stronger and the range became wider as Jyan continued screaming into the sky. The spell book glowed brighter than Josh had seen in quite a while.

"WENDDDDYYY!

Jyan's tears continued falling as he kept screaming, the aura becoming even stronger than before. Jyan's entire body was covered in the blue light as the aura got bright enough tot he point where one had to look away like they would the sun. Jyan's eyes glowed red as he stood up to his feet. He glared at Jaylin, his eyes pierced her all the way to her soul.

_"He managed to merge the spirit's power and his revelation power into one!"_

In a blue flash, Jyan was in midair near Roto. He swung his fist back and punched Roto, sending the Black Corps General crashing into the ground. To everybody's surprise, chunks of armor rained from the sky. Roto got up and saw that a part of his shoulder armor and half of his helmet were gone. Before Jyan could swing another punch, blue sparks cackled around his body and he collapsed into the ground. His power-up only occurring for a split second due to not being fully recovered from his injuries and illness.

Before anything else could potentially happen, Roto quickly made a gesture and one of Ryu's white dragons, the same one they used for transportation, emerged from the ground. It quickly wrapped it's body around Jyan, Josh and Sheila, capturing them.

"It's a shame but if Jyan would have never came to the park, we would have retreated but instead, he made the cheerleader's death in vain! It doesn't get anymore ironic than that!" Jaylin sneered as she looked on at the now unconscious Jyan.

Jaylin and Roto nodded to each other in approval.

"Mission Accomplished." they said in unison

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Wendy's efforts weren't enough and she paid the ultimate price. Jyan has now taken it upon himself to take on the burden of the necklace and to carry on Wendy's goal. Jyan learned to combine Gaou's power with his Revelaion power! Jyan punched (and damaged) a General while Chainz and Sundance couldn't even lay a finger on one! Jaylin and Roto have captured Jyan! Will Jyan lose his Revelation power and ultimately his life? Only one way to find out! R&R!**_

* * *

><p>Stats-<p>

**Name- Wendy**

**Parnter- Sheila Thompson**

**Rank-35th out of 100**

**Book Color-Sky Blue**

**Element- Clouds**

**Book burned by- Marisa Luther and Jaylin plus Daren and Roto**

**Spells-**

_**1.)Wilasu: small clouds appear from Wendy's hands that she swipes her hand through to send out wind blades, if she lets them float off, the next thing that touches the could will disperse into wind blades **_

_**2.)Wizamuku: Black thunder clouds form around Wendy's hands allowing her to electrocute the enemy with her fists.**_

_**3.)Twi Wishidon: A large cyclone like shield absorbs the attack spell directed at them and Wendy flips it over an tosses it like a disk. It then expands into a powerful tornado that sucks up the target and hits them wheit their own absorbed attack as well as a swarm of small wind blades**_

_**4.)Wicishido: A blue-ish cloud appears above Wendy shooting out large reinforced shards of hail for either attack or defense.**_

_**5.)Wi ma feiruku: A blue ring appears around her closing in and giving her wings filled with wind energy and a wind disk above her head. With this she can fly and it powers up her Wilasu spell to gigano class levels. **_

_**6: Aio Uruku: a orb like force expands around Wendy at about ten feet, and she becomes able to control the air around her, meaning she can hinder the movements of enemies inside the orb and move herself faster. When Her flying spell is activated this helps let her bring others along with her, using the orb's abilities to make those around her levitate near by. **_

_**7. Wispara Lanzadon: Wendy point's her finger above her and a large black storm cloud forms that's booming with lightning. Once she swings her arm down and points at the target, a swift lance of lightning falls down, that not only hits the target point, but also spreads electricity around the area effecting those who even manage to dodge the lance.**_

_**8. Dio Wi beasolia: A pure with cloud appears above Wendy's head much like the above spell, but insead the cloude fade away to reveal a sort of pinkish red sphere of heat. Once Wendy shifts her arms from the sphere to the target area the ball fires a powerful beam that incinerates anything in it's path.  
><strong>_


	103. Reunited!

"Ughhhh..."

The blurriness slowly faded as Josh attempted to figure out where he was. He tried getting up but felt a tight restraint around his stomach, he then noted that he could not lift his arms either. As his vision came to, he saw that the agent responsible for his restraint were none other than ropes. turning his head, he noticed Sheila's back in contact with his own. He quickly figured out that they were both tied together in chairs, the ropes were not only tied around him but Sheila as well. The beeping and electronic noises around them along with the machinery lead him to believe that they were in some kind of lab.

"Just like a cornered mouse."

The mere sound of the voice sickened Josh. Marisa came into view and frizzled Josh's hair before flicking his nose.

"Where's Jyan?" he demanded

"Straight to the point are we? Sounds like someone's a little cranky, you want to know where he's at..well why don't you see for yourself."

All of the lights in the lab suddenly flicked on as Josh saw Jyan in front of him. His body strapped down by four heavy metal restraints; two for each wrist and two for each ankle. Jyan squeezed and struggled to no avail.

"Don't even bother trying. These restraints nullify spell power and drain strength."

Josh growled in response but noticed Jyan's spell book still in his lap.

"It doesn't matter if you keep it or not. Plus we were instructed to keep you and your partner alive for now anyway."

"Where are we anyway?"

"For such a turd that is unfortunately my younger brother, you ask a lot of questions. You are in an underground Black Corps facility. This is just a field lab."

Marisa turned and walked over to a platform and climbed the steps. She made her way to a station of computers and multiple flashing buttons. After typing in some keys ad pulling some switches, a large cannon lowered itself from the ceiling and pointed at an unconscious Jyan.

"This is a machine designed by a brat scientist The Black Corps hired. The kid is a know-it-all but he has his uses. After Orion was defeated by Jyan, we took his pearl bracelet and gave it to the kid and he used one of the pearls to power the machine and to convert the rays so it will siphon Jyan's Revelation Power."

She turned at the sound of a door opening as Jaylin, Roto and Daren slowly walked over to the now awakened Jyan and quickly clutched his face with her tiny fingers. She lowered her face to the point where their noses were almost touching. Her fingers quickly shifted into a fist and she walloped Jyan across the face.

"Even a small taste of vengeance is still very sweet."

A smile crept upon Marisa's face and motioned towards her partner. "Jaylin, come do the honors."

The girl happily skipped towards her partner. She pulled the lever as a silver energy built up within the ray and zapped Jyan's body. "AHHHHHHH!" Jyan yelped, clearly in immense pain. Multiple clear tubes above Jyan's head began filling with a dark blue aura.

"What we see up above is Jyan's revelation power being taken from him. Let's turn up the intensity..."

Jaylin's eyes narrowed at the dark blue aura filling in the tubes but kept her thoughts to herself for the time being.

Marisa twisted the adjuster clockwise as the ray's intensity dramatically increased, sending Jyan into even more pain than before. Veins could be seen pn the verge of popping out of his neck, his eyes bloodshot and his screams making his voice hoarse.

"I wonder if this will kill him..." Marisa used as she continued watching Jyan's torturous pain

"AHHHH!" Jyan kept screaming as his already weakened body took more punishment

"Let's try turning it up to it's maximum..." Marisa was stopped by a beeping red signal on the computer. She quickly began typing keys but quickly move her hand away as ice covered the controls.

"Ice..but where?"

The ice continued to cover various machines and the restraints on Jyan. The ice coated itself on the ropes that held Jyan and Sheila and after a relatively easy struggle, the frozen ropes shattered into pieces. Marisa was too busy trying to stabilize the now freezing controls to worry about Josh and Sheila but Roto and Daren plus Jaylin were another story but before any of them could react, the control panel near Marisa exploded. Multiple machines also exploded, one after another as if a chain reaction was set off. The smoke and fires engulfed the entire lab, making it difficult to see or even fully determine what was g0ing on.

The chain of explosions sent Josh and Sheila crashing into the ground. Quickly getting up, he ran to his partner and shattered the restraints. Sheila waded through the smoke and caught up with him.

"We need to find an exit." she said

"Right."

Josh carried Jyan under his arms as the three of them scurried towards an exit. Maneuvering through the rooms, they saw the sheet of ice cover literally every machine and wall they encountered.

_"I can sense that another mamodo was here and their ice froze everything which caused the machines to overload and malfunction."_

Jyan's fingers glided itself around the crudely carved idol necklace around his neck.

"_Could it be the necklace's doing?"_

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...Chapter 99]<em>

_"It may not look like much...but this necklace is a big part of me. It has brought me happiness and a lot of pain."_

* * *

><p>Jyan's thoughts were cut short when a chunk of sand hit him in his face. Looking up, he saw a vast desert with nothing else other than an empty highway and the occasional cactus.<p>

"We're...back in Arizona." Sheila noted

The threesome realized they no other choice but to walk along the highway to the nearest town and maybe even hope for a passerby traveler to pick them up. For the next few miles, they continued their trek and occasionally took a quick break. The hours came and went as they walked down the highway. Their efforts paid off when they saw a sign notifying them of a town up ahead. Seeing the name of the town sped their efforts up even more than before.

They neared the outskirts of the town and came upon Marty's lab. Josh stopped for a moment and gazed upon it. Without saying anything he continued into the small town and made a beeline for the cathedral. After a couple minutes of sprinting, h came upon the heavy door and pushed it in, seeing Rika, Azure, Lily and Sola all sitting around in the tabernacle.

After explaining everything about Jaylin, Roto, The Black Corps, the lab ad Wendy's defeat at the hands of Jaylin and their initial capture, it was decided that they will spend the oncoming days there.

"Azure, thank you for earlier. If it wasn't for your ice freezing those machine earlier, they would have killed Jyan and us." Josh said

"I..I...don't know what you're talking about. That wasn't me."

"What?"

"I mean I sensed mamodo not too far away from here but I didn't go to confront them."

"I see."

* * *

><p>Azure got up from his seat and went upstairs. He saw Jyan laying in a cot with multiple bandages a over his body along with a cooling pad on his forehead. Noticing Azure coming into the room, he raised himself and his pillow to where he was at an incline. His large brown eyes looked dull and empty.<p>

"Azure..."

"Hmm?"

"I...couldn't protect her like you asked, she ended up having to protect me."

"Jyan..."

"If I would have gotten there sooner..."

"Jyan..."

"I'm sorry."

"Jyan..."

"This is all my fault! She shouldn't have gone there alone! She should have waited for me, even if I'm in pretty bad condition! I could have done something-"

"Enough! Wendy sacrificed herself so you could keep your dream alive! She told me that she wanted to see you be king more than anything...even more than she wanted to win herself. She was more than willing to give her life for you. "

"What are you getting at-"

"Even I could see that Wendy loved you!"

Jyan's eyes widened at this revelation as everything came to him. The more he thought about it, the more obvious it became to him.

"Wendy told me about the necklace and what she went through. She told me about wanting to find out exactly what it was and where it originally came from. She may not have been able to complete her dream but isn't that why you put on the necklace yourself? You and only you should keep her dream alive like she kept yours. Don't insult her memory by moping, you know she wouldn't want you or any of us to do that."

Jyan saw the tears in Azure's crystal blue eyes. Eye contact alone told Jyan about how Azure felt and he also knew everything Azure said was true. He had to find out the origin of the necklace and it's origin. He also knew that he had to defeat both Jaylin and Roto to not only avenge Wendy but also to make a noticeable dent in The Black Corps. He had to win it all.

"The sooner I recover, the better."

* * *

><p>Ishimaru signed the last of his discharge papers. Eve, Chainz and Sundance watched in anticipation as he unwrapped the bandages on his face. Once he was done, everybody could see the long scar over his left eye. They knew it was not from surgery but Ryu's attack..a scar that would never fully heal. Physically and emotionally. Ishimaru fixed his hair to where it parted on the left, covering where his left eye once was.<p>

They walked out of the town's hospital and walked through the town plaza. Looking at the cathedral, Chainz wanted everybody to follow him there. Running through the streets, Chainz made his way to the cathedral and quickly pushed the doors in. He saw the others sitting around.

"Finally discharged from the hospital." Rika said with a small smile

"Ishi..." Josh started

"Josh."

Both boys walked over and to everybody's surprise, greeted each other with a bro hug. "What is up with the hairstyle?"

Ishimaru sighed as he lifted up his parted hair and showed Josh where his left eye used to be. "I...didn't know."

"It's alright. You were going to find out sooner or later."

"Perhaps."

"Where's...Wendy?" Chainz asked

Sheila looked down before responding. "Her book was burned."

Sheila told them about Wendy's battle with Jaylin along with everything else that happened was explained to them and on the other hand, they learned about their encounter with Ryu along with Eve and Sundance's introduction.

"At the end of the day, there is still the matter of dealing with Jaylin and Roto though I saw no sign of them after the lab exploded." Josh said

Regardless, Josh needed a strategy before he confronted them again.

* * *

><p>Thousands of miles away, Hori had just finished his daily training with Meida. He was calling it quits for the day but a rustling in a nearby bush caused him to stop in his tracks.<p>

"Come out and I might not incinerate you."

A boy emerged from the bushes. He had spiky chestnut hair, olive skin and pale green eyes. Looking down, Hori saw his purple and white striped shirt and black shorts. He noted the boy's matching purple shoes but did not comment on that. Most notably however, were his pointed, elf-like ears that stuck out like a sore thumb.

"State you name." he demanded harshly

"It's...it's...Celandor."

"You're also a mamodo."

"Y..Yes." the boy replied quietly. Celandor's timid demeanor sickened Hori. He reeked of weakness yet Hori knew there was something different about this kid...there was something about him that reminded Hori of death.

"I cannot allow you to live." Hori spat, grabbing Celandor around the neck

**A/N- Well what do ya know, that's the end of the chapter. Ishimaru and Josh are reunited along with the others. What does this mean for Chainz and Jyan? Why did Jaylin and Roto along with their human partners disappear? Who is this Celandor? Is there really something ominous about him or is it just Hori being paranoid? There's only one way to find out. R&R!**


	104. Jyan vs Jaylin! part 1

_**Previously on Iron Revolution...**_

Thousands of miles away, Hori had just finished his daily training with Meida. He was calling it quits for the day but a rustling in a nearby bush caused him to stop in his tracks.

"Come out and I might not incinerate you."

A boy emerged from the bushes. He had spiky chestnut hair, olive skin and pale green eyes. Looking down, Hori saw his purple and white striped shirt and black shorts. He noted the boy's matching purple shoes but did not comment on that. Most notably however, were his pointed, elf-like ears that stuck out like a sore thumb.

"State you name." he demanded harshly

"It's...it's...Celandor."

"You're also a mamodo."

"Y..Yes." the boy replied quietly. Celandor's timid demeanor sickened Hori. He reeked of weakness yet Hori knew there was something different about this kid...there was something about him that reminded Hori of death.

"I cannot allow you to live." Hori spat, grabbing Celandor around the neck

* * *

><p>Hori's grip remained steady around Celandor's neck. Celandor felt his windpipe closing, his efforts to breathe quickly became struggles as he began to fade out. With a impulsive jolt of vigor, he wrenched his way out of Hori's seemingly iron grasp and coughed as he breathed for air. Hori on the other hand, was baffled that this kid somehow had the strength to break free. Nobody has ever done that before, why was this kid different?<p>

Hori looked at Celandor's emerald eyes and saw that they were filled with hurt and anguish. Those eyes made him feel nostalgic in a sense. Hori brushed this observation aside and shot daggers at the boy before him.

"I sensed your presence around this area before. I knew you were watching me when I had that debate with that irritable sunshine-pumper. I could have burned you alive at that moment...but I didn't because I see no reason to waste my power on a weakling. How you even survived up to this point is a miracle. Tell me, why have you been observing me this whole time? Is there somebody you answer to?"

Celandor did not immediately respond. He kept his head low and stayed silent for about a minute.

"I..I know I am weak but I started watching you because I was a fan b-back in the Makai. I watched the Elite Review and witnessed you being christened as one of **The Talented Five**."

"_Wait a minute...THAT'S why I knew something was off about this kid. How could he have watched me at Elite Review when only participants were allowed in until the very end when the tournament occurred in the coliseum? Something isn't right..."_

"That still doesn't fully explain why you have been following me. Even if you are a fan."

"I-I want you to train me."

That answer had Hori taken aback for a moment. He was expecting array of possibilities but a training request was certainly not one of them. Just a few moments ago, he was on the verge of killing him and now this same guy wants him to become his teacher? Hori was in no way, shape or form a fan of this twisted logic, if one could even call it that.

"No. I will not train you, we are in a tournament to see who will become king. If you wanted to train, then you should have done it in the Makai." Hori said dismissively as he and Meida walked away. Returning to the condo, Meida and Hori were relaxing for the evening, she wondered why Hori backed off from killing Celandor

"Hori..."

"If you're about to ask me why I didn't kill that kid from earlier, it's because I don't think I can kill him. Even if I would have tried to go through with it."

"Why is that?"

"There is something ominous about him. He said he watched me during Elite Review. That was closed off to the outside until the tournament was held, which wasn't until the very end of the review, which tells me that he participated in the Elite Review, meaning he is a lot stronger than he is letting on. That's what kept me from initially attacking him when I first sensed his presence a while ago since I initially thought he was weak. He's targeting me for a reason and I'm determined to figure it out."

The following day, Hori and Meida were back at their usual spot undergoing training. They ran through the usual drills and after all of the preparations Hori executed during the previous weeks, he was ready to start working on a certain spell once more.

"Hori, I am going to cast it. Are you sure this won't bur the entire area?"

"Meida, I've told you this already. My fire doesn't burn unless I choose for it to do so. This ability is one of the reasons I was granted Elite Status in the frist place."

"All right then. The eighth spell! _Dioga Nekorudo!"_

Hori opened his palms and raised his arms high into the air as a small purple fireball formed. The fireball grew larger until it completely dissipated, much t their chagrin."

"Dammit. It got a slightly bigger but it fizzled out again."

"Meida, this spell take a LOT of Heart Energy on your part and proper fire control on mine."

"Your fire control is already adequate, why would you have any problems with this spell?"

"Yes, but Dioga spells and higher take special concentration. While I can control my fire on most other spells, my Dioga Nekorudo is different. I have to control massive quantities of fire which is extremely concentrated in this form. My normal flames aren't as concentrated nor as large and therefore much easier to control. That isn't to say I have trouble controlling more concentrated flames, it's just the sheer size of this spell that makes it difficult."

"So we have to dedicate the majority of our training to this then?"

"Correct."

Meida took a deep breath and opened the indigo spell book. The light illuminated brightly as she closed her eyes and put a lot of heart energy into the book.

"The eighth spell, _Dioga Nekorudo!"_

Hori once again raised his arms into the air and a purple fireball formed between his palms. The fireball grew into the same medium size as before but Hori felt himself losing control over it once again. He held on and the fireball grew slightly larger, seeing the result, Hori felt himself taking on a shot of adrenaline as the fireball grew out a little more, taking yet another step forward. The fireball at this point was roughly the size of a mini-fridge and Hori kept it stable. Despite the success, the spell was still incomplete. Hori was well pas his limit when it came to this spell but was pushing towards the next level. At that moment, Celandor fell out of the bush, immediately causing Hori to lose focus and dissipated his much larger fireball.

"Shit!"

"S-Sorry..."

"Go away!" Hori shouted. He sensed Celandor's presence earlier, but disregarded it since he was dormant and out of the way. Now that he interfered with his training, Hori wasn't going to tolerate it anymore. It did not help Hori's annoyance at all when he saw that Celandor was still there. Hori sighed and returned to his training. Over the next few days, Hori did not make a fireball as large as the one he made before being interrupted by Celandor.

* * *

><p>"Nine hundred and ninety-eight, nine hundred and ninety-nine, one thousand!"<p>

Jyan hopped up from the ground after his 1000 pushup exercise. The last few days have been pretty kind to him as he finally got the rest he needed and was finally fully recovered. It almost felt that everything was just a long, painful nightmare but looking at the necklace around his neck, he knew that it was all very real.

Heading down the stairs, he saw everybody sitting around the tabernacle, shooting the breeze. Everybody stopped what they were talking about and they all stared at Jyan.

"There has still been no sign of Jaylin or Roto."

_**"Don't be fooled by that Jyan. They're still very much here...well Jaylin at least."**_

"I know Gaou. That being said, your sense is much stronger than a mamodo's. Can you sense her location?"

**_"Yeah. I can lead you to her."_**

"Gaou can sense Jaylin's location and can lead us to her."

"What are we waiting for? Let's head out!" Chain exclaimed but he noticed Jyan glaring at him

"What the hell is your problem now?"

"Chainz, stay out of this one."

"You don't have to do everything alone."

"I know...but this situation is different. Only I can defeat Jaylin."

After a few moments of locking eyes with Jyan, Chainz finally gave in. "This is your fight and they are your bad guys. You lead the way."

Within the net half hour, Jyan and Josh were already outside of town and walking down the highway at Jyan's insistence. The others were following a small distance behind in either the jeep Rika borrowed from the cathedral or in Ishimaru's rented pickup. A wave of anticipation and anxiety washed over Jyan. This was going to be the most difficult battle he ever fought so far. both physically, mentally and emotionally. Jaylin's human partner Marisa, was Josh's sister, so he knew this would be an emotional fight for him too. Even if he didn't show it.

The necklace swayed in the wind, causing Jyan to stop in his tracks. Looking up, he saw an image in the sky of Wendy smiling, looking down on him. The image faded away and Jyan instantly felt at ease. They continued walking for a few more miles and quickly found themselves in the middle of the desert with the highway half a mile away.

"Jyan, why has Gaou lead us into the middle of the desert? Is this the place?"

"Josh, use a spell." Jyan said. It wasn't a suggestion, it was a command. As much as Jyan joked around in the past and said things that were out of line, not once did he ever try to give Josh a command after their first battle together. So he knew he meant business.

_"Chikelga!"_

Josh opened his mouth and a blue aura beam was released, sending a wave of sand into the air. When the sand subsided, Marisa and Jaylin appeared, the look in their eyes were different. Unlike before, Jyan sensed they had an intent to kill.

"Where is Roto?" Jyan demanded

"There is no reason for you to worry about that." Marisa retorted harshly

"If you want to know where Roto is, then you'll have to pry the information out of my cold dead lips. After the lab exploded, we saw that the tubes containing the Revelation Power drawn from your body were not damaged and brought them back to Blue himself. It was then determined that the samples were adequate enough to be sent to our labs for testing."

"Testing? Testing for what?"

"Like I said before, beat me and I might tell you what you want to know."

"Why you..." Jyan charged at Jaylin, throwing a barrage of punches but Jaylin blocked and dodged all of them.

"Good speed but not good enough. I intentionally let you recover over the last few days so I can get the fight I have desired for years."

"Does Blue or Roto know about this? I don't think they will be too pleased with you ruining their project."

"I don't care what they think or get mad about! My motives are far more important than anything they're doing or trying to do. " Jaylin snapped, returning the punches with some of her own.

"Letting me fully recover was a huge mistake." Jyan said, nailing a hit on Jaylin in the stomach

"I don't make mistakes." Jaylin shot back, getting to her feet and throwing Jyan across the sand

Jaylin and Jyan glared at each other as this battle between two former friends got underway.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- We learn a little more about Celandor's moments and Hori's theory on Celandor. Hori is also working on a Dioga spell, more to come on that! Jyan is fully recovered and has begun fighting Jaylin. The only way to figure out what happens next is to keep on reading.  
><strong>_

_**Regarding the cover, after a few months and Jyan's character arc coming to a close (we have about 3-4 chapters left). I decided to go ahead and put a picture of Hori and Meida up now, showing where the focus of the story is going to next. Credit for the excellently drawn and beautifully colored pic goes to Hori and Meida's creator, DeathySophia. You can check out her other works on her Deviantart page! R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	105. Jyan vs Jaylin! Part 2

_**Previously on Iron Revolution...**_

"Where is Roto?" Jyan demanded

"There is no reason for you to worry about that." Marisa retorted harshly

"If you want to know where Roto is, then you'll have to pry the information out of my cold dead lips. After the lab exploded, we saw that the tubes containing the Revelation Power drawn from your body were not damaged and brought them back to Blue himself. It was then determined that the samples were adequate enough to be sent to our labs for testing."

"Testing? Testing for what?"

"Like I said before, beat me and I might tell you what you want to know."

"Why you..." Jyan charged at Jaylin, throwing a barrage of punches but Jaylin blocked and dodged all of them.

"Good speed but not good enough. I intentionally let you recover over the last few days so I can get the fight I have desired for years."

"Does Blue or Roto know about this? I don't think they will be too pleased with you ruining their project."

"I don't care what they think or get mad about! My motives are far more important than anything they're doing or trying to do. " Jaylin snapped, returning the punches with some of her own.

"Letting me fully recover was a huge mistake." Jyan said, nailing a hit on Jaylin in the stomach

"I don't make mistakes." Jaylin shot back, getting to her feet and throwing Jyan across the sand

* * *

><p>Jyan caught himself in midair and used a quick handspring to get back on his feet. Trading punch for punch raised his adrenaline, but he could not get too fired up and lose his train of thought. He had to keep his composure balanced.<p>

Jyan ran forward, leaping in the air and throwing a punch at his adversary but Jaylin simply caught it with her palm. She rammed her forearm into Jyan, sending him into the sand. Not letting up, Jaylin was instantly in front of him.

_"Hikaruga!"_

Jaylin released a familiar light beam from her palm, blasting Jyan at point blank range. Jaylin did not get the chance to make a snide comment as she quickly felt a fist connect with her mandible, sending her flying upwards. Jyan flew out of the smoke under her, his body surrounded in a blue aura, blue aura claws over his hands and clawed shoes.

_"Damn it. Josh must have called for that spell right when Jaylin blasted Jyan. The explosion drowned out his voice which kept us from hearing him and as a result, wouldn't give us time to counter it. He's not as stupid as he used to be." Marisa thought to herself  
><em>

Jyan continued clawing and slashing at Jaylin. She was able to block and counter a lot of the blows but still took quite a bit of damage. Jaylin closed her eyes as if she was focusing and in a split second, slammed her fist into Jyan's abdomen, taking the breath out of him. Using this to her advantage, Jaylin grabbed Jyan by the neck and slammed him into the sandy ground. Still in midair, Jaylin floated down aside her partner.

Jyan slowly got up, he quickly noticed that his Gaou Kloruku spell was nullified due to Jaylin's blow.

_**"Jyan, the evil spirit within her was able to nullify the spell by giving her enough of it's power."**_

"I see and going by that, I would assume it's power rivals that of yours."

_**"Correct. My power and it's power cancels out each other, forming some sort of balance."**_

"I see. So what would be the best way to counter it?"

_**"The spirit only influences Jaylin. What we need to do is somehow coax the spirit into taking full possession of her."**_

"Got it."

"Josh, ready when you are."

"_Chiklega!"_

Jyan's eyes rolled to the back of his head as the blue aura beam was released from his mouth. Not phased at all, Jaylin raised her hand up to counter it.

_"Hikaruga!"  
><em>

Jaylin released the light beam from her hand, countering Jyan's Chikelga, causing the two attacks to cancel each other out and explode.

"Come on Jyan, you can do better than that!" Jaylin exclaimed, already gearing up for the enxt spell.

"_Gigano Hikaruga!"_

A much larger light beam escaped from both of Jaylin's hands and barreled it's way towards Jyan and Josh.

"_Crytalas Chikelga!"_

Three large pillars of crystallized aura emerged from the ground, shielding them from the beam, causing it to explode. Returning to consciousness, Jyan saw that the spell had worked and stopped Jaylin's attack. He had no time to celebrate however as Jaylin was already on his tail once more. In the few moments, he had been unconscious, Jaylin had taken that time to position herself atop the crystal pillars.

"Damn...how did she climb up there that quickly?"

"_Orubu Hikaruku!"_

Jaylin's body glowed with a bright yellow aura as five clones made of light split from her body. Each of them stood on the pillars looking down on Jyan and the others. Jyan was in complete awe, first she was able to block his punches, counter his main attack spell , use a Gigano class spell and causing him to use one of his bigger spells in order to counter. Now, she took advantage of his unconscious state during and right after his spell casting in order to give herself a more favorable position. Then again, he expected nothing less from his former best friend.

Jaylin and her five light clones jumped from the pillars and switched amongst themselves in midair. Jyan lost track of the real Jaylin and now had the displeasure of having to sort her out from her clones. He quickly found himself in a circle of Jaylin clones.

"Which is the real one...wait there are only five Jaylins here. Where is the-"

Before Jyan could finish Jaylin was honing in from above. He swiftly blocked her fist and jumped up, getting himself enough hangtime in order to swing her through midair. Before he could accomplish that, he felt something grab his legs and yank him down. Turning around, he saw the clones dragging him into the ground with a thud. Not allowing him a chance to get up, the clones stomped and kicked Jyan's body. Jyan tried to get back on his feet but multiple clones fell on top of him, holding him down with their combined weight.

"Jyan's_ in trouble. Gotta think of something and fast...wait a minute that's it!"  
><em>

"Jyan, we gotta get you out of there. The third spell, _Chimardo!_"

Barely holding himself up due to the clones dogpiling him, Jyan was able to release a spiraling blue orb from his mouth. Colliding into the ground, the orb formed a vortex. The vortex grew into a moderately large size and quickly sucked Jyan in. Knowing what was coming, Jaylin tried to instruct her clones to get out of the vortex's path, but it was to no avail. All of the clones were sucked in as well. A vortex roughly sixty feet above the ground opened up, dropping Jyan and the clones. The black haired mamodo caught himself in midair and took advantage of the free-falling clones. He grabbed one by the hair and threw it into the ground, causing it to dissipate in a flash. This instantly gave Josh an idea.

"Jyan, let's get rid of them all at once! Spin around! _Chikelga!"_

Jyan began spinning his body as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and fired the beam, quickly resembling a blue twister. Each clone was destroyed within the span of seconds. After clearing out the clones, Jyan hovered to the ground and looked up at Jaylin, who was standing on top of the crystal pillar with contempt.

"Had enough of sending your clones in to do your dirty work? Unlike the old days, it's going to take a lot more than that to bring me down!"

The spell book began glowing a bright blue, grabbing Josh's attention. _"Revelation Power? No...this light is different. Not just one, but TWO new spells at the same time! The eighth spell Ganzu Chikeru and the ninth spell Gou Chimardo!"_

Jyan quickly advanced forward. What started off as a trot became a gallop before evolving into a full on sprint. Jyan leaped into the air, getting a good view of Jaylin. Josh pointed directly at the mamodo girl and the pillar she was standing atop of.

"The eighth spell, _Ganzu Chikeru!"_

Jyan made sure he stayed airborne as his eyes rolled to the back of his head and a small orb of aura with rotating rings emerged from his mouth. The small orb quickly shifted into an aura version of Jyan. This aura Jyan floated above the crystal pillar and opened fire on Jaylin. Multiple beams were released from "his" body, striking the crystal pillar. Jaylin jumped away from the pillar as the beams continued striking the crystal pillar. The beams then went through the pillar, more powerful than before. One after another the beams struck Jaylin, kicking up an explosion. Her body fell from the cloud of smoke and dissipated in midair.

"We did it! We beat her!"

Jyan however, was not as enthusiastic.

"Don't celebrate yet. We haven't won...that was just a clone."

"How? We destroyed all of the clones when you were dropped out of that vortex."

"Didn't you notice how those clones didn't put up much of a fight when I attacked them especially when you compare it to earlier when I could barely get up before you casted Chimardo. The real Jaylin was originally amongst the clones but backed off when the others dogpiled me. The one I threw into the ground regenerated near Jaylin, which was the one that she sent as a stand-in on top of the pillar."

"I see. So why would she suddenly go on the defensive and risk a momentum switch?"

"I'm not entirely sure but my guess is it was so she could figure out how exactly our Crytalas Chikelga spell works." Before Jyan could continue onwards, they were interrupted by the sound of an applause. Turning around, they saw both Jaylin and Marisa standing at a distance clapping their hands, an obvious backhanded response.

"So you figured out my tactic? My clones have the ability to regenerate so simple spells won't be able to get rid of them. I hope you've had your fun."

Josh and Jyan quickly found themselves surrounded by all five clones plus the real Jaylin. They had nowhere to run and no way to effectively play defense.

"You know...this is exactly how that damned cheerleader looked before I killed her. Her screams of agony and her bones snapping and cracking was nothing but angelic music to my ears. You should be honored that your misery will play an even greater melody to my ears."

"_Rin Hikaruzen!"_

Jaylin raised her arms to the sky as multiple light rings formed and surrounded themselves all around the desert. Without warning, Jaylin sent a ring at Jyan, causing the boy to dodge most of the ring, sans the top of his forearm. "Ahhhh!" Jyan hissed looking at his now bleeding skin.

"Even though that ring is made of light, it feels exactly like a buzzsaw. " Jyan said, still wincing a little over his moderately bleeding arm

"There's a lot more where that came from."

Jaylin sent a few more rings at Jyan and Josh. The boys dodged the brunt of all of them but still received cuts and gashes all over their bodies. They could not back away because of the light clones surrounding them nor could they fight there way through. Not only because they were grossly outnumbered but because of the various rings floated about the area. Jaylin could order them to slice him and Josh to pieces. Backs against the wall, they had to figure something out. Something had to give.

_**A/N- End of this weekend's chapter! Jyan and Josh thought that they had the upper hand until Jyan's suspicions were confirmed and Jaylin reveals her initial plan. Can Jyan and Josh turn this fight around? Only one way to find out! R&R! **_


	106. Jyan vs Jaylin! Part 3

_**Previously on Iron Revolution...**_

"So you figured out my tactic? My clones have the ability to regenerate so simple spells won't be able to get rid of them. I hope you've had your fun."

Josh and Jyan quickly found themselves surrounded by all five clones plus the real Jaylin. They had nowhere to run and no way to effectively play defense.

"You know...this is exactly how that damned cheerleader looked before I killed her. Her screams of agony and her bones snapping and cracking was nothing but angelic music to my ears. You should be honored that your misery will play an even greater melody to my ears."

"_Rin Hikaruzen!"_

Jaylin raised her arms to the sky as multiple light rings formed and surrounded themselves all around the desert. Without warning, Jaylin sent a ring at Jyan, causing the boy to dodge most of the ring, sans the top of his forearm. "Ahhhh!" Jyan hissed looking at his now bleeding skin.

"Even though that ring is made of light, it feels exactly like a buzzsaw." Jyan said, still wincing a little over his moderately bleeding arm

"There's a lot more where that came from."

Jaylin sent a few more rings at Jyan and Josh. The boys dodged the brunt of all of them but still received cuts and gashes all over their bodies. They could not back away because of the light clones surrounding them nor could they fight there way through. Not only because they were grossly outnumbered but because of the various rings floated about the area. Jaylin could order them to slice him and Josh to pieces. Backs against the wall, they had to figure something out. Something had to give.

* * *

><p>The rings circled overhead as Jyan and Josh remained trapped. They knew that it was only a matter of time before Jaylin launched another attack.<p>

"This is only a temporary fix, but here goes nothing. _Rachishiru!"_

Jyan's eyes rolled to the back of his head as small, white stone henges poked up form underground and a barrier was emitted from them, protecting Jyan and his partner. Without saying a word, or changing her expression, Jaylin sent the rings at the barrier. After clanging with it, the rings collided with the barrier once more, grinding on it like a buzzsaw on wood.

After the barrier was set, Jyan returned to consciousness and noticed that the barrier was still up. It was at that moment, Gaou decided to interject.

_**"Jyan, the only reason the barrier is holding up is because I laced it with some of my power. Regardless, it cannot hold up forever. If you and Josh have a solution, it would be in your best interest to use it now." **_

_"He's right. Jaylin's rings will destroy the barrier any minute. I need something that can get us some space...wait...that's it!"_

"Jyan, start spinning. I got a plan."

Before Josh could say anything more or Jyan could start spinning, the barrier broke and the rings honed in on them, intending to dice them to pieces this time around. Josh knew at that moment it was now or never. He quickly grabbed Jyan and picked him up. Then he began spinning himself with an arm wrapped around Jyan's stomach.

"_CHIKELGA!"  
><em>

Jyan's eyes rolled to the back of his head once more as the blue aura beam erupted from his mouth. Just as he suspected, Josh found out that he could "bend" and "manipulate" the path of the aura beam. A vortex made of aura surrounded them, acting as a sort of counter shield. The newly formed counter shield repelled the light rings and continually deflected them back towards Jaylin as a path out of their circle began taking form.

"Don't let them simply walk away! Get him!" Jaylin barked at her clones

Each of them tried and failed to apprehend Jyan and Josh. Every time one of them would get near the counter shield, one touch would dissipate them. The clones however, still regenerated and Jaylin kept sending them at the black haired mamodo but to no avail.

"All of you attack at once from all different angles!"

The five clones attacked at five different angles and were all destroyed instantly, this time not regenerating.

"Damn it."

The spell subsided and Jyan returned to consciousness. Dizzy, Josh set his mamodo down and stumbled before being held still by Jyan.

* * *

><p>"Now that your clones are taken care of. Me vs You. No more clones, no shields, no barriers, no bullshit." Jyan declared, the necklace gently swayed in the wind<p>

"You're going to regret saying that."

Jyan and Jaylin charged at each other, head to head, toe to toe. Jyan swung, and Jaylin effortlessly ducked. Jaylin doubled Jyan's input but to her surprise, Jyan blocked everything she threw at him. He grabbed her right arm with his left hand and punched with his right. Jaylin responded with a punch of her own. This pattern continued, arms interlocked and one punch exchanged for another.

Jyan smirked, suddenly dropped down and swept his leg, knocking Jaylin off her feet.

"I borrowed that move from someone but the rest is original!"

Jyan jumped into the air, preparing to slam a heavily momentous fist into Jaylin's skull but the girl dodged his potentially fatal blow and as a result, a long crevice stretched it's way into the desert. Standing there, Jaylin unleashed a scream into the sky as her body became engulfed in a bright white light, leaving a white aura in it's wake.

"Marisa, let's take this fight to the next level."

"Way ahead of you. The tenth spell, _Fei Hikaruku!"_

Two angel-like wings emerged from her back before splitting into four. Like a bullet, Jaylin shot into the air, hovering over Jyan. Flying in a loop, she swooped down and tackled Jyan at full force, knocking the wind out of the black-haired boy. This however, did not deter him. Jyan jumped to his feet and ran towards the newly enhanced Jaylin. As he picked up speed, he instinctively got down on all fours, signalling Josh for what's to come next.

"_Gaou Kloruku!"_

A blue aura covered Jyan's body, aura claws formed over his hands and claws on his shoes. Canine extended from Jyan's mouth as he howled towards the now visible moon which was in sweet harmony with the setting sun over the pinkish-orange sky. He continued picking up speed and leaped into the air to where he was at eye-level with Jaylin.

Without exchanging words, Jyan threw his body at Jaylin and Jaylin did the same in return. A blue flash and a white flash could be seen in the sky crashing into each other. Jyan felt himself falling to the ground but quickly grabbed onto Jaylin's leg. The girl tried to shake him off but it was no use, his claws were already locked in. Jaylin turned and nosedived towards the ground, in hopes of Jyan crashing into the ground but Jyan knew when to get off and shortly before Jaylin neared the ground, Jyan released his grip. She quickly changed directions and made a safe landing before tossing a glare at Jyan.

_**"Jyan, if you keep fighting Jaylin like this, the two of you will fight at a standstill for a long time. There is a way we can defeat her without trying to go for the book."  
><strong>_

"And what exactly is that?"

_**"Like I mentioned before, me and the spirit within her are connected, which means I can perform a mental link and allow you access directly to the spirit. When connected, you can perform an exorcism of sorts and destroy the spirit from within."  
><strong>_

"Alright then. Let's do this!"

_**"Get close to Jaylin and make sure you're grabbing on in order for the link to be performed."**_

"Sounds easy enough."

Back on all fours, Jyan charged and clawed at Jaylin but the girl was a step ahead of him, parrying and sidestepping every last one of his advances. She brought her forearm forward and rammed it into Jyan's underbelly, bringing the boy immense pain. Jyan however, could not afford to waste an opportunity and latched onto her arm.

"HURRY GAOU!"

The blue aura seeped from Jyan's body and a white aura seeped itself from Jaylin's body, forming a connection. Gazing upon it, Jyan saw his blue aura and Jaylin's white aura bonding and forming into a mixture of the two colors.

"What is this..." Jyan felt his body grow numb and his eyelids heavy. Barely able to keep his eyes opened, he noticed Jaylin also falling into unconsciousness as well. Not able to keep his eyes opened any longer, Jyan felt a wave of darkness overtake him.

"Jyan!" Josh exclaimed, running over to his partner

"It seems that they have falling into some state of unconsciousness." Marisa noted

"Just because they're out of commission at the moment, does not mean this battle is on hold." Josh said glaring at his sister

"So you think you can fight me?"

"I don't think, I know." Within a flash Josh pounced on Marisa and the two rolled in the sand. Josh initially had the upper hand and unlike in the past when they were younger, he was now much physically stronger than her but Marisa had the advantage of combat training from the feds themselves, quickly using technique to put her over. She pulled back her fist and socked Josh in the mouth. The boy could feel the metallic taste of blood and loose teeth but he knew now wasn't time to think of such things.

In response, he gave Marisa a headbutt at full force, causing the girl to relinquish her grip. He overtook her this time and slammed her back into the sand, grabbing her by the hair and pressing her face into the sand. Taking advantage of her training, Marisa rolled and flipped Josh off of her and the siblings returned to their feet bruised, bloodied and scratched.

Before they could go at it for another round, the mixed light engulfed them as well.

When the light subsided, they found themselves in what seemed like a large room of pitch darkness. Josh felt a tap and turned to see Jyan along with a fifty foot tall blue aura wolf sitting next to him.

"What the-"

_**"Do not be alarmed Josh. I am Gaou, just in a tangible form."  
><strong>_

"I-I-I just didn't expect you to be this big."

_**"Oh this is actually a reduced form. My true form is much larger."**_

"Well anyway, what is this place? Where are we?"

**_"This is the link I created to bond Jyan and myself to Jaylin and her spirit. As I told Jyan earlier, our plan is to exorcise the spirit that is plaguing Jaylin which in turn will end this battle."_**

"I see. So how do we exorcise it?"

_**"I initially figured to try to coax it to take over Jaylin's body but later realized it would never work that way. So I told Jyan about forming a mental link which will allow me to confront her spirit directly."**_

"Yes, but why am I here?"

_**"That part I am not entirely sure of. It seems that my powers and the spirit's powers when bonded formed a small miasma and drew both you and your sister in due to you being their human partners."**_

Before Josh could ask anymore questions, a pair of ominous red eyes appeared before them. Walking out of the darkness was Jaylin and Marisa. The owner of the large ghastly eyes spoke first.

**"It's been a while Gaou."**

_**"Yes but of course, I won't have to see you for too much longer."  
><strong>_

**"You have made a helluva an effort just to fight me."  
><strong>

Gaou released a loud howl as he crouched and pounced at the spirit, vanishing in the darkness. Faint sound sof snarling and punching could be heard in the distance.

* * *

><p>"Now you don't have that furball to bail you out." Jaylin said cracking her knuckles<p>

"I don't need him. I have my own strength." Jyan shot back, the necklace gently swaying

"Then bring it. Marisa!"

"_Hikaruku!"_

Jaylin moved so fast, afterimages of herself were in her trail. Jyan could not keep up and the girl attacked him from multiple angles.

"Jyan, hold on. I'll cast a-"

Before Josh could say more, Marisa was already behind him with a thick and rusty chain around his neck. "Yell anything else and you're dead." she snarled in a low voice

At that moment, Josh had no choice but to watch Jaylin's assault on Jyan. Punch after punch, slam after slam, Jyan endured it all. Josh looked on in horror as his partner's body was broken, battered and bruised. Jaylin's pummeling continued as she slammed Jyan's face into the dark floor. Sitting on top of his chest, Jaylin took the liberty of punching his face in with nobody to stop her.

"This better than a punching bag." she said, her fists coated in a thin film of blood.

Getting bored with the punching, Jaylin immediately grabbed Jyan by the neck, held him in the air and squeezed, there was no way he could overcome her enhanced strength and speed. His broken and battered body proved that.

"There's no need for you to struggle, you'll be joining that pathetic cheerleader soon."

Jyan's hair cast a shadow over his eyes as he felt the tightness of his throat affecting his ability to breathe.

[_Flashback...chapter 102]_

_Jyan climbed down Josh's back and slowly walked over to Wendy. He got on his knees next to her body and looked down at her. Her clothes were tatters, her saw the holes in her body and her bloody mouth. He noticed her eyes were still wide open and looked into them._

_"Wendy...what did they do to you?" he said, his large brown eyes watering_

_"Jyan..." she whispered faintly_

_Jyan lowered his ear to her._

_"Thank you...for being a good friend."_

[_End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>"Wendy gave her life just so I could get a <em>chance<em> to beat you. She was one of the best friends anybody, human or mamodo could ever ask for. We shared blood and sweat, good times and bad. If you think I'm going to lose this battle and not avenge her then you are **damn** wrong."

Jyan grabbed Jaylin's forearm and bent it backwards, granting his release. Landing on his feet, Jyan's body was engulfed in a rich blue aura which suddenly faded into a sky blueish color. His messy black hair blew upwards and his eyes glowed a complete sky blue. Extending his arm, Jyan sent enough pressurized force towards Marisa and Josh that forced his partner's release.

Coming by his side, Josh noticed the spell book glowing a bright blue but instead of the familiar royal blue the book glowed with a sky blue tint. Josh skimmed the text, looked at Jyan and back at the text. His eyes widened in amazement.

"Jyan...your revelation power... this is it's perfect form."

Jaylin and Marisa backed away from the newly powered-up Jyan. The familiar ominous eyes reappeared as did Gaou and judging by Gaou's tired composure and the spirit's lack of gloating, it could safely assume that their scuffle was a stalemate. Gaou looked over Jyan and saw his new form, sensing the power coming from it.

_"So this is the true extent of **The Seven Revelation Powers of the Original Mamodo King.**"_ he said quietly to himself, in awe.

Also sensing his power the spirit, in a red gas0like form entered Jaylin through her mouth and the girl's initial cold blue eyes were now glowing red orbs. An eerie red aura radiated from her body as the spirit finally took full control.

**"Such power...The host of Gaou has such incredulous power! Tell me, what is your name?"**

"I am Jyan, and I will be the next mamodo king!" he declared as Josh opened the spell book, ready to go.

_**A/N- Okay, so we're now in the climax of this battle. Jyan has officially had his true Revelation Point and after the struggles of having it corrupted, not being able to use it, all of the wear and tear he put his body through, going from being half-dead in one day to becoming stronger the next and having to overcome the darkness in his own heart. Everything Jyan has gone through, everything he has sacrificed, all of it pays off now. **_

_**Oh, I also noticed that I have picked up a couple of new followers over the last few days or so. Thank you for enjoying and please continue to support Iron Revolution!**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Zatch Bell nor do I make any money off of this! When I say support I mean as in reading, following, favoriting and reviewing!  
><strong>_


	107. Jyan vs Jaylin! Part 4

_**Previously on Iron Revolution...**_

Jyan grabbed Jaylin's forearm and bent it backwards, granting his release. Landing on his feet, Jyan's body was engulfed in a rich blue aura which suddenly faded into a sky blueish color. His messy black hair blew upwards and his eyes glowed a complete sky blue. Extending his arm, Jyan sent enough pressurized force towards Marisa and Josh that forced his partner's release.

Coming by his side, Josh noticed the spell book glowing a bright blue but instead of the familiar royal blue the book glowed with a sky blue tint. Josh skimmed the text, looked at Jyan and back at the text. His eyes widened in amazement.

"Jyan...your revelation power... this is it's perfect form."

Jaylin and Marisa backed away from the newly powered-up Jyan. The familiar ominous eyes reappeared as did Gaou and judging by Gaou's tired composure and the spirit's lack of gloating, it could safely assume that their scuffle was a stalemate. Gaou looked over Jyan and saw his new form, sensing the power coming from it.

_"So this is the true extent of __**The Seven Revelation Powers of the Original Mamodo King.**__"_ he said quietly to himself, in awe.

Also sensing his power the spirit, in a red gas-like form entered Jaylin through her mouth and the girl's initial cold blue eyes were now glowing red orbs. An eerie red aura radiated from her body as the spirit finally took full control.

**"Such power...The host of Gaou has such incredulous power! Tell me, what is your name?"**

"I am Jyan, and I will be the next mamodo king!" he declared as Josh opened the spell book, ready to go.

* * *

><p><span><strong>"Your power...I want it!"<strong>The gully possessed Jaylin howled in the spirit's voice, lunging at Jyan

Jyan however, did not budge an inch and rocked his opponent in the jaw with an uppercut. Jaylin's body tumbled into the ground but got back and grabbed at Jyan once more but the black-haired boy was ready as he landed blow after blow after blow on his foe. Jaylin tried to return the favorite but Jyan effortlessly blocked everything she threw at him, making her attempts to fight back futile. Knowing what he had to do next, he made his next move without haste.

"Gaou, I need your power! Come to me!"

The aura wolf morphed into a blue waved of aura and assimilated with its host. A light flashed everywhere as the pitch black room they stood in faded and returned them to consciousness. Jyan immediately came to and saw that his body was still cloaked in the blue aura and Wendy's necklace still dangled near his torso. Looking forward, he saw Jaylin's glowing red eyes, indicating that she was still possessed.

**"You're mine!"**

_"Dioga Hikaruga!"_

Jaylin's body glowed with light as a beam shot directly above her and formed into a light goddess. The goddess towered over Jyan and Josh as she extended her arm forward. The light illuminating Jaylin's body, surged upwards into the goddess' palm and continued to grow until a large sphere sat there. She turned her palm to where it was facing them and a massive beam propelled itself towards Josh and his mamodo partner.

"_The ninth spell...I'm not sure what it does but I have a good feeling about it."_

_"_The ninth spell, _Gou Chimardo!"_

Jyan opened his mouth as a rotating ball of aura formed. Josh noticed the sphere had two layers, the first and outermost layer rotated around the second layer, which was the core. The ball collided with the beam midway across the battlefield. The ball expanded as it absorbed the entire beam, much to everybody's shock and surprise.

**"That can't be!"**

Returning to consciousness, Jyan dissipated the orb at the snap of a finger and he felt an even bigger surge in his body. The sky blue aura grew even stronger than before and his footsteps left imprints in the sand.

"It's over."

**"No...no...NO! IT'S ONLY OVER WHEN I SAY IT'S** **OVER!"**she shrieked in a fit of madness

_"Dio Bablega Hikarukudon!"_

An even bigger and brighter mass of light consumed Jaylin's body as she screeched into the now starry nighttime sky. Jaylin charged forward, resembling a shooting star and heading directly towards Jyan and Josh.

"Josh, are you ready to end this?" Jyan asked without turning around

"Mhm."

Jyan crouched down into a stance and closed his eyes. Josh opened the dark blue book as the sky blue text shone brightly and proudly.

"_GAOU CHIKELGA!"  
><em>

Jyan opened his mouth as the blue aura wolf emerge but this version was different than normal. Usually it was only Gaou's head, torso and claws that emerged but this time, his entire form was released. The aura wolf charged head on at the comet-like Jaylin and released an ear shattering howl into the desert, triggering multiple small sandstorms.

_"That power...it's unreal. The Revelation Power multiplied his strength tenfold and if I analyzed things correctly, his previous spell absorbed Jaylin's Dioga Hikaruga spell and allowed him to sap the power from it in order to use it as his own."_

The wolf open it's wide jaws and bit down upon Jaylin before slamming it's claws upon Marisa as well. A massive explosion of smoke, dust and sand blanketed the entire battlefield. After a few minutes of a standstill, the area cleared up. Jyan and Josh stood tall and his Revelation Power still active. Jaylin and Marisa on the other hand, were bloody, bruised and heavily battered. Seeing that Jaylin did not fade away nor was she in the process of fading away meant that the book was still intact! Regardless, the battle was clearly over.

_**"Jyan...there is something that I haven't told you before."**_

"What?"

_**"When you remove a spirit from it's host, not only does the spirit die but the host does too."**_

_"_In other words, you're saying I have to kill Jaylin in order to exorcise the evil spirit?"

_**"Yes. The exorcism is fatal."**_

"But why?"

_**"It is because their souls are connected as one and is the equivalent of ripping out a major organ so to speak."  
><strong>_

"Why didn't you tell me this before? Were you going to have me kill her without my knowledge?"

**_"The reason I didn't tell you beforehand is because I did not think you would agree to go through with it."_**

"I see...but is it truly the only way for her to be free?"

_**"Yes."**_

* * *

><p>Jyan slowly walked across the sand towards the heavily injured Marisa and Jaylin. As he trekked across the former battlefield, a lot of things ran through his mind at once.<p>

_[Flashback...]_

_"You are such a slowpoke Jyan!"_

_"Cheater! You had a head start!"_

_Jaylin and Jyan ran through the rain barefoot. The water sloshed between their toes as they raced to her house on the other side of the village..._

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>Jyan felt his footsteps grow heavier and heavier each time he took a step...<p>

_[Flashback]_

_"Come on Jyan, you can do it!"_

_Jyan opened his mouth and fired a chikeru blast but the aura instantly dissipated and he passed out. When he came to, Jyan saw Jaylin feeling his forehead, a small smile crept on her face as she noticed him awakening._

_"I still didn't get it, did I?" he asked, frowning_

_"No need to worry, with some hard work and some good grades in school, you could be our village's representative for king." Jaylin said, her smile bright and encouraging_

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>Jyan's right arm hung to it's side as the aura still surrounding him due to his Revelation Power formed into a claw similar to the ones used in his Gaou Kloruku spell...<p>

_[Flashback...]_

_ "Well that means I can get the village's spot in the upcoming battle." she said proudly, though she had her back turned so Jyan couldn't see her eyes watering_

_"You're still going on about that? You know my spells aren't that good."_

_"Jyan...please work hard at your new school. Stop being the class clown, not everything is a joke." she said, her voice serious again_

_"We'll see. In the meantime, we'll live it up these last few days and do everything we ever wanted to do."_

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>Jyan stood directly over Jaylin, his hair cast a shadow over his eyes so it was hard to tell what he was thinking at that moment. He grabbed Jaylin by the collar of her dress and picked her up off of the ground, standing her to her feet...<p>

_[Flashback...]_

_Jyan and Jaylin stood waist-deep in the creek outside of the village. It was a starry night and they were catching hermit crabs, Jyan noticed Jaylin had a pretty serious look on her face._

_"Jaylin..."_

_"Jyan, everybody knows you as the class clown, but I know you're more than that. No matter what anybody says to you...you're not worthless and I know you would make a wonderful king. Anytime you find yourself stranded in the darkness, just know that you are never alone because **together** we will walk hand in hand toward the light." _

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>Jyan simply stood there, claw raised and all. He saw Jaylin's face and realized that her eyes were no longer glowing red but dull crystal blue ones from a distant past. Instead of seeing a monster who wreaked havoc for him and his allies, he saw the five year old girl who was his best friend those few years ago. Sparkling tears streamed down his face as he stood there shaking and trembling. He couldn't look Jaylin straight in the eye and take her life. Possessed or not, she still meant so much to him. Even after joining the Black Corps, even after trying to attack him, even after what happened with Wendy.<p>

"What are you waiting for?" she asked, her voice was soft and somewhat raspy

"I..I..can't kill you."

"Jyan...why not? I...well you know what I did to Wendy."

"I know and I can never forgive you for that but still, how could I be king if I don't even try to save a friend?"

Jaylin did not answer him but Jyan continued on.

"If I just cast you aside, you will slip deeper in darkness under the spirit's influence and the cycle would simply continue."

"I think I understand now... Well as I promised, here's what you should know about Roto. When the lab was covered in ice and destroyed, we found that the machine that absorbed your Revelation Power was damaged but the machine was still intact for the most part. We recovered the containers and returned to Blue's Island in the Pacific where I was granted permission to fight you...but I wanted to do it on my terms. "

"Where in the Pacific is this island?"

"Jyan...**the Four Generals of The Black Corps** are extremely powerful and dangerous, I don't recommend going there looking for a fight."

"Roto and I have some unfinished business. He also had a hand in what happened to Wendy plus I will make sure I stop the Black Corps."

"Of course...Blue's Island is just off the coast of Hawaii. Don't go there alone...you'll need some serious backup." Jaylin said, reaching her hands out and touching Jyan's aura cloaked forearm.

Before Jyan could even blink, a wave of blood shot up in front of his face. Looking down, he saw his arm through Jaylin's chest and the aura claws protruding from her back. More of her blood drenched Jyan's arm as it also dripped from her mouth. As a result of Jaylin pulling Jyan's claws through her chest, the red spell book was in white flames. Marisa, who was perched up by a small stack of sand, halfheartedly dropped the book from her hand as the flames quickly swallowed up the book to the point where it lost it's rectangular shape.

"Looks like I had to finish your work for you again...just like old times." she said weakly, trying to force a smile

Jyan was horrified and Jaylin seemed to read this. "Jyan, I'm finally free. For the first time in years, I can truly and confidently say that I made a decision on my own free will...something that had absolutely NOTHING to do with the spirit's influence and for that, I say thank you."

Jyan said nothing, he continued to look towards the ground.

"You have surpassed me and you may very be the king we have all been waiting on...I have one final request..." Jaylin's body was already halfway faded away but she was struggling to gasp for air but she found the strength to continue.

"...don't...lose."

Jaylin closed her eyes and fell silent. The rest of her body faded away in a flash and her once red book was now nothing more than ashes.

* * *

><p>A few feet away, Josh squatted down to make eye contact with Marisa.<p>

"Just...kill me now." she spat, sliding Josh her pistol

"No. I'm not going to kill you...but you WILL help our cause against the Black Corps. You WILL provide us with resources and you WILL tell me everything that you know."

"Fine, but you will have to take me to my office in Phoenix."

* * *

><p>Everybody was speechless at Jyan's victory over Jaylin. It was simply amazing on how far Jyan had come since the beginning. Chainz however, felt uneasy about the whole ordeal.<p>

_"Jyan accessed his Revelation Power AND was able to master it. I wouldn't stand a chance at all if I fought him right now. First Slash and now Jyan...it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that Jyan can fight on par with and MAYBE even beat Slash. This was supposed to be my story on my rise to the top but how can that happen if I keep getting surpassed by my rivals? Is there honestly any hope for me or is it just a matter of time before my book is burned?"  
><em>

* * *

><p>Jyan still stood in the same spot where Jaylin had died in front of him. He looked into the starry night sky and felt a gentle wind sway the necklace.<p>

"I couldn't have done it without you Wendy."

An image of Wendy and now Jaylin sparkled in the constellations.

"My time has yet to come but until that day, I will keep on training and fighting my way to the top."

* * *

><p>Over the next few days, Marisa and Josh were treated for their injuries and made the trip to Phoenix. The entire ride there was quiet and Marisa even allowed Josh to drive. Her car was a nice blue Italian model, it was no luxury car but it still looked expensive. He noticed a small picture on the dashboard that consisted of their parents, Marisa and himself. His parents were in a loving embrace but Marisa had the young Josh in a headlock while giving him a noogie. The old but near perfect conditioned picture was encased in a small picture frame and stayed attached the the dashboard due to a special clip.<p>

_"I never would have thought she of all people would have something like this. Especially not in her car..." _

Pulling up to the Federal Building a few hours later, Marisa and Josh got out of the car and made their way up the stairs. The entire ride to the top floor was a somber one, complete and utter silence. Marisa slowly walked and opened the door to her office, it was similar to when Josh was last here. He saw all of the trophies Marisa won from science fairs, athletic events, academics, perfect attendance and even recycling!

_"She always has been perfect at everything."_

It was at that moment, Josh finally noticed Marisa was wearing a jacket. It was not a heavy winter coat but moreso a fall hoodie.

_"She's just hiding her scars and injuries from her coworkers. **She can't let her pride go and admit defeat, she is still sickeningly arrogant. I hate her so much.**"_

Staring at the wall, he saw numerous certificates; Employee of the Month, Agent of the Year, Most arrests in a day. Josh saw that Marisa still fiddled at her desk and revealed a USB drive.

"Take this." she said, handing it over to him

"Is this everything? How do I know this isn't a virus or a program designed to crash my computer? Or hell, it could even be a blank USB!" he sneered

"Either you take it or you don't." she said flatly

Josh sighed before turning to walk out.

"Josh, wait."

Josh turned around and faced his sister.

"What do you want?"

"Take this too."

Marisa got out of her chair and handed him a silver key with a small note attached to it.

"Why are you giving me this?"

Marisa did not answer his question, she simply shoved him out of the way and walked out of her office. Josh saw a small tear droplet leave the corner of her eye. Astonished, Josh opened the note and read its contents.

* * *

><p><em><strong>"I concede defeat."<br>**_

* * *

><p>Josh's eyes widened at the note and found himself sprinting through the hallway. He galloped to the elevator and quickly hopped on, hoping to catch his sister before it was too late. Getting to the first floor, he frantically looked around before running into the lobby. Still no sign of her, Josh made his way to the receptionist desk panting and gasping for air.<p>

"Have you seen Marisa Luther anywhere?"

"You just missed her, she left the building a few moments ago."

"A few moments ago...then there's still time."

Josh dashed out of the door and looked around on the streets. He still did not see any trace of Marisa. Giving up, he trotted back to the car and got in without saying a word.

Marisa however, was behind an adjacent building and watched her brother return to the car. She stepped forward as if she was going to call out to him but shook her head and decided against it. Pulling out her cellphone, she pressed a few buttons before putting it to her ear.

"I need a meeting with you...I'll come by with my boss's limo."

* * *

><p>A few dozen miles away, Marisa was riding in the limo with Marty and Sly. No words were exchanged for the first few minutes but Marisa then told Marty and Sly that she was bested in battle by Jyan and Josh.<p>

"That is unfortunate but it still does not explain why you called a meting with me." he said

"Change of plans."

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, rubbing his chin

"All I'm going to say is that your plan will fail."

"Heh. Since when did you care about what I do? I could have sworn you were just a power-hungry, trigger-happy fool with a badge." Marty said, chuckling with a smug look

* * *

><p><strong>"If I just cast you aside, you will slip deeper in darkness<strong>**...and...**_**_t_he cycle would simply continue..."**_

Jyan's words rang loud and clear in Marisa's head. The cycle had to end somewhere.

"Your time is almost up..." she said, her hair cast a shadow over her eyes so it wasn't clear what she was thinking but there was a big grin on her face.

The spell book in Marty's hand glowed a gray light as his eyes darted around the limo.

_"Togureku!"_

Like a whip, Sly's tail extended before numerous spikes emerged and swung his tail at Marisa. Marisa revealed her pistol and opened fire but Sly's tail was too powerful and he swiped the gun away. He then jabbed the tail through Marisa's abdomen, impaling her against the seat and pinning her down. Marisa did not scream in agony nor did she yelp in extreme pain. No, her grin was still plastered on her face. It was at that moment, Marisa revealed a small round trigger with a black button in the middle.

**"Win it all you little bastard..."** she said softly before pressing the button,

The limo burst into flames and rained debris in the desert, the shockwave going on for a few hundred feet.

* * *

><p>Driving back to the small town where everybody was waiting, Josh noticed the glass on the family picture frame was cracked.<p>

**_A/N- Jyan's character arc ends here and we begin the transition in the next chapter. I will say I have had a lot of fun developing Jyan for the last one hundred chapters, going from being an average mamodo to one of the most powerful in the battle. Of course, he will have more fights in the future. While many questions have been answered, new ones pop up. What did Marisa leave Josh? What did she know? What is Marty's true plan? Where does everybody go from here? What did Josh realize about Marisa? How will he react to her fate? Many of these shall be answered in the next chapter. R&R folks!_**

* * *

><p><strong><em>Stats-<em>**

**_Name- Jaylin_**

**_Partner- Marisa Luther_**

**_Rank- 33rd out of 100_**

**_Book Color- Red_**

**_Element- Light_**

**_Book Burned By: Jyan and Josh Luther_**

**_Spells:_**

_**1.) Hikaruga: fires a beam of light,**_

_**2.) Hikaruku: enables her to move faster than light**_

_**3.) Rin hikaruzen: large multiple rings are made that move under Jaylin's control, can not only slice through enemies but also can act as a defense and amplifier for Jaylin's other spells**_

_**4.) Aranzo Hikaru: gains a crossbow that she can use to attack with, is mostly used for sniping, pinning against surfaces and piercing through defenses.**_

_**5.) Gigano hikaru: A much more powerful and larger version of hikaru is fired.**_

_**6.) Multias Hikaru: A orb appears in Jaylin's hand and she throws it to the enemy, it then shatters midway into countless bouncing projectiles to trap and attack the foe in, is best used in closed spaces or with Rin hikaruzen**_

_**7.) Aras hikarudo: Multiple lance like projectiles fall from the sky for a wide area of effect and some stick to the ground for Jaylin to grab and use a an explosive melee weapon.**_

_**8.) Orubu Hikaruku: 5 powerful light clones of Jaylin appear to attack the target. They can regenerate from small hits and must be destroyed in one full go to get rid of. However Marisa and Jaylin only use this for when they really want to beat down the enemy or when its absolutely necessary.**_

_**9.) Dioga Hikaruga: Jaylin is enveloped in light and a light goddess appears above her. She takes the light that surrounds Jaylin and fires it off as a destructive beam. Is actually symbolic once you learn of Jaylin's past and condition.**_

_**10.) Fei Hikaruku: Gives her four wings on her back that let her fly at highs speeds.**_

_**11.) Dio bablega hikarukudon: A massive overwhelming lights surrounds Jaylin and she charges fourth using the light to blast or beat down the target with.**_


	108. Fresh Start

"Almost here."

Josh had been driving for a few hours. He probably shouldn't have taken Marisa's car but at the same time, it's not like she did not have another one to drive. Passing the sign, he took the next few minutes finding his way back to the cathedral where everybody was waiting for him at. Parking, he got out and went inside to the tabernacle where everybody was sitting around. They quickly turned to face him as soon as they heard the door open, many of them were frowning to Josh's confusion.

"What's going on…why is everybody frowning?"

Ishimaru, pulling out his laptop, typed in a few keys before turning it to face Josh.

"_**Officials have confirmed that eighteen year old Marisa Luther has been killed in what appears to be a limousine explosion. Luther was a highly decorated agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigating crimes and misdoings. The cause and motive for the explosion is currently unknown."**_

Josh looked on at the news report, speechless.

[Few weeks later…]

Josh stared at the headstone before him, it was made of a very elegant slate with her name along with her date of birth and death inscribed on it with beautiful silver. A pure ivory cross was fixated behind the headstone adorned with dozens of not hundreds of flowers. Over the past few weeks, Josh had met officers and agents from all over the country who had given their condolences and have all had nothing but high praise for Marisa, where she had helped them on numerous occasions.

"Josh…are you alright?"

Turning around, he saw Sheila behind him. The expression on her face was of a highly concerned one.

"I'm fine…but I'm not sure how to feel." He said, trying to reassure her

"I mean, we didn't have the best relationship nor do I recall any fond memories either."

"Despite all of that however, I think what happened that day was just her way of making peace…I think that she knew she was going to die so perhaps that's why she gave me that data…as a way to atone for the things she did."

"Maybe she really did care for you but just had a different way of showing it."

"Maybe you're right. My parents are taking the whole thing pretty hard and have increased their work so they won't be around anytime soon."

"Josh if you ever need anything, I'm here for you."

"Thanks. All we can do now is figure out what exactly Marisa left us regarding the Black Corps…it has to be something crucial or she wouldn't have practically threw it at me."

"Josh!"

Turning around, they saw Jyan standing there. He had opted to wait by the car since cemeteries creeped him out but for him to come this far in, it had to be important. Following him back to the car, they saw both Solin and Sara standing there.

"Who are you?" Josh asked

"I am Solin, the Ice Titan and this little girl is my human partner, Sara."

"So you're the one who defeated Slash!" Josh exclaimed, revealing Jyan's spell book

"Do not be alarmed for I am not your opponent."

"Then why are you here?"

"I am here to discuss a few things with you. I am the one who froze the equipment in the lab you were being held captive in."

"Thanks for that." Sheila interjected

"I cannot allow anything to happen to any of the Seven Revelation Holders. They are the only hope to defeating Blue, The Black Corps as a whole and ultimately saving both the Makai and Earth."

"Explain."

"I was sent to Earth about seven years ago by King Zatch himself. My assignment was to stop the other three Titans by any means necessary. My mission was made even more difficult when Treachor's army of mamodo invaded the human world and I had to place my mission on a hiatus of sorts in order to deal with them. Over the next couple of years, the entire army was eliminated save for Blue, Treachor, Arkham and myself."

"How can there be two separate battles?"

"The previous battle was unsanctioned so it did not count against the current battle for king. Even if there was one left standing from said battle, that mamodo still would not have become king. It did not take long before the others realized this and took it upon themselves to eliminate the others. Including Treachor, who ruthlessly destroyed those who were once his allies. All of this being said, I am the only one out of the four who is eligible to become king since the only reason I initially came here before the official battle started was due to my mission so it made me a special exception."

"I see."

"I witnessed the Hellfire Titan, Arkham's defeat at the hands of Blue. Then of course, the Light Titan, Treachor falling to Slash. Now, only two remain…myself, the Ice Titan and Blue, the Machine Titan."

"So if the other titans are ineligible to become king then is Blue truly a threat?"

"Yes. Blue could find a way around the ineligibility restriction by obtaining all seven Revelation Powers and becomes a god of sorts with them. At that point, all he would need to do is eliminate every other mamodo and leave just one left standing. When a mamodo becomes king, their human partner is entitled to one wish of anything their heart desires, even if it's logically impossible. So if Blue leaves one mamodo and human partner alive, then he can simply use that human's wish in order to be crowned king. Once his wish comes true, he will ascend himself into a god of sorts and with King's Privilege."

"So THAT is why he is making sure the demon inside the volcano reaches its perfect form. It will simply be a mindless drone and will do whatever Blue's wants and it's human partner has been manipulated by Blue as well into a drone as well…but if he's developing a mamodo, how does it already have a human partner and how is it eligible for the kingship?"

"The mamodo in the volcano was an already existing mamodo in this battle for king. The Black Corps seized this mamodo, conducted artificial experiments on him or hr before sealing them into the volcano."

"A mamodo named Kai said something a while back about it being attracted to destruction which would cause it to emerge prematurely and giving it an imperfect form. How is that possible if it was simply an ordinary mamodo before?"

"Blue has multiple special abilities. One of which is being able to create specialized machinery, if my theory is correct, Blue induced a generator of sorts into their body and designed it to attract the lure of chaos. This allows Blue to kill two birds with one stone, the ongoing battle causes a lot of collateral damage, which is what Blue was going to do anyway as far as destroying human civilization goes and at the same time, strengthens his monster."

"So in other words, we're doing his dirty work for him by simply fighting against him."

"Precisely. "

"Before you showed up, some of my Revelation Power was taken from me and given to Blue. If he's as powerful as you say he is then there's no telling what he is now."

"I figured that would happen when Sara and I investigated the site and saw that the tubes were gone. Even though a small sample was taken from you, that would significantly increase ones power if it is artificially injected, which is what Blue seems to be going for."

"Well we should take him out before he gets a chance to destroy everything!" Jyan exclaimed, slamming his fist into his palm

"It's not that simple. You know about The Four Generals, one of them being Roto whom you have unfinished business with in addition to numerous freelancers. Plus without all seven revelation holders, the battle against Blue and the rest of the Black Corps will end in sure defeat. What I suggest is that all seven revelation holders shall come together and then take on Blue at his island."

"Solin, do you know of the other five?"

"Yes. I know the identities and locations of all seven revelation holders. Hence why I was suddenly able to come to your rescue back at the lab and find you at this cemetery."

"Can't you just bring them all together within a few days?" Sheila asked

"Even if I were to do that, our effort will still be futile unless the other five awaken and perfect their Revelation Powers so until then, it will be best if they awaken it on their own."

"I know Slash and myself are revelation holders…but are Chainz and Azure revelation holders as well?"

"Maybe they are and maybe they are not."

"Gee, thanks for such an informative answer." Jyan said, sarcasm heavy in his voice

"Sara and I will continue watching and assisting the seven revelation holders whenever necessary. At the same time, we will prepare ourselves for the day **when all seven virtues become one. **Farewell until then.**"**

Solin clutched his young partner in his arms as their bodies faded away into snow before disappearing completely.

Leaving Phoenix and returning to the small town, Josh discussed their encounter with Solin with the others.

"So what are you going to do next?" Josh asked Ishimaru

"Eve and I will be returning to Japan since the school year is about to start. Even though a lot of schools operate in trimesters, East goes by semesters instead."

"I thought you were suspended from playing soccer?"

"That's not the only reason I go to school…well not anymore and I am, but I talked to Coach Yuushi over the phone a few days ago and he said that my appeal trial will occur next week so I still have a chance. Plus I can still play football and basketball as well. I also received word that none of the universities pulled their scholarship offers either so even if I don't get my senior season back, I should be fine as long as I stay in shape and perhaps play community league or something."

"Alright, best of luck to you."

"Thanks."

Jyan sat outside in the parking lot. He still had a lot on his mind and his conversation with Solin simply added another weight onto that. His thought process was interrupted when he heard the familiar sound of boots scrapping the concrete. Turning around, he saw Chainz standing there and he quickly got to his feet to face him. Neither of them said anything for the next few minutes but Jyan then held out his hand, much to Chainz's surprise. Chainz stood there for a few moments before accepting it.

"You know, we won't be teammates again anytime soon."

"So now that you awakened your Revelation Power and are a tiny bit ahead of me that you're too good for me now?" Chainz asked jokingly

"Yeah, it's a little something like that."

"Sounds like I'm going to have to knock some sense into that stubborn noggin of yours." Chainz said, smirking

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

All joking aside, they knew that they did not have much time for antics and that at this point, it truly was a matter of survival…a matter of life and death.

"_I'm jealous of how much stronger Jyan has become and am honestly glad that even though our bond has been reformed, we still won't be teammates anymore. I can't lose to him…this is my chance to catch up! Failure is not an option!"_

Chainz felt a different wind upon him and turned to see Azure standing there. Jyan noticed as well and both boys gazed at the ice mamodo. Chainz felt Azure's icy blue eyes fixated on him and Azure felt Chainz's large onyx eyes on him. They both began walking slowly but surely towards each other and little did they know, their thoughts were synchronized into one.

"_**I finally get it now…I finally understand why we feel drawn to each other by the threads of destiny. We are two sides of the same coin…inverses of each other. He has what I lack."**_

"No matter how far you stretch and twist the strings of fate…"Chainz began

"It will always return to its destined path." Azure finished

They stood face to face with little distance between them at this point. "You and I are destined to someday fight a high-stakes battle where only one of us is to come out of it alive." Azure said coolly

"I feel the same way…we will fight and keep on fighting until one of us is down. No matter how many battles it takes."

Azure turned to leave but felt Chainz's hand on his shoulder.

"Hmm?"

"Why wait when we can start now?"

Azure felt Chainz's fist slam into his jaw which sent him sliding across the pavement, but quickly got to his feet and saw Chainz lunging at him. Taking advantage of his standing position, Azure grabbed Chain's arm and flipped him onto the pavement.

"_Hokeigo!"_

Chainz's hand opened as the spike ball and chain emerged and shot at Azure but he quickly jumped into the air, avoiding the iron weapon. Looking towards the ground, he saw Ishimaru there with his green spell book opened with Rika not too far behind.

"_Hokekeruga!"_

Chainz placed his hands on the ground as numerous chains with hooks connected on the end emerged and whipped them towards Azure.

"_Wavariaus Runaega!"_

Azure stomped the ground as four waves of ice shot up in different directions, freezing every chain and hook simultaneously along with adding a small layer of ice to the ground. "Ishimaru, watch out!" Chainz exclaimed, pushing his partner out of the path of the oncoming ice coming towards his left side. "I don't have an eye on that side anymore so it's now a blind spot." Ishimaru said, panting

"Yeah, we haven't really fought or trained very much since what happened with Ryu. We have to get used to that or it will end up being a liability for us." Chainz said

With a snap of a finger, each and every one of them shattered like glass. Not allowing this momentum to go to waste, Rika was already calling for the next spell.

"_Raian Hovaria!"_

The familiar icy wave board appeared under Azure's feet as he glided across the sheet of ice. Picking up speed, he raised his arm into the air, waiting for Rika to top of the combo move.

"_Scythrias Icicalia!"_

A blue energy sphere emerged from Azure's hand and formed into an ice scythe. Still gliding along the ice with his wave board, Azure dragged the scythe along the ice-covered ground. Azure picked up enough speed to the point where the board began circling around Chainz and Ishimaru. A blur sped past them around and around and around again. Not knowing where he was going to strike, Ishimaru needed to make sure his blind spot was covered.

Azure materialized from the blue that was circling around them, scythe drawn and powered with momentum and icy friction, he swung down on them but Ishimaru quickly called forth a spell.

"_Hokkado!"_

The giant gear shield rose from the ground in an effort to block Azure. The iron gear however, was not enough as it was easily destroyed by Azure's scythe, kicking up an explosion. The smoke quickly cleared and the front blade of Azure's scythe rested on Chainz's throat.

"That day however, is not today." Azure said, referencing their exchange from a few minutes ago before Chainz sucker-punched him. Rika closed Azure's spell book and the battle was declared over.

The following day, everybody said their goodbyes before going their separate ways. Josh, Jyan and Sheila returned to St. Louis. Arashi and Kira decided not to return to Japan and instead, stayed in Arizona with Rika, Azure, Lily and Sola who also were staying for a while longer before their eventual return. Ishimaru and Eve however, landed in Tokyo the following day. After leaving the airport, the foursome were walking through the city once again.

"That bitter taste is not going to leave my mouth anytime soon." Chainz declared

"Same here. Next time we won't go down so easily…no we will win."

"Mhm."

Coming to the stairs leading into the subway station, they paid their fares and went through the tourniquet. Looking at the nearby map, they pinpointed their location.

"Eve, do you still live in East Tokyo?"

"Yes."

Finding the East Tokyo route, they paid their fares and got on board. Finding some empty seats, they sat down and felt the underground train take off.

"I am also returning to school."

"How is that going to work? You dropped out your sophomore year."

"Yes, but I can take the credit exam to receive sophomore and junior credit and with a decent score, I can be a senior when school starts."

"That's a pretty tough test and will require a lot of studying, I don't know if you're even smart enough or that." Ishimaru said, getting a quick snarky comment in

"I don't need a _**kogansho**_ who happens to also be a damn _Cyclops_ calling me stupid...and yes, I went there. " She shot back

"Ohhh, so now Blondie is trying to be funny. Eh?"

"What's wrong Cyclops? Don't have a good comeback?"

"Uh…um…I'm gonna think of something." Ishimaru replied, as much as he didn't want to admit it, she got him good

"We shall see."

"In the meantime, when is the best time to go up to East? I haven't really hung around campus in a while so I wouldn't know."

"Sometime in the morning is my guess. Looks like I'll have to make time to hold your hand and walk you around school and explain things to where even you can understand it." Ishimaru sighed, shaking his head

"Wait…so does this mean you two will be gone all day?" Sundance asked

"You can come over to my house and hang out with Chainz." Ishimaru suggested

"Where is your house anyway?" Sundance asked

Before Ishimaru could say anything, the subway came to a halt, reaching the East Tokyo terminal. "I can show you."

Getting off the subway and leaving the station, they were back in the familiar suburb. After taking a mere five minute walk, they were approaching Ishimaru's house.

"Well this is my house. Now you know where it's at."

"Awesome…" Sundance said as he and Chainz bolted inside

"Take your shoes off Sundance!" Eve called out

Approaching the door, Ishimaru and Eve took their shoes off before going in as well. Ishimaru saw the note on the table, meaning that his mother was here within the last week or so. He picked up and skimmed the note before placing it on the table. He heard the loud rumblings of footsteps above him, meaning that Chainz and Azure were likely in his room.

"How often is your mom here?" Eve suddenly asked, surprising Ishimaru

"Rarely, her job makes her travel a lot."

"Yeah, but she's been doing that for the last year and a half, so I'm used to it now."

"I see…well, it's getting late so we need to get going. Sundance! It's time to go!"

"Aww man. Wait…I was coming back over here tomorrow anyway. So why don't I just stay here!"

"Sundance, you can't—"

"I don't have a problem with it. Besides, he needs a break from you anyway." Ishimaru said smugly

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Have you ever spent a day with yourself?"

"Only a stupid cyclops would ask something like that!"

"At least this cyclops is pleasant to be around."

"Says who?"

"Everybody."

"You're a legend in your own mind." Eve said, putting on her shoes. Sundance and Chainz were in their own little world playing videogames and not paying attention to the quarreling pair.

"Where are you going?"

"Home. "

"You shouldn't walk alone."

"I'm pretty sure that I can handle myself."

"Perhaps but I'm going with you just because you told me not to." Ishimaru said, putting his shoes on and following her outside

After a few minutes of walking down the quiet sidewalk in silence, Ishimaru finally spoke.

"What made you decide to come back to school?"

Eve did not answer his question initially; she looked straight ahead as they went back to walking in silence. They came upon her street and reached her house. Ishimaru turned to walk away but Eve stopped him.

"I'm coming back to school…because I want a fresh start."

_**A/N- Solin returns once again and reveals his original mission and why he was sent to Earth before the start of the official battle for king. The only way for Blue and the Black Corps to be defeated, is only with all seven Revelation Powers. Chainz and Jyan have made up and their bond has reformed but will never be what it once was. Azure defeated Chainz in battle and took advantage of Ishimaru's blind spot, leaving a bitter taste in their mouths and sowing the seeds for a new rivalry. Why are these two destined to fight? Eve and Ishimaru have returned to Japan and Eve will register for the test so she can try and be placed into her correct grade. Why does she want a fresh start? What exactly caused her to drop out? When will we get to the next arc? Did Marty and Sly survive the explosion? What exactly did Marisa know and how close was she to crippling the Black Corps? Why isn't PG answering these questions? When is he going to officially shift the focus to Hori? Why are there so many questions? The only way for all of these to be answered is to keep on reading. R&R folks!**_


	109. Enter Venom! Hori's sticky situation!

_"This feeling..."_

_"...it's so warm...so cozy."_

Ishimaru's dreamlike state ended and the boy's vision was a complete blur at the moment. When the blurriness began to fade, he made out a large tuft of dark blonde hair in front of his face. He figured that was where the warmness was coming from, another person laying on top of him. This blonde person was pretty war for somebody who wasn't under the covers with him and with such a small frame to boot.

"Blonde hair...small frame...WHAAAA!"

Ishimaru raised himself up and saw that Sundance was sleeping on top of him!

"Sundance...when I said you could sleep over, I didn't mean literally." he said, pushing the mamodo boy off of the bed and onto the floor

"Well Chainz is a terrible sleeper. He made the floor a living nightmare, a guy can only take so much slapping, kicking and drooling."

Sighing, Ishimaru went into his bathroom and cleaned himself up before getting dressed. Almost on the dot, the doorbell rang and he hustled down the stairs and reached the door, opening it. To his surprise and chagrin, Eve was standing in the doorway. "I'm, surprised you were smart enough to find my house. I figured you didn't know how to read the street sign and address."

"And I'm surprised you didn't get the back door mixed up with the front door again."

"How in the hell do you know about that?" Ishimaru muttered under his breath

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing."

"That's what I thought."

"Whatever."

"Instead of flirting, shouldn't you two be at school so Eve can register for her exam and you can get more info about your appeal trial?" Sundance asked, looking from the balcony

This of course earned Sundance a deadly glare from both Eve and Ishimaru. "Sundance, don't mistake me for flirting when I'm actually putting a shrew in her place."

"You wouldn't get anywhere with me no matter how hard you tried."

The two left out of the house, locking the door behind them and continued going back and forth for the duration of the ten minute walk to East Tokyo High School. Their banter to everybody's relief, stopped when they reached the black gate where the familiar "ET" emblem in cursive letters were engraved. Stepping past the gate, they gazed at the four story all-brick building. It was some hybrid between Victorian and Gothic styled as far as the design went, making it unique to most high schools in the Tokyo Metropolitan area and perhaps Greater Kanto.

"Okay, the administration front office is on the first floor." Ishimaru said as they traversed the hallways

The school's entrance was adorned with a black and gold carpet with the East Tokyo coat of arms printed on it. The floors were white and sterile as if they haven't been stepped on for a few months. Eve looked up at the black and gold double-stripe painted on the very top of the walls going on for who knows how long. Up ahead, she saw that they were coming to a four-way intersection of the main hall. She suddenly felt herself being jerked to the left, turning she saw it was Ishimaru who had committed the act.

"What did you do that for?!" she said, slightly alarmed and fuming

"You almost stepped on The Cavalier."

Looking down she saw a painting on the floor that was of a man with a fancy black goatee, fair skin and tufts of black hair sticking out of his wide brimmed hat. The large gold ostrich plume sticking out of his hat complimented the school's colors and much to Eve's disgust, he had a smile on his face while winking.

"What's the big deal? It's a stupid logo."

"It is an East tradition that you don't step on the logo. How can you forget about that?"

"I never really cared in the first place."

Rolling his eyes, Ishimaru and Eve continued onwards. After walking in silence for about the next minute or so, they reached the front office where Eve told the secretary about taking the credit exam. Leaving her to her own devices, Ishimaru made a beeline to the athletic complex. Outside of the building, was the Athletic Park. There were the unmarked fields people used to play pick up games, Cavalier Stadium was the new, state of the art stadium used for football, soccer, and field hockey games. On the other side of the athletic park, was Cavalier Field where the baseball team held their games. Most importantly however, was the Athletic Complex, a large facility where all of the schools' sports teams save for basketball for they used the gym, were housed. Each sport had their own locker room, equipment storage, etc.

Thanks to Seiku being vice president of the student council, many athletic facility bonds were passed, allowing their erection. This however, did not come without controversy as there was a notable opposition to such a higher increase to athletic funding. East Tokyo, being known as an academic powerhouse, never put too much of an emphasis on sports other than the minimum. However, when sports teams began having success over the last 25 or so years, things began on the upswing. Cue in, Ishimaru's stardom since his Freshman year which escalated into the complete mess on the floor of the student council. Seiku however, pushed his agenda and even got the president too sign off on it in addition to a majority throughout the rest of the council. This of course cconvinced Ishimaru that Seiku could be a pretty effective politician, much to his denial.

Opening the door, Ishimaru quickly found himself in Coach Yuushi's office. The stern older man's eyes lit up with delight even though his expression did not change.

"Coach!"

"Good to see you Ishimaru. Did you enjoy your trip to the US?"

"It was great Coach. Did Todai _**(**__**A/N- Nickname for The University of Tokyo) **_decide whether or not they were going to offer?"

"Ishimaru...even though you are a legacy and your father holds the scoring and assist record, we don't know if they will give it to you or the striker at West. In addition, their coaches are not pleased with your incident in the playoffs. So your best bet is to not only win the appeal trial but also keep your nose clean and make your senior season your best one yet."

"So about my appeal trial..."

"Yes, I have all of the paperwork already and it will take place a week from today. Also, keep in mind that the Metro Conference committee along with the student disciplinary committee will oversee the order for you to be reinstated, you need to receive approval from both."

"What if I only receive approval from one and not the other?"

"Then it will come down to an individual testimony, as in a third party to speak about your character. You can get up to five people to speak on your behalf then the party who did not denied your appeal will think it over, if they approve the second time, then you will be reinstated."

"And if both deny my appeal?"

"Then you will not be playing soccer for your senior season. I can't tell you if this will or won't effect your scholarship offers in the case that happens. Perhaps you could play community league or something but we won't worry about because we will make sure we get you reinstated."

"Thanks coach." Ishimaru said before getting up to leave

"Ishimaru."

"Yes sir?"

"Your hairstyle..."

Ishimaru frowned before sighing and lifted up the parted hair that covered up his left eye, showing his coach the scar and his missing eye.

"How?"

"A de...it was an accident."

"Ishimaru, one eye or not, you are still the best player I have ever coached and this better not slow you down...or you will run until you puke. Also, you better be at football practice first thing int he morning, those field goals will not be kicking themselves."

"Yes sir!"

Ishimaru walked out of his coach's office and turned the corner before leaving the athletic complex. Coach Yuushi opened his drawer and pulled out a picture frame. Two young men stood there side by side, the black haired guy had his arm around the other guy's shoulders with a determined look on his face.

_"Ayumu, I still have him under my wing...just like you requested old friend."_

* * *

><p>Returning to the front office, he saw Eve already standing there waiting for him, paperwork in hand.<p>

"I take the test next week."

"Isn't that too soon?"

"Cyclops, school starts in two weeks so it will be ideal to get the test out of the way asap so I can get the results back quickly."

"That's a lot of coursework to study for and since there's no way you can possibly do it on your own, I have no choice but to help you. I don't understand why you always put me into these compromising positions."

"I don't recall asking you for help." Eve said sharply, pushing the door open

Leaving the school, the pair started to going at it again to the point where one could here them from the other side of the road.

* * *

><p>"You again? Why won't you leave me alone!?"<p>

Thousands of miles away, Hori was out and about training and going through the motions of his usual regiment. Right before it was time for target drills in an attempt to test his accuracy, he saw Patty approach him. If there was anything Hori detested more than those who irritated him, it was those who interrupted his training.

"Being the Heroine of Justice, it is my job to set you straight."

"If you don't leave me alone with your foolish ideals and dreams or whatever sunshine pumping you're doing, I'm going to burn your face off."

"Do you ever think about somebody aside from yourself?" Patty asked, placing her hands on her hips

"I don't recall this being a team sport" he replied coldly

"Compassion isn't a weakness, it's caring for other that will improve life in the Makai. I've told you this before but as The Heroine of Justice, my dream is to end the needless violence and unrest in our world. Mending broken hearts and families, reuniting people who have been divided by the corruption that plagued us."

"Keep living in that dream world of yours, you cling to such a wild fantasy for comfort. Face reality, it won't happen and even if you were to become queen, you'll just be a Zatch the Appeaser clone."

"There is someone who needs to face reality but I disagree that that person is me. No matter how ugly and unkind you are to me, I will continue to act and respond in a polite and respectful manner. "

* * *

><p>Amongst this commotion, Celandor his in the bushes observing the two. Realizing that this was going nowhere, he decided to leave for the day and to return to the place he called "shelter". He traversed the wooded area and found himself going deeper in to the foliage. Confident that an opening was coming soon, Celandor continued down this path but the elf-like mamodo however, was not alone.<p>

Celandor felt his movement getting heavier and heavier until he could not move at all. At that moment, Celandor felt multiple threads stick all over his body that pulled him upwards before stopping in midair. It took him a minute to piece it all together but Celandor quickly realized that he was trapped in a spider web!

"Looks like my prey is secure."

Celandor's eyes widened when he saw his captor. A tall boy with a musclebound build with two lines going down his face glared at Celandor with his piercing red eyes. Getting a better look of him up close, Celandor saw that he was a fan of black with his leather pants and hair being said color. His red and black boots did not stick to the web which obviously meant the threads were created by him. Celandor's stomach turned when he saw a black spider head extending from his chest and a red cape trailed from his body. If the spider theme wasn't heavy enough, he wore red and black spider earrings in both ears.

"Wh-Who are you?" Celandor managed to choke out

"My name, is Venom and I am one of the _**Six Nightmares of the Black Corps.**_I am also second in command of the squad lead by a mamodo named Felicity who is one of the **Four Generals."**

"Six Nightmares?"

"Full of questions aren't you? Well, your death is imminent so why not. The _**Six Nightmares**_ is the name given to the squad under the command of Felicity. All six of us are deadly mamodo and torment our victims before their demise. Hence the name, Six Nightmares...once could even say that we all represent a different type of nightmare but that is up for interpretation."

Venom snapped his finger as a thread lowered a blonde girl into the web. Her skin was almost as pale as Venom's, she wore blue shorts and a pink shirt with a large red heart sewn on the front. Her shoes were blue and white patterned.

"This, is my partner Lucy."

"Now, to the fun part."

_"Arachno Ru!"_

Red particles built up in the spider head on Venom's chest before releasing a beam heading straight for Celandor. The attack would have been a direct hit if it wasn't for a bright flash of purple flames. Hori and Meida materialized from the inferno, spell book in hand.

"I'm your new target." he declared

"So I get two victims for the prince of one. How fascinating!"

"_Arachno Ru!"_

_"Nekoruga!"_

Venom's spider beam clashed with Hori's flame beam at a midpoint, causing an explosion. Hori darted from the smoke and began trading punches and kicks with the spider-like mamodo. Venom however, glided across the spider web in attempt to make it difficult for Hori to properly aim at him.

"Meida, this just like one of our training exercises."

"I know. _Nekoru.__"_

Dark flames covered both of Hori's hands as he shot fireballs in multiple direction, all of them striking multiple points of Venom's body and burning multiple parts of the web. Venom however, was not phased and kept attacking head-on.

_"Arachno Ru!"_

Venom fired more beams from the spider head in the chest and Hori dodged most of them due to his teleportation ability. He didn't want to admit it, but the ongoing battle was a stalemate at the moment. Venom leaped into the trees, going from branch to branch, taking this fight into the canopy of the woods.

"Meida, I'm going to get in close, when I'm within range blast him!" Hori ordered

"Right."

Hori jumped through the trees in pursuit of Venom and teleported into his range. Meida, having good vision was able to see her partner high into the treetops but before she could chant a spell to blast Venom at point blank range she felt someone bring her to the ground and saw that it was Lucy on top of her. Meida flipped the girl over so that she was on top and slammed Hori's book into her face. Lucy however stopped Meida from striking her once again with her forearm then gave the rich Japanese girl a strong headbutt to the nose, knocking her off. Nose bloody and bruised, Meida rose to her feet. Hori had to fight and so did she.

Wondering about the commotion going on down below and dropping his guard for a moment, Hori turned to see the scuffle between Meida and Lucy. That however was a mistake as Venom was on him quickly and both boys free fell from the canopy. Venom kept hold of Hori, making sure he didn't regain control so he could teleport to the ground. As they neared the wooded floor, Venom suddenly let go of Hori and on time, Lucy called for the spell.

"_Lon Rigno!"_

Threads squirted out of the spider head on Venom's stomach as the branches above pulled him up and he rested on the branch. Hori on the other hand could not regain control of himself in the air but was caught in the remnants of the web Venom spun earlier. Instead of coming in for another attack, the web harness Lucy arrived on, pulled her up to Venom's level.

"They're retreating." Meida said, looking up

"This isn't the last we'll see of them, I'll make sure I bring him down." Hori said, clinching his fist

"T-Thank you for saving me." The now freed Celandor said timidly

"I wasn't trying to save you, I wanted to fight a strong opponent." Hori scoffed as he and Meida teleported away

* * *

><p>Venom, meanwhile returned to what appeared to be a large luxury hotel. Going towards the ballroom, he saw a hooded figure in a long, black robe sitting in a chair with five others kneeling in front of them. By the hooded figure's side, an elderly woman stood there with a pink spell book in her possession. Walking to the hooded figure, he knelt before being signaled by the hooded figure to stand.<p>

"My recon mission was interrupted."

"What?"

Venom explained to the hooded figure about his battle with Hori and how he targeted Celandor for fun. Much to the figure's disapproval.

"You were instructed to do recon, NOT play silly games."

"I beg your pardon Lady Felicity."

Felicity then stood up and removed her hood. Her long, straight pink hair reached her shoulders, her large blue eyes were interestingly warm and non-threatening. A permanent red blush was plastered on her cheeks, she was fairly short standing at a mere four feet tall and was easily dwarfed by Venom. She stuck her hand to the side as a broom shot into her hands like a magnet. Climbing aboard, she levitated to where she was eye level with him.

"Don't screw up again. You are second-in-command for a reason, either you live up to your job or give it to someone else. Got it?" she growled, grabbing him by his cape collar

"Yes ma'am."

"Okie-Dokie! Mrs. Figg, can you please bring me the video phone?" Felicity asked sweetly, her voice a complete 180 from the one she used with Venom

The elderly woman was surprisingly swift and brought Felicity the phone. Pressing a few buttons, Blue's face came up on the screen, it appeared as though he was getting a back massage at a spa seeing that he was laying face flat with only a towel on.

"You're calling me on a private line, this better be important." he snarled

"Oh it is! Do you have any files on a mamodo called Hori?" she asked, her tone still very sweet

"What?! Is THAT what you called me on my _**private line**_ for?! If you want info the collect yourself! Not don't call me unless it's actually important, I have some...business to return to."

Blue hung up and Felicity dropped the receiver. "Now what am I going to do?"

"You could do like Blue said and collect it yourself." Mrs. Figg suggested in her grandma-esque voie

"Eww no! That kind of crap work is demeaning for a General! I recall Roto bragging about obtaining a bunch of data on various mamodo, where did he get his info from? I hate it when the weakest General out of all four of us gets so much praise from Blue and as of recently, it couldn't be anymore unbearable after he brought in that sample of Revelation Power. Instead of a sample, I need to bring in the entire thing and put Roto back into his place." The small girl said in her squeaky, child-like voice

Mrs. Figg then whispered in Felicity's ear about Roto's source which of course brought a huge toothy grin to Felicity's face.

_**A/N- I was late on releasing the midweek chapter so in order to keep pace with the planned release dates, I had to release them almost back to back in order to not throw the schedule off. So I suppose it's a treat for you guys. Ishimaru has an appeals trial coming up soon and Eve has to take her exam if she wants to be a senior like she's supposed to. Patty and Hori have another semi-debate, Hori saves Celandor (even if it was unintentional) and encounters one of the Six Nightmares. The generals have been revealed now, Ryu, Roto and Felicity. Who is the 4th General? What will be Hori and Meida's next move? Will Ishimaru and Eve ever stop arguing? Will they succeed in their goals? Only one way to find out! R&R folks!**_


	110. Heiress no more!

_"Chainz! This is the moment we have been waiting for! This is the moment we end this. LEI HOKIASHO!"_

_Chainz's mouth opened as the large white laser cobra emerged, it released an ear-shattering hiss and opened its mouth revealing two large saber-like fangs and moved forward towards Ryu. The dragon-slaying mamodo however destroyed Chainz's most powerful spell with the flick of his spiky whip-like tail. At that moment, the green book fell from Ishimaru's hand and burst into teal flames and Chainz instantly faded away._

_Trying to make a break for it, Ishimaru turned and ran but it was futile. Ishimaru felt his feet grow as heavy as iron and fell to the ground which was now nothing but pure blackness. Turning around, he saw Ryu and his partner Isaac standing over him, their grins bloodthirsty and menacing. _

_"It's going to be fun ripping you to pieces, first I'm going to start by taking your other eye since I hate incomplete work"_

_Two small, white serpentine dragons emerged from both sides and wrapped their tiny bodies around Ishimaru's wrists, acting as restraints. Next, Ryu's spiky tail floated into Isaac's hand as he squatted down to make eye contact with the now reclining Ishimaru. Isaac raised up the tail and was blinging it down to shred Ishimaru's face..._

* * *

><p>"AAACK!"<p>

Ishimaru shot up in a cold sweat. Thankfully it was all just a dream, a disturbing one at that. Perhaps it was better to describe it as a nightmare...regardless, he had to get up from bed. Football practice started today and he had to get to the fields as soon as possible, he saw no signs of Chainz or Sundance, whose name made Ishimaru want to watch movies for some strange reason.

"They must be awake then."

Getting cleaned up, Ishimaru slipped on his black athletic shorts that read "Cavalier Football" on one side in gold letters and a gold football with a black number 6 printed on the other. Noting that his football shirt and black socks were on the kitchen table, he descended the stairs and saw Eve sitting on his living room couch skimming through a book. Hearing the footsteps, she looked up and saw Ishimaru's shirtless body.

"Put a shirt on, nobody wants to see that." she scoffed

Ishimaru obviously didn't have a perfectly chiseled physique but he was fairly decent.

"The real issue is that you're still here. This ain't a hotel so go home."

"Well Sundance is always over here, so obviously I need to be here in case a mamodo attacks."

Rolling his eyes, Ishimaru went to the kitchen table an saw his gray shirt that read "East Tokyo Football" in addition to his black socks. Hearing the sound of munching, he looked up and saw both Chainz and Sundance stuffing rice into their mouths with egg dripped on top. Mouths full, they both nodded to Ishimaru in acknowledgment. Not having much time to eat, Ishimaru went into the kitchen to grab a quick bite, but saw a bento box on the counter. He simply grabbed it, put his shirt on and made a beeline to the front door.

"I didn't make that for you!" Eve shouted through the doorway, referring to the bento

"Well you did now." Ishimaru said, slipping his sneakers on and heading up the street.

Ishimaru did not hear a response but instead heard a door violently slammed shut.

* * *

><p>Arriving at the athletic complex, Ishimaru learned that he had arrived early much to his pleasure.<p>

"Where in the hell have you been?"

Turning around, Ishimaru saw Seiku standing there.

"Still starting at halfback?"

"Of course but my question still stands."

"You know I was in the US."

"Yeah but what exactly were-"

Seiku was cut off by Coach Yuushi's whistle which also signaled for everybody else to shut up and line up. Ishimaru hurried to his locker, put the bento inside and grabbed his football helmet which was a shiny black with the gold ET letters going in a diagonal direction. Heading outside, he saw many other familiar faces such as Daisuke, who was now an incoming junior and no longer was the sophomore sensation, a disgruntled Vincent could be seen cursing under his breath about being forced to play. Seiku who was at the front of one of the lines with a grin, bright as ever but Ishimaru knew that it wasn't genuine.. Coach Yushi began speaking;

"Today is the day you all want to suit up and play some East Tokyo football, well today is also the day I tell you that if you want to wear the uniform...th black and gold, well then you have to work for it!"

Coach Yuushi blew his whistle once more and sent everybody off to do bear crawls across the field before switching to crabwalks. Ishimaru on the other hand, had a different practice, being a kicker and all. Coach had set up footballs on multiple kicking tees spread throughout the field. it was Ishimaru's job to make them all go through the goalposts. He started at one, he estimated to be about thirty yards and got into position. Ishimaru charged at the ball and slammed the tip of his cleated right foot into the ball, watching it easily sail through the uprights.

* * *

><p>Thousands of miles away, Meida and Hori were lounging around her family's condo. They had decided to take the day off and regain their energy. Meida was simply pleased that she finally had the opportunity to get around to reading that book she'd been putting off for quite a long time. Like always however, the peace did not last long, Meida heard her phone vibrating on the table. She was inclined not to answer it but decided to go ahead and answer it anyway as soon as she got up. Picking up the phone, she saw the number calling her and picked up.<p>

"Toru-san, what is it?"

"Meida, you need to come back to Japan now."

"What. why?"

"Your father..."

"What about him?"

"He's dead. A yacht explosion took his life."

Meida was speechless as she hung up the phone and put it back on the table. She admittedly hadn't talked to him in a while but this? How could this have happened? She knew she wouldn't get an answer to her many questions if she stayed there, she had to return to the homeland. Putting her phone on the table, she turned to Hori but before she could say anything, Hori spoke for her.

"I already know what you're about to ask. I used up all of my energy while training nonstop for the last few weeks so I have no ability to teleport us there. Nodding, Meida called in her private jet to meet them at the airport where they were escorted by their usual limousine. Reaching the airport, Meida and Hori boarded to plane, which took off without any delay. After about an eighteen hour flight from the East Coast of the US to Tokyo, Meida was then escorted from the airport and driven out to the countryside where the Tateishi Estate was located.

Walking down the long path leading inside, Meida glanced at the entire row of guards as each one of them saluted her after walked past them. Getting to the front door, two doormen opened the doors for her and Hori, then another guard lead the to the conference room where all of the other members of the Tateishi family plus numerous executives were waiting. They were escorted to the very front of the room where there were two seats for them. A middle aged balding man with glasses stood at the podium, waiting for the commotion to die down. Meida recognized this man as Suichi Kasuda, the head of the executive board and one of her father's highest ranked men. She remembered when he was some intern fresh out of college with a full head of hair some fifteen or sixteen years ago when she was still a toddler.

The reminiscing came to a halt when the room became quiet and Kasuda began to speak. "We are have all been brought here today because of the death of our beloved CEO. Tateishi-sama was a kind, strong and firm leader whose contributions have lead the Tateishi Zaibatsu to reach new and incredible heights. No body has been recovered from the wreckage so there will be no funeral, however we will still hold a wake, a mourning period and per his own request, we will watch his last will and testament. Kasuda then revealed a DVD, putting it into the player. A middle-aged black haired man came on screen, a man who was Meida's father. He cleared his throat and began.

"If you all are watching this, then I must be dead and in which case, I present to you my last will and testament. I decided to do this on video so you all can hear it from the horse's mouth and we won't have any document manipulation. Instead of mentioning small things like my clothes, my shoes, one of my cars or even the little penguin magnet I have on the refrigerator, I will get to the one thing you all actually want to hear about. Who I name as the next CEO. Well, through the years of observing, evaluating, watching many people suck-up, attempts at blackmail among other tactics, it was no contest on who I had on my radar. The person I chose is someone that has worked hard, kept to themselves, has never done anything to try and put down others for their own gain."

Meida was stuffing her face with sashimi. There were multiple carts going around with trays of hors d'oeuvres and other refreshments. She had already tuned out her father's dribble. She already knew where this was going.

"Toru Yamazaki, could you please step forward?"

Toru then gracefully strutted to the front. He stood at 5'10, towering over most of the people in the room, he donned and all black custom-made and finely cut suit. Even though he was in his early 30s, strands of white hair could been seen amongst his short black hair giving a mild salt and pepper look. Aside from the white hairs, the stress wrinkles on his face and thick black glasses also made him look older than his real age as well. Meida hadn't seen him in quite some time but noted that he would actually be pretty handsome if it wasn't for those last two perks about him.

Toru stood there, anticipating the next words to come out of his mouth.

"Can you please turn around?"

Toru turned around and faced the entire room.

"Now I want you to bend over and kiss my daughter's ass, because I name her as the next CEO and the new head of the Tateishi family!"

Meida began choking on her sashimi, causing Hori to slap her back. She spat out the dislodged raw tuna on the carpet and looked up wide eyed. This of course sent the room in a large wave of groans, angry mutters and concerned whispers. It seemed as though everybody was shocked aside from Kasuda, who seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal. Toru on the other hand, had already left the room in disbelief of the events that just transpired.

"I knew you were all going to be bitchy over it. For years, you all have been fighting for money and power while Meida minded her own business and has shown to be selfless. While I'm not saying she is the perfect candidate, she is head and shoulders above most of you, however she will have an uphill battle to fight. She is also my only living child, so naturally she should take over in addition to what I said."

"I don't know about this..." Meida said, unsure of the whole situation

"You're obliged to take it. Plus it gives us more resources to help me be king." Hori said flatly

Nodding, Meida stood up and walked to the podium, facing everybody in the room. Kasuda smiled and stepped aside as Meida took to the microphone. "I, Tateishi Meida hereby accept the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Tateishi Zaibatsu and matriarch of the Tateishi Clan. Turning to Kasuda, he bowed to her as a sign of respect and submission. Looking up, Meida saw the entire room, filled with hundreds of people, bow to her as well. The pattern at which people were bowing looked liked a stack of dominoes.

* * *

><p>"DAMN IT!" Toru shouted, slamming his fist on the wall<p>

Toru was in his quarters on the other side of the state. He could not bear to stand in there while his boss...a man who was like a father to him, name his spoiled, monotone daughter as his successor. That was supposed to be _his _name being called. He remembered brithdays and hollidqays, he never complained about his pay, he worked his way to the top, he did everything right. How could this have happened?

Toru's rage was interrupted by his cell phone. Picking it up, he had to see what the caller wanted.

"What do you want?"

"Is that the way you talk to the people who killed the old fool like you requested?" The caller asked, her voice sweet and child-like

"It was all for nothing, he named that girl as my new boss." Toru retorted

"As much as I would love to hear about your sob story because things did not go your way, you now owe us a few obligations." she said, her voice still sweet

"Like what?"

"One of my contacts wants to get in touch with Meida. Make it happen."

"Why?"

"That's nothing for you to be concerned about. Just get it done."

"Alright."

Toru hung up the phone and placed it on the table. The zaibatsu would be his one way or another.

_**A/N- And the plot thickens... R&R folks!**_


	111. A surprise visitor!

_**A/N- I am happy to announce that Iron Revolution has received 1,572 views and 518 visitors during the month of July. I would like to thank the many reviewers and also thank those who don't review, but still read anyway. Without your support, Iron Revolution would not be where it is today. I am not sure when this story will end even though we're well past the halfway point now (About 65% complete as of this chapter) I initially thought I'd be done by October or so, but looking at the release schedule, there is no way that'll come to fruition. So I think early 2014 is when things will be all wrapped up but we'll see what happens. Either way one looks at it, there is still plenty more Iron Revolution to come. Also, I shall take time to do a shout-out somewhere in the near future.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Former Tateishi Zaibatsu CEO Tateishi Shougo was pronounced dead a few days ago due to his yacht exploding while cruising the Sea of Japan. No body has been recovered, but ice has been found covering some parts of the yacht's remains. Investigators are still trying to figure out the direct source of the ice in addition to the motive behind what many think was an assassination attempt. More details to come."<strong>_

Meida turned off the TV with the remote as she slumped in her desk. She had been CEO for the past two days and it was nothing but paperwork so far. In addition to this, the entire zaibatsu and family was in the middle of a three week mourning period. This of course meant _everything _had to be black. Black clothes, black decorations, black ribbons, everything. Noting the news report, Meida pressed a button on her desk, setting off a loud buzz.

The door opened and Toru walked through and towards her desk. "Yes Tateishi-sama?"

"I just watched the news report regarding my father's supposed death, but I saw ice mysteriously around the yacht's wreckage in addition to no body being found as of yet. This leads me to believe that there is a distinct possibility that my father is still alive."

"That is...unlikely. There are often times that a body is not found in an explosion due to there being nothing left."

"I am aware of that but I want to check anyway."

"With all due respect, going on such an expedition is a waste of company resources. Especially at a time where our political enemies and competitors see us as weak and vulnerable. I wor...I mean your father worked hard to make this company part of the Big Five."

"If that is the case, then we will find that out very quickly and leave. We _will_ be launching our own investigation, and you _will _organize it. That is an order."

"Very well Tateishi-sama." Toru said through clenched teeth as he left the office.

Over the next couple of days, Meida continued to go through paperwork while Hori conducted his training solo. She learned that she had a press conference scheduled, publicly announcing her ascension to CEO. It was already known that this would be seen as an intriguing move by the public and business world while at the same time cause enemies to test the zaibatsu's strength and her own strength as a leader. The day of the press conference quickly came upon her and she was quickly whisked away to the Grand Supreme Hotel in downtown Tokyo where the media was already staked out, waiting for her appearance. Meida was backstage with only a few minutes until she made her debut.

Just as she was walking out, a familiar young scientist approached her.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Martin but please, call me Marty. I am a scientist who as of recently, specializes in studying mamodo."

"I don't know how in the hell you got back here, but wait until during or even better, after the press conference." she said as she walked past him.

Marty however, grabbed Meida's arm, stopping her in place.

"I don't think you understand."

"Start talking before I have Hori roast you alive." she snarled, jerking her arm away from his grasp

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. No need for that, I just want you to listen to my message." he said sheepishly

Over the next few minutes, Marty discussed the Black Corps, their motivation and how she should keep an eye out for them. Taking this all in, Meida was inclined to know why Marty knew so much about them especially if he was not a member.

"I'm a scientist. Research is what I do." he said, practically reading her mind

"I see."

"You know about the Revelation Powers. Your partner has discussed them with you I'm sure."

"What are you getting at?" Meida asked, eyes narrowing in suspicion

"I know you want in on it, you want to obtain the Revelation Powers."

"Your point?"

"I'm suggesting an alliance."

"We work alone."

Both Meida and Marty turned and saw Hori standing there with his arms crossed. "Do you honestly think we would partner up with a snake oil salesman such as yourself? I heard the whole thing and to me, you come off phonier than a three dollar bill and you should also tell your mamodo partner to come out of hiding."

Sly then appeared out of what seemed like thin air. "I assure you that we are not hear to fight." he said defensively

"Despite your attempts at cowardice, I know you are very dangerous."

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"Your power control is nothing short of amazing and very few mamodo can sense your true level despite how suppressed it is."

"You aren't one of **The Talented Five** for nothing."

"Don't lump me in with those other four." Hori said, scoffing

"It does not matter what you think or what, because no matter what, you are labeled. I advise you to think of that and to reconsider our offer."

Marty rolled up his lab coat sleeve, revealing a watch of sorts before pressing a button on it, causing them disappear. A small device dropped from the ceiling, landing in Meida's hand. The device was of a cone shape and the size of a small coin, examining it on all sides, Meida had a clue on what it was.

"Those were holograms we were talking to and the device was a projector...but how were they tangible?"

"I was also able to sense that raccoon mamodo's power despite it only being a projection...or maybe it's some sort of teleportation device."

"That is also a possibility. I will have the company's scientists and technicians run tests on it."

Just as Meida said that however, the device began beeping. Flashing a green light then a blue one simultaneously, Hori quickly snatched it from Meida's hand and tossed it, setting off a small explosion. Though the explosion was not massive, it did cause some significant damage to the backstage and multiple smaller conference rooms on the hotel's floor.

"Tateishi-sama, Hori-sama are you two okay?" One of the many security guards asked as they rushed in

"Nothing to worry about as far as any of us being hurt goes, but I do not want the media to have a field day with this. Confiscate any and all proof of this occurring, I will make sure that the Tateishi Zaibatsu will even pay for all of the damages." Meida ordered

"Yes ma'am."

"Tateishi-sama, we shall leave this place at once and take you back to the estate." another security guard suggested

"No. We will go through with the press conference as scheduled."

Meida's press conference regarding the Tateishi Zaibatsu went on smoothly and even received a standing applause when she officially announced her position as CEO. She seemed to be fitting the leadership mold much more than she anticipated.

* * *

><p>"Another day of practice is in the books."<p>

Ishimaru was standing in his football locker as another day of practice ended. They only wore helmet, shorts and shoulder pads today but Coach Yuushi informed them that they would be practicing in full pads next week so they better enjoy the "light" practices. Ishimaru shook his head and got into the shower. He heard the other guys swinging their towels like whips and laughing about jokes or talking about the incoming class of girls. Getting out of the shower, he changed into a fresh t-shirt and shorts before grabbing his bag. He took one look at the magnet on the inside of his locker displaying the football schedule.  
>He noticed that the home opener was against Okashina Tech, a special high school dedicated towards math and engineering over in southeast Tokyo.<p>

"That won't be much of a game, everybody knows Oka Tech is full of nerds ad can barely field a team."

"Actually, Oka Tech drastically lowered their admission standards and have received a strong incoming class in addition to multiple transfers. They will be pretty tough this year."

Ishimaru turned around and saw Seiku standing behind him.

"Seiku.."

"Where have you been dude? I only see you when you come to practice. You haven't called or anything."

"You already know that I went to the US on a soccer tour."

Seiku chuckled in response but it wasn't one of his usual hearty, high-spirited laughs but a condescending one.

"I have known you for many years and you are still a terrible liar." he said, his voice now serious. An extremely rare occurrence.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ishimaru said, grabbing his bag and heading for the door

"I already know."

"This conversation is over." Ishimaru said firmly

Seiku quickly ran in front of him, blocking his path. "I know you have a mamodo."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ishimaru said, pushing Seiku aside

Seiku however, was not keen on giving up. "He opened up his bag and revealed an aqua (cyan) spell book.

"How long?" Ishimaru sighed

"A few weeks before summer break."

"I see."

"Ishi, I want you to hand over Chainz's book."

"No."

"Ishi, I know you lost your eye in a mamodo battle. If it wasn't for Chainz getting you involved in this mess, this would have never happened."

_[Flashback Chapter 94...]_

_Eve slowly opened her eyes to find herself laying on the ground without any wound whatsoever. She then saw Ishimaru hunched over, clutching the left side of his face._

_Eve's eyes widened when she realized Ishimaru had pushed her out of the way at the last moment and took Ryu's tail slash directly! Eve slowly went over to Ishimaru and tried to move his hand away from his face. Ishimaru gently jerked his arm away from her. "It's...just a scratch."_

_Eve saw Ishimaru's arm covered in blood, his shirt was ripped to shreds and blood stained his pants and did not look to be stopping anytime soon. This was obviously no scratch._

_"You...you IDIOT! Why did you save me! I should be dead right now!" she shouted_

_"I don't know...my body simply moved by itself._"

_[End Flashback...]_

"Chainz had **nothing** to do with what happened!" Ishimaru shouted, he was never one to yell and get angry, but Seiku was purposely pushing his buttons.

"Look Ishi, I don't want to fight you but if you continue to refuse, you will leave me with no choice." Seiku said, leaving out the athletic complex

Amongst the commotion, Daisuke was looking at the scarlet spell book in his own bag. He also left the athletic complex and met up with Seiku outside who was just a few blocks ahead.

"I wish Ishi would have just handed over the book."

"Chainz must have brainwashed and manipulated Ishi just like Ryu said. He has never been prone to raising his voice and hell, the who incident in the Makeinu match that got Ishi suspended, he was already under Chainz's influence then too."

"True but how do we know this Ryu guy can be trusted?"

"He seems trustworthy enough, he provided all of this info and he found out that we're Ishi's friends. I don't think someone would go out of their way like that and not be worth listening to."

"Perhaps you're right."

* * *

><p>Ishimaru returned home that night, still fuming that Seiku had the nerve to ask him something like that. Going into the kitchen, he saw that both Chainz and Sundance were asleep with strawberry cheesecake smeared on their faces. After Ishimaru cleaned them up, he began dragged them through the house and saw Eve asleep on the couch. Ishimaru continued dragging them upstairs and put both boys to bed. Going back downstairs to where Eve was sleeping, Ishimaru picked up all of the books on the floor and stacked them on the table. He returned with a blanket it threw it over her.<p>

"She isn't such a pain in the ass when she's sleeping, she looks as if she's at peace..."

Ishimaru turned and went up the stairs so he could follow suit.

_**A/N- R&R folks! **_


	112. Second Chances

_Ishimaru and Chainz stood over their defeated opponent as their body faded away. Triumphant, they marched forward before seeing both Seiku and Daisuke up ahead. Approaching them, Ishimaru saw that their faces were none too friendly. They held a cyan and scarlet spell book respectively as two shadowy figures with glowing red eyes, appeared alongside them. Ishimaru immediately noted that they were their respective mamodo partners._

_"I warned you Ishi..." Seiku began_

_"And now you must be destroyed." Daisuke finished_

_"Chainz, let's take them both down in one spell. Friends or not, if you stand against me then I have to fight! Lei Hokai-"_

_The shadowy figures went around Chainz and attacked Ishimaru simultaneously. He did not see them flanking from the left due to his missing eye and lack of perception from said blind side. Chainz's green book immediately went up in flames as he quickly faded away. Ishimaru felt himself hit the pitch black floor as a wall of stone dragons surrounded him, spewing out rows of flames. A loud cackle echoed throughout the room and a silhouette of a certain mamodo with dragon armor could be seen in the middle of the flames, revealing himself to be the source of the laughter. His tail extended from the flames as the spikes grew from it. Ishimaru, who was now pinned ot the ground could only wait for his inevitable fate. _

* * *

><p>Ishimaru shot up out of bed in an even bigger sweat than last time. Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he got out of bed and took a shower. Today was the day of the appeal trial. He had to present his case to the Tokyo Metropolitan Division commissioner and to the student disciplinary committee in order to get his suspension overturned.<p>

Looking in his closet, Ishimaru noted that he needed to get more uniform clothes before school started. He grabbed his black button-down shirt with the golden "ET" embroidered on the left pocket and rolled up the sleeves. He tied his gold tie into a half-Windsor knot and slipped on his khaki pants. He noticed Chainz was on the floor sleeping instead of in his room. Stepping over him, Ishimaru hurried downstairs and fixed a quick breakfast. Glancing at the clock, he knew that he had to leave soon since it was recommended that he showed up early.

Opening the door, he saw Eve and Sundance standing there. Eve wore the standard girls' uniform, a black button down blouse with the golden ET embroidered on the pocket, a feminine golden tie and a khaki skirt. East had made the classic sailor style optional, which caused a split between the girls who preferred that style and the ones who preferred the modern look.

"I thought you were going to wear sweat pants." Ishimmaru said, his tone a hybrid of sarcasm and surprise

"Anyway." Eve said rolling here eyes as Sundance went around her and upstairs

"Sundance, when Chainz wakes up, remember to come to room 2-6. That will be the sixth classroom on the second floor."

"Gotcha." Sundance called back, going inside of Ishimaru's room

Closing and locking the door, Eve and Ishimaru made their way to school. Going inside of the main hall and being careful not to step on the cavalier, Eve went into a nearby classroom to take her exam while Ishimaru continued his way up to the second floor.

"Class 2-6." he muttered, looking around

Reach Class 2-6, he saw a row of chairs up front on one side and some chairs on the other. He figured that was for the commissioner and the other officials and the other chairs were reserved for disciplinary committee. On the other side of the room was another table, where Ishimaru along with Coach Yuushi were going to sit. Speaking of Coach Yuushi, he came through the door in a suit with his thin fair slicked back.

"Hey coach."

"Hello Ishimaru. Do you have the five people to speak on your behalf?"

"Well, I only have four right now."

"Alright...let's just hope it doesn't come to that."

Ishimaru excused himself from the room to make a quick trip to restroom. On his way back, he saw a familiar looking student up ahead. His black hair and thin-framed glasses weren't very noteworthy and neither was his plain looking uniform.

"Greetings Kamikatsu."

"Dorobo Yasu..." Ishimaru said

"That's my name, don't wear it out."

Despite his plain exterior, Dorobo Yasu was student council treasurer and an incoming junior. He was also head of the disciplinary committee, therefore having a sizable influence in school politics. He alone could potentially make or break Ishimaru.

"Kamikatsu, you should learn to control your behavior. This is very unfortunate."

"What are you getting at?" Ishimaru asked crossing his arms

"I have to make an example out of you in order to showcase the strength of the student disciplinary committee. This in turn will make my presidential bid even stronger."

"Screwing me and the school for your own personal gain is dirty move!" Ishimaru snarled

"I know and I don't care." Yasu said smiling, revealing a gold tooth at the front of his mouth.

"You bastard."

"The disciplinary decision is already predetermined. You will not be playing soccer this season."

"You can't do that! The trial hasn't even started yet!"

"Kamikatsu, I personally handpicked the disciplinary committee members after I was appointed to the office. They will vote whichever way I tell them to. Believe me, I am a fan of East Tokyo athletics, but this is too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Ishimaru then saw two figures start after Yasu, who now walked away but quickly grabbed them by the scruff of their necks. It did not take Ishimaru two seconds to realize the two he was holding were Chainz and Sundance.

"Even though kicking his ass would feel really, really good. It would only make his case against me much stronger."

* * *

><p>"I stayed up half the night reading this book and have found some interesting things." Eve said, shutting the student rulebook<p>

Eve sat in an empty classroom by herself as the proctor opened the door and dropped a large, heavy packet on her desk. "Ms. Miroashi, you have two hours to complete that. Best of luck."

Eve sighed as she got to work.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, the appeal trial had gone underway. The classroom was absolutely <em>packed <em>with onlooking students who came up to see the trial, some of the people didn't even go to school there. If Ishimaru had to guess, there were no less than seventy spectators. To Ishimaru's left were the league officials and the Japanese High School Athletics Association or JHSAA. On the other side of the room, were Yasu and his cronies otherwise known as the Student Disciplinary Council.

Coach Yuushi shuffled some papers as the Metropolitan Conference commissioner stood up with the opening statements.

"Good morning to all who have arrived. We are here today to oversee the appeal trial of Kamikatsu Ishimaru, a student of East Tokyo High School in East Tokyo, Japan. We will now began the trial, the defendant and/or his representative has the floor."

"I am Yuushi Takashiro, head coach of most East Tokyo athletic clubs and school athletic director. As we all know, I am a former professional soccer player and have coached Ishimaru ever since he was in elementary school. In the almost eighteen years I have known this young man, not once had he ever acted in a violent or disrespectful manner. I can assure you that the incident in question is a one-time occurrence and his track record alone shows no prior history of violations. So I ask of you to overturn the suspension."

Coach Yuushi returned to his seat as the commissioner spoke again.

"Thank you for your statement coach. Is there any rebuttal from this?"

"Yes sir."

Everybody's attention turned to the now standing Yasu. "Ladies and gentlemen, the defendant's representative claims that the defendant is of good moral character. That however, is not true."

A loud gasp is heard from the crowd.

"I present to you, exhibit A!"

Yasu then revealed a remote and pressed a button, sliding down an LED screen. He pressed a button, showing last year's game against West Tokyo

"How did he afford to install that?" Sundance whispered to Chainz

"This folks, is during the Tokyo Classic, notice how Kamikatsu starts to lose his temper?"

_[Flashback Chapter 14...]_

_"This is your fault!" Ishimaru yelled_

_"If you weren't all on my balls, you could have been there to play defense!" Vincent yelled back_

_"If you wouldn't have caused the damn penalty, they wouldn't have gotten a penalty kick!" Ishimaru shouted, his face starting to turn red._

_[End Flashback...]_

"See? Kamikatsu not only attacks the other team's player but you see he's shown to even get after one of his own."

Then sent a wave of murmurs and doubts throughout the spectators and the conference officials.

"What the hell..." Ishimaru started to say but heard a slam on the table.

Chainzm the source of the slam, stood and did not want to hear anymore slander. "I have known Ishimaru for quite some time. He is not like that at all."

Chainz left his chair and snatched the remote out of Yasu's hand. He pressed a few buttons on the remote and skipped towards the end of the game.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the previous moment was completely taken out of context. Here is the REAL Ishimaru."

_[Flashback Chapter 14...]_

_West Tokyo lined up for its' shootout kick. The East Tokyo defenders made a black wall, in hopes it would be enough to stop the Tigers. Tetsu Tomoko, the Tigers' leading scorer and the one who scored both of West Tokyo's goals was up for the kick. He booted it over the wall, but Daisuke jumped to the right and trapped the ball between his hands._

_"The sophomore sensation stopped the go-ahead score!" yelled the announcer_

_"Nice job Daisuke." Ishimaru said as he jumped in the air for high-fives. Daisuke smiled as he jogged off of the field and went on the other side of the field._

_East Tokyo set up their formation as Vincent looked around and kicked the ball towards the goal. It appeared as Josh was going to catch it but suddenly, Ishimaru hits with his head, causing it to go in and give East Tokyo the win._

_"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLL: EAST WINS! EAST WIS! EAST WINS!" screamed the announcer_

_The final score on the board read, Tigers 2 Cavaliers 3_

_The field was swarmed with black and gold as East Tokyo fans, students and alumni were all over the field. Ishimaru went over to Josh._

_"You gave me a run for my money." Ishimaru said holding out his hand_

_"Thanks, but I hope we play each other again in the playoffs." Josh said as he accepted and shook his hand_

_[End Flashback...]_

"Now does that sound like a bad guy to you?" Chainz asked

The spectators along with the league commissioners went into a wave of positive murmurs. Yasu however, was not amused.

"What? This guy is a menace, we watched him beat a kid senselessly."

"It was an isolated incident." Ishimaru said, trying to hold back his anger

"I think we heard enough." the commissioner said as he went to the table to collaborate with the other officials, Yasu followed suit and went back over to the Student Disciplinary Committee.

After fifteen minutes of duration, the commissioner had a decision. "I am happy to announce that we approve of the appeal."

An applause rose out of the spectators and a happy smirk on Coach Yuushi's face.

Yasu also came from his side of the room. "I announce that the Student Disciplinary CImmittee has denied the appeal."

This sent another wave of murmurs throughout the room.

"Mr. Kamikatsu, as the Student Rulebook states, you can have up to five people to speak on your behalf in hopes that the Student Disciplinary will change their vote in order to overturn the suspension." Yasu said, smiling and showing his gold tooth once again

At that moment, the door slid open and Seiku walked into the room.

"It's the Vice President."

"What's he doing here?"

"He's one of Kamikatsu's best friends. Surely he can get the suspension overturned."

* * *

><p>"Good morrow fellow classmates. I am here to make a statement on Kamikatsu's behalf."<p>

To say that Yasu turned three shades of green was an understatement. He had no choice but to let Seiku, speak.

"Go right ahead."

"I have known for many many years. He has always been an upstanding man of character, the incident that occurred was a mere anomaly and was in fact, initiated by the same kid he punched."

"And what did the kid do Mr. Vice President?"

"He intentionally knocked him down."

"I see but did Mr. Kamikatsu have to jump on him? Is that not the referee's job?"

"Yes but-"

"But what Mr. Vice President. I understand Mr. Kamikatsu is your friend and teammate but you cannot throw your weight around in hopes of bailing him out. I also recall the two of you getting into an argument prior to the incident."

"So now you're trying to accuse me of nepotism?" Seiku asked, his own anger rising

"I'm not trying to accuse you, I _am_ accusing you."

"Why you-"

"That is enough Mr. Vice President. Who will be the next to speak on Mr. Kamikatsu's behalf?"

"I will."

Sundance stepped out of chair and went before the room.

"How long have you known Mr. Kamikatsu?"

"A couple of months."

"So you did not know him when the incident occurred?"

"No."

"Then you have no valid argument, so please take your seat. Mr. Kamikatsu, we already heard your coach and your friend with the biker clothes speak so you can only have one more person. Seeing as that person does not seem to be available, we shall fully deny your appeal." Yasu said, trying to hide his gidiness

"Is this the case Mr. Kamikatsu. Do you have nobody else to speak on your behalf?"

"Well..."

"I am sorry , we have no choice but to de-"

The commissioner's voice was cut off by a the door making a loud slide.

* * *

><p>Eve stood in the doorway. Her appearance alone sent the entire room into a frenzy.<p>

"Miroashi, what's she doing back?"

"I thought she got pregnant?"

"Is that her son sitting with Kamikatsu?"

"Sorry, but you cannot speak in this hearing. You are a dropout and therefore do not attend school here."

"And neither do Chainz or Sundance."

"That's because they are too young. A dropout on the other hand, forfeits all rights and privileges according to the student rulebook."

"Well that does not apply to me. I re-enrolled last week."

"You are not a senior or a junior, so you still have no say. It says in the student rulebook that the head of the disciplinary committee can set any requirements during a hearing and my rule is that only an upperclassman can speak on Mr. Kamikatsu's behalf. You dropped out your sophomore year and are therefore, not an upperclassman."

"On the contrary..."

Eve reached into her briefcase and revealed her test score. She had gotten all of them correct and was given all of the necessary credits to be classified as a senior.

"Mr. Dorobo, you have pulled out every stop in the book in order to keep this young lady from speaking and she has sidestepped each and every one of them. So you have no choice but to let her speak."

"Fine."

"Everybody, listen to me. I know that until last week, I have not been a student at East Tokyo for almost two year but I can tell you that Ishimaru is one of the most selfless people I know. You also have to understand that he is human and makes mistakes. I get that he's the face of the school and I get that he could have really hurt that kid, despite the fact that he may or may not have deserved it. He has suffered enough punishment when the team lost and he let many seniors playing their final game down. Would taking his senior year away and his opportunities for scholarships from him really teach someone, who has not had any prior incidents a lesson? Put him on probation if you must, but please, don't take his livelihood away from him.

The last thing I will say on this is something that I really would like all of you should think about. When you made a mistake, did someone give you get a second chance?"

Eve then took her seat near Sundance.

The commissioner had a smile on his face, he turned to the disciplinary committee to address them. "All in favor of overturning the suspension?"

The entire student disciplinary committee raised their hands, well everybody with the exception of Yasu.

"I call an objection! She is obviously in love with the defendant!"

"LIAR!" Eve and Ishimaru shouted in unison

"Why did you speak Ishimaru? He was talking to Eve." Chainz whispered to him

"No reason..." Ishimaru muttered

"You know what, it doesn't even matter. As head of the disciplinary committee, I can block the ruling. As long as I am in charge, Kamikatsu will never play soccer for this school again!"

"Then consider yourself fired."

The room fell silent as multiple bodyguards with shades and headsets came into the room. The class president, Yuuda Sasami came into the room. Her long pale brown hair reached to her backside and her amber eyes sparkled with delight and wonder. Unlike Eve, she wore the classic black and gold sailor styled uniform.

"The president's here?"

"She rarely if ever makes a public appearance!"

"Wow, the captain of the soccer team and key athlete in other sports, the legendary girl who allegedly got pregnant and married a billionaire, the vice president AND president all in the same room! I gotta get my camera out!"

"Yasu, you have been removed from office not because of your obvious corruption but because you have been embezzling school funds."

"Wait, doesn't mean the same thing?"

"I'm a politician, I'm supposed to stuff like that." Yuuda snapped

"But Madame President I.."

"Save it. Instead of trying to make things difficult for Ishi, you should be worry about your own trial...for expulsion."

Yasu quickly left the room without a response, possibly to get a head start but the president's bodyguards quickly hurried after him.

"The student disciplinary committee is hereby dismissed and also under investigation."

"Madame President." Eve said

"Yes?"

"According to the student rulebook, on page 185 section 3 paragraph 4, segment 9 that in the case the disciplinary committee is dismissed, the president and vice president oversee any disciplinary trials, convictions and appeals." Eve mentioned, opening the book and pointing to it

"In that case, I think it is safe to say that Mr. Kamikatsu's suspension has been lifted." She said, smiling

"Thank you so much Madame President." Ishimaru said bowing

"Just call me Sasami." she said, winking

"Then it is settled. We hereby reinstate Kamikatsu Ishimaru and is therefore eligible to play his senior season of soccer. Best of luck to you young man."

"Thank you sir." Ishimaru said, bowing

* * *

><p>After the verdict was read and the suspension overturned, everybody left the room and was ready to start school that following Monday. Ishimaru caught up to Eve, Chainz and Sundance.<p>

"Eve, thank you for bailing me out back there."

"I didn't do it because I wanted to. I did it for the school and so I could have more time away from you."

"Whatever. A guy can't even than you without getting a snappy coment." Ishimaru said, rolling his eyes and walking away

Eve however, stood there for a minute thinking to herself.

"_I used to laugh at his dreams and call him a Golden Boy. I would go to the soccer games as a social event...but to be honest, I didn't want to see him lose his dream...since when did I start to care about his dreams almost as much as my own?"_

"Eve...you coming?" Sundance asked his partner, slightly tilting his head

"Yeah." She said, hurrying to catch up with them

* * *

><p>Tateishi Zaibatsu investigation division ready to move out!<p>

Before they could go anywhere however, Meida now in a westsuit was standing at the door.

"Tateishi-sama, you're coming with us."

"Yes." Meida said, spell book in hand and Hori by her side

They quickly retreated to the helicopter and set their sights on the yacht remains off the coast.

_**A/N- Ishimaru's appeal has been approved and will be playing his senior season of soccer but of course, he has football to worry about for now. Of course, it's all thanks to Eve that he even got the opportunity. Meanwhile, Meida is about to investigate the wreckage up close and personally. What will she find? What is with the ice coating on the yacht's remains? Is her father still alive? R&R folks!**_


	113. A hostage situation!

The helicopter skated over the Japanese mainland and was en route to the Sea of Japan. Meida on the other hand, was preparing for the excavation. She slipped on a skintight wetsuit and flippers, noticing that they were hovering above the wreckage, Meida signaled the team to lower her down. She was then lowered to the point where she was about eight feet above the water. Letting go of the cable, Meida hit the water with a loud splash.

At that moment, Meida floated to the top of the water and swam through the sea, nearing what was left of her father's yacht. Reaching the site, she climbed on top of the deck. She stood up and pressed on the waterproof microphone implanted in the collar of her wetsuit.

"Hori come in, can you read me?"

"I hear you loud and clear. What do you see?"

"Just pieces of the yacht and large chunks of ice."

Meida got off of the deck and back into the water, she approached the large chunk of ice and touched with her bare hand, immediately jerking it back.

"Damn it."

"What is it?"

"This ice...it burned my hand which is something that dry ice does. That would explain why it has not melted yet, in other words...I think a mamodo was responsible for this."

"...collect some samples of it." Hori finally said after a considerable amount of silence

Meida opened a pocket on her wetsuit, pulling out a container. She then opened a hidden compartment, revealing an ice pick. Meida took it upon herself to chip off samples of the ice. When she had more then enough, she resealed the container and put it away.

"Sea Eagle-1, extract me from the site."

"Right away Tateishi-sama."

The Helicopter dipped in and lowered the cable, picking Meida up. Back on board, Meida showed the samples to Hori. The white-haired mamodo narrowed his eyes before quickly turning back to his partner.

"We need to head to Mt. Fuji."

"What? Why?"

"There's a certain someone we need to speak to."

"Can you teleport us there?"

"I could but it would wear me down to the point where I wouldn't have much energy to fight if it came down to that."

"Ok then. Sea Eagle-1, there has been a bit of a change in plans...take us to Mt. Fuji and I want those ships Toru ordered to retrieve the remaining ice and wreckage. I also want divers to search the sea for a body...just in case and I want them to get to it pronto."

"Yes, Tateishi-sama. Forwarding the orders now." he said, typing in some keys on a dashboard computer

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Meida and Hori were now hovering over Mt. Fuji. The young CEO, now in hiking gear along with Hori were lowered to the rocky ground.<p>

"Sea Eagle-1, stay within the area for extraction."

"Yes ma'am." he said before taking off into the sky

"This way." Hori said, before trekking through the floor of the mountainous area. They continued trekking for the next hour or so, dodging numerous trees and wild animals. Just when Meida was getting restless, she sat down on a nearby rock and before she could even catch her breath, she felt herself get shoved to the ground. Looking up, she saw Hori in front of her holding back an iron lance.

The one on the other end of the lance, was none other than The Iron Prince alongside his partner.

"What do you want?" he sdemanded

Hori knocked away Slash's lance and retrieved the ice samples from her pouch.

"Tell us what you know about The Ice Titan Solin."

"Angie must have told you."

"I suppose you can say that."

"You are aware that I defeated a Titan?"

"Very. However, I believe Treachor was the weakest one."

"Anyway..." Slash said, annoyed

_[Flashback...shortly after Chapter 81...]_

_Slash and Kiichiro returned to their cabin on Mount Fuji, still on a big high after defeating The Light Titan Treachor in addition to accessing Revelation Power. He intensified his training to the point where his power alone was starting to change the mountain's geography. Ready to go on yet another training adventure, Slash felt a change in the air...a cold change at that.  
><em>

_A flurry of snow appeared before him as Solin and Sara materialized. _

_"You again! I haven't forgot about last time, I already defeated one Titan, I am not hesitant to take down another." _

_"Halt your attack. I am not here to engage you in combat."_

_"Well you are now." _

_Slash pulled the glove down tightly on his hand, made a fist and slammed it into the rocky ground, sending a massive shockwave towards Solin. To Slash and Kiichiros shock, Solin stood there and the shockwave immediately subsided upon reaching him. _

_"Your strength has multiplied tremendously, however my demonic aura alone can still suppress your shockwave which was powerful enough to collapse a being said, it will be in your best interest to hear me out."  
><em>

_"Why you-"  
><em>

_"Slash. Let's hear what he has to say first."_

_"Fine."_

_"I was sent here by King Zatch Bell seven years ago before the battle started to retrieve Arkham, Blue and Treachor. After the attempted rebellion by Blue and to a lesser extent, Arkham, what little regard King Bell had left by then had vanished. As a result, he knew his reign was futile and that he, as a lame duck king was not going to last for much longer, hence why he declared a new battle. Before he sent me on my mission, he told me about the Revelation Powers and the virtues associated with them. He expressed with the foresight granted to every Mamodo King, that the Seven Revelation Holders would arise and awaken in this batlle, therefore being the Makai's saving grace. King Zatch entrusted me with the knowledge of leading the Seven Revelation Holders into battle in order to defeat Blue and to return light to our darkened kingdom." _

_"If you know who the Seven Revelation Holders will be, then why did you attack me?"_

_"When Lolo was my human partner, even though I was doing my job as far as eliminating all of the ineligible mamodo, I lost sight of myself and my virtues which completely tainted my own heart. Hence why my ice was black at that time and is currently a clear blue and besides, I recall you attacking me first."_

_Slash was taken aback by that last statement but let Solin continue..._

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

Slash then told Hori about Solin's plan on uniting all seven of them, and protecting every revelation holder until they awaken and master their power.

"Sounds like he will interfere with my plan." Hori growled under his breath

"And what plan is that?"

"I will obtain all seven powers for my own use. "

"You should already know by now that you can't do that nor do you have the means of taking them."

"Useless trip..."

* * *

><p>A loud explosion went off around them, covering the area with smoke and dust. When things cleared up, Slash noticed that Kiichiro was gone and only his cerulean spell book remained.<p>

"Where did Kiichiro go?"

"SLASH! HELP ME!"

Looking up, Kiichiro was in the grasp of two figures standing on an overhead ridge. Running towards their silhouettes, Slash saw that one of them was a boy with short white hair like Hori. He was shirtless, showing off his tan skin and his four pack. His black jeans contrasted with his white and black Converse all stars.

The other figure, who had taken Kiichiro, was a boy who stood at about 3'9 by Slash's estimate. His long purple hair could be seen extending from his blue top hat. His green orb-like eyes matched the equally green club mark on his left cheek. His matching blue suit and pointed jester shoes made him look like some crossbreed between a magician and a court jester.

Two other boys appeared on the ridge. The first of the two other boys had long black hair and skin as tanned as his partner's. His lean, six-packed body could be seen under his thin white shirt and also wore black jeans. He carried a gray spell book in his hand. The second human boy had frizzy auburn hair and a white and blue striped shirt in addition to khaki cargo shorts. He carried a light green spell book.

"Who the hell are you two?" Slash barked

"How rude of us. My name is Elemento, I am one of the **Six Nightmares of The Black Corps.**" the shirtless one said, holding up his wrist, revealing the black band tattoo

"And my name is Roku Clown, also one of the Six Nightmares."

Roku then pushed Kiichiro to the edge of the ridge. It was at that moment, everybody could see what appeared to be a black band of sort wrapped around her little neck.

"My spell power is the ability to manipulate shadows. So I advise you not to make any wrong movements Iron Prince, just a flick of the fingers will either snap her neck or behead her and I know you don't want that."

"What are you after?"

"Your Revelation Power. We were ordered to flee on site if we came across the Iron Prince, but as long as we don't outright confront you, we are within the rules. Plus it would be a major coup for Felicity in addition, us if we were to bring the Iron Prince as a prize for Blue." Elemento said

Slash was powerless, he couldn't take them on without getting Kiichiro killed. Turning his head, Slash saw Elemento fall backwards.

"You have a big mouth." Hori said, standing over him

Hori had teleported in an attempt to punch Roku but Elemento stepped in, taking the blow. He was not going to allow Roku to be caught off guard.

"Roku, make sure you keep the girl as a hostage in order to keep the Iron Prince at bay. Let me handle this other punk myself."

"Alright then. Francis, let's step back." Roku said to his human partner

Francis and Roku, with Kiichiro in tow retreated to a shady part of the ridge. Elemento and his partner stood facing Hori with plenty of space. Meida figured that she would have to communicate with Hori from the ground since climbing the ridge at the moment was too risky.

"Hori can you hear me?" she said, talking into the headset they never took off

"Hear you loud and clear."

"Alright, let's do this."

Hori stood face to face with another member of the Six Nightmares, primed and ready to see if his recent training had paid off.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Originally I was going to keep in the full dialogue between Solin and Slash but it would have been almost the exact same thing said to Jyan a few chapters ago, making it redundant. Yes, short chapter today, the midweek chapter will obviously be much longer.  
><strong>_

_**Hori vs Elemento starts now! R&R folks.**_


	114. Paper Tiger

Hori and Elemento circled around each other, each waiting for the other to make their move. In a blink of an eye, both mamodo boys disappeared and reappeared, their fists meeting at a midway point. Hori then jumped to his left in search for an opening but Elemento kept them hidden. Hori unleashed a combo of punches and kicks but Elemento kept up, blocking them all. Hori jumped back a few feet as Elemento cam towards him.

Elemento was now unleashing a combo of his own but Hori kept up every second. Elemento rammed his elbow forward, making an attempt at Hori's throat but Hori quickly teleported and reappeared behind him, finally getting the opening he wanted. Meida, looking from below saw what Hori accomplished and quickly took advantage of the opportunity.

_"Rior Nekoru!"_

Both of Hori's hands covered themselves with purple flames as he shot dual beams from his palms and hit Elemento's back, setting off an explosion. The smoke cleared but Hori wasn't going to let him attack and neither was Meida.

"_Nekoruga!"_

Hori's body burst in a purple flame as he quickly teleported to where he was at point blank range. He opened his palm in front of Elemento and blasted him, sending the boy sliding across the rocky terrain. Elemento however, stood up despite the damage he took from Hori. He dusted himself off before addressing his adversary.

"Just because you were officially sanctioned as an elite, don't be arrogant as to where you think you don't need to go all-out against me." Elemento snarled as Justin's spell book glowed a bright gray

"_Darkro!"_

Elemento's muscles grew and his size expanded as he released a large dark beam from his mouth. Hori however, held out his hand which signaled Meida to call a spell.

"_Nekoruga!"_

Hori fired the concentrated beam of dark flames from his palm once more and collided with Elemento's spell, the dark energy however consumed Hori's spell and landed a direct hit before he even had a chance to teleport. Hori crashed below the ridge a few feet away from Meida and Slash.

"Hori!" Meida shouted, running over to him

"Damn it..." Hori growled, slowly getting up

"He was able to counter and overcome our Nekoruga spell. We're going to have to take it up a notch." Meida said, looking up towards the ridge

"That shouldn't have been possible..."

"No time to dwell on that Hori, we have to keep our focus."

Elemento and Justin found their way to the ground due to being tired of waiting for Hori and Meida's ascension to the top. Hori confronted Elemento directly but Elemento effortlessly slammed his fist in Hori's stomach, knocking him back into the ground. Hori however didn't let the pain weigh him down. He teleported and was right back in Elemento's face! He swung fist after fist while Elemento went back on the defensive.

Hori teleported and reappeared behind Elemento but he learned from his previous error and turned to counter his incoming blow. Hori teleported once again, determined to find a weak spot but Elemento wasn't going to give Hori any breathing room. He jumped back as Justin had the spell book opened and glowing again.

"_Gigano Darkro!"_

Veins emerged on Elemento's muscular body as he released a much larger and more powerful version of his previous dark spell from his mouth but Hori was able to teleport in time, dodging the attack. The spell destroyed every tree within a half-mile radius, leaving nothing but rocky land and tree stumps.  
>Hori reappeared by Meida's side, panting.<p>

"_Teleporting takes a lot of energy and even for a mamodo of Hori's caliber, teleporting too much drains his energy. He's been able to hold out this long thanks to his high level in addition to all of the intense training he has been doing as of recently. He knows as well as I do that we're going to have to change strategy..."_

_"Gigano Darkro!"  
><em>

Elemento's body puffed up once again as he released yet another large beam from his mouth. There was no way Meida nor Hori could dodge this one as well.

"_Aagasu Nekoru!"_

A skeletal dragon's jaw emerged from the ground and slammed shut around Hori and Meida. The beam hit them before exploding, the smoke quickly cleared, leaving them unharmed but fairly drained.

"I thought you were an elite! I thought you were going to be hard to beat but I was wrong! You're nothing but a paper tiger!" Elemento roared with bloodlust, still not letting up his assault

"_Lightoga!"_

Elemento's fists glowed with light energy and released two large beams from his fists. Hori and Meida stood their ground as the beams honed in on them, exploding on impact. They both flew into a nearby tree but Hori fortunately broke Meida's fall but the young CEO still slid across the rocky ground. Scratched and slightly bloody, Meida got up. Hori, also bloodied was ready to step his game up as well.

"We're getting into a tough spot, but we can turn this around."

"Damn right."

"_Nekoruku!"_

Hori shouted to the sky as his body was engulfed in purple flames. He slammed his fists together as the flames grew taller and darker. "This is the moment the tide turns."

"GO!" Meida yelled pointing forward

Hori dissapeared in a bright purple flash, but Elemento and Justin had a plan of their own.

"_Shadoruk!"_

Dark energy sparkled around Elemento's body as it built up into an aura. He also charged forward, a puple streak and a back streak began colliding into each other every few seconds, being evenly matched. The conflict continued as both mamodo matched each other, blow for blow. Slowing down, Hori walloped Elemento in the jaw but Elemento returned with a punch of his own. They slugged it out for what seemed like an eternity. Every time Hori would throw a punch, Elemento always returned the favor. The welts forming on their fists and the bruises on their faces told a better story than what was written. The slugfest spilled over towards the middle of the battlefield as the back and forth punching continued, but Hori's arm coated itself with the dark flames and mashed his forearm into Elemento's chest, leaving a burn.

"Damn you!" Elemento growled, clutching his damaged chest

The aroma of burning flesh filled the mountain air but it was a smell of triumph to Hori. The battle however, was nowhere near over. Elemento's aura faded as well as Hori's. The mamodo boys circled each other similar to the beginning of their battle. Seeing an opnening, both Boys took off to confront one another.

"_Rior Nekoru!"_

_"Lightoga!"_

Hori's hands covered themselves in dark flames and released a dual beam, Elemento's fist were engulfed in light once again and met Hori's attack at a halfway point, setting off another explosion. This time however, Hori emerged from the smoke and leaped on top of Elemento, delivering many blows to the head. Elemento attempted to yank Hori off of his head, neck and torso but to no avail.

"Meida now!"

"Right, _Nekoru!"_

Hori's free hand covered itself in dark flame, using his hand as a blade of sorts by putting his fingers together and fully extending them, he released his hold on Elemento but instantly plunged his hand into Elemento's chest, directly through a portion of the burn from earlier. Eemento screamed in tortuous agony as the blood from his wound oozed on Hori's arm. Deep into Elemento's chest, Hori's arm made a sharp turn towards the left, ripping tendons and muscle. Elemento coughed up blood as the pain intensified. Hori grabbed his arm and removed it from Elemento's chest, he tossed the mortally wounded boy in the sky._  
><em>

"Meida, let's finish him!" Hori exclaimed, blood still spilling on his arm

"Right. _Dioga Nekorudo!"_

Hori raised his arms to the sky as a fireball formed above him. The fireball grew and grew until it was the size of a small refrigerator. Hori knew he couldn't make it any bigger than that without it becoming unstable, so he maintained it that size. Focusing his might into the fireball, he tossed at the falling Elemento, blowing him up in mid air.

"So my training paid off after all..." Hori said, panting between breaths

Justin dropped the spell book as it was covered in purple flames and tried to flee on foot but Slash was standing before him, apprehending the boy.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked smugly

* * *

><p>"Let me go...you bastard!" Kiichiro growled<p>

"Can't do that." Roku said, tightening the shadow's hold on Kiichiro's neck

Roku's antagonism towards Kiichiro was placed on hold when he saw Slash, Hori, Meida and a now captured Justin before him.

"But how?" were the only that came out of his mouth

"Elemento was able to fight on par with me for a while but while engaging in hand to hand combat with him, I noticed that his weak spot was in the middle of his chest, so I burned him with my flames to leave a mark for later use and when I was able to grab hold of him, I used my first spell to pierce that weak spot and to destroy him from the inside out, severely weakening him and cutting the battle short. He called me a paper tiger and demanded to show him why I am one of the most powerful mamodo in this battle and I did."

"How were you able to find us?" Meida demanded

"We were scouting the area and you guys picked up on our radar." Roku said

"Radar? As in a tracking radar."

"So you aren't as dumb as I thought."

"But why would there be a tracking device on us..."

_[Flashback Chapter 111]_

_"I don't know how in the hell you got back here, but wait until during or even better, after the press conference." she said as she walked past him._

_Marty however, grabbed Meida's arm, stopping her in place._

_"I don't think you understand."_

_[End Flashback...]_

"That bastard..." Meida snarled under her breath, how could Marty put a tracking device on her if she changed her clothes since then?

Unbeknownst to everyone, Roku's shadow subtly transformed into a blade, he was going for Kiichiro's throat! Just as he was able to snuff out the young girl's life, he saw his shadow break into pieces and his stomach under an overwhelming amount of pressure. Hori teleported, slamming into Roku's stomach, forcing him to break the spell! Hori then grabbed Kiichiro and teleported back to Meida and Slash. Kiichiro quickly ran to her partner, wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. Slash however, pushed Kiichiro backwards and ripped off her pink robe, tossing it in the air as it exploded.

"Cowardly bastard planted a bomb on Kiichiro's robe."

Roku and Francis quickly fled the scene, but the others were not worried for they knew they would cross paths again eventually.

"Thank you for saving me." Kiichiro said sweetly

"I simply wanted to fight a strong opponent. I only saved you so I can get my shot at Slash." Hori scoffed

"I don't think you mean that." she said

Hori paused and for a moment, he felt nostalgic looking into Kiichiro's bright eyes full of wonder. "Naive little girl." he said dismissively before turning to Slash

"I figured the Revelation powers were what they were after and now that you defeated one of the Six Nightmares, expcet the rest to come after you now." Slash said, sighing

"Anything else you can tell me?"

"Remember that Angie had an encounter with Solin a while back. Go seek her out."

"We'll be in touch." Meida said, as she and Hori turned to leave

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- All I'm going to say is that if Hori wasn't a marked target before, he sure as hell is now. R&R folks!**_


	115. Always expect the unexpected!

Ishimaru sighed as he continued looking onwards towards the field. Football two-a-days had come to an end and standard practice was enacted. School started tomorrow and they were prepping for the home opener against Okashina Tech. He saw the defense line up in the usual 4-3 formation and the offense lining up in the pistol. This offense has the quarterback stand about four yards behind the center, the halfback lines up directly behind the quarterback while two receivers stand on the left and one stands on the right. The typical five lineman in addition to a tight end often block while the quarterback decides whether the hand the ball off to the halfback, keep it and run himself or drop back to pass.

Ken Tsukino, East's starting quarterback stood at a strong 6'4 frame, towering everybody except for Vincent and some of the linemen. His long black hair went slightly past the nape of his neck, which cold be seen protruding out of his helmet. The bulging muscles in his arms were prevalent as he ran play after play. Ishimaru may be East Tokyo's ace when it comes to soccer but on the football field, it was the Ken Tsukino show. He had scholarship offers from many universities around the country and has even been spoke of as a top draft pick in Japan's X-League, which gave him an option to forgo college and straight to the money. It had also been noted that universities in the US were even taking interest in Ken, which could land him a scholarship from a few of them if he excelled this season! Ken however, had already announced that he would not be making a decision on anything until the season was over. That of course did not stop the numerous scouts from both the college and professional ranks from evaluating him and a few others during practice.

Even though he served primarily as the football team's kicker, Ishimaru was also the backup quarterback due to the previous backup graduating. Ishimaru however figured it wasn't a big deal since there was no reason to rely on anybody else aside from Ken. Coach Yuushi suddenly blew his whistle, causing a halt on practice.

"Tsukino, take a breather. Kamikatsu, go to quarterback." Coach Yuushi ordered

"Yes sir." Ken said as he jogged off the field and to the nearest water tank.

Ishimaru sighed as he slipped on his helmet, before going in he went to Coach Yuushi in order to find out what play he had to run. "Kamikatsu, I want you to be prepared so always remember your signals."

"That won't be necessary coach."

"Yes it is. Just like soccer, football is the same way. Everybody, including backups must be prepared for anything, you should know this already."

"Yes sir."

"Now, go in there and run Speed Sweep 6."

Ishimaru made his way to the huddle where Daisuke, Seiku, Vincent and seven other guys were waiting.

"Speed Sweep 6 on two. Speed Sweep 6 on two and break."

The starting offense lined up in the pistol formation. Ishimaru stood about four yards behind the center, he scanned the defense and began barking signals.

"Black 68. Black 68. Gold 90. Gold 90. Set Hut! Hut!"

The center snapped a crisp ball into Ishimaru's hands, he began running to the right side of the line where Vincent blocked an incoming defender, giving Ishimaru room to run but he felt a crash to his left side and was on the turf before he could blink.

"Kamikatsu, pitch the ball next time!" Coach Yuushi shouted from the sidelines

Returning to the huddle, Ishimaru called the same play again. He began barking signals and the center gave him another clean snap but this time, Ishimaru was thrown to the ground before he even got out of the pocket.

"Tsukino! Go back in for Kamikatsu and run the Speed Sweep 6."

"Yes sir!"

Ken and Ishimaru switched out as he took back control of the offense. Ken received the ball from the center and dashed to the right, evading a would-be tackler and cutting back to the middle of the field to where he took it 75 yards for a touchdown. Everybody whooped and cheered on the sideline as Ken jogged back to the other end of the field along with the rest of the team.

"Hell of a job Tsukino but I want to see it ran once more."

"Yes sir."

Coach Yuushi then turned to Ishimaru. "You have to keep working in order to improve."

"Coach, I can't see what's going on on my left side. I can't be a good quarterback without my other eye."

"If you're going to have that attitude then you don't need to be playing soccer either, we can get on the phone and tell all of those college coaches and pro scouts to cancel all of those scholarships offers and potential contracts. You can't see the defenders on the other side of you but I bet you can still make a goal or an assist. You CAN do this, I don't want to see you continue to feel sorry for yourself."

"Yes sir."

"Don't "yes sir" me. Ishimaru, this can't just go into one ear and out the other. Some days you get it but days like today are when you throw everything you know and learn out of the window. Days like these are the hardest days, one eye or no eye, I know your potential. You have too much talent to let this stop you from reaching your dream."

Ishimaru simply nodded and went back to watching Ken, who ran the Speed Sweep 6 to absolute perfection. This time however, he pitched the ball to Seiku who ran it 60 yards for a touchdown. After practice ended, Ishimaru got halfway dressed and went to the training room the ice his aching muscles. He saw Ken, sitting on a table as a trainer injected a syringe into what appeared to be his knee. Once the trainer was done, he exited the training room in order to discard the remaining contents of the syringe.

"Tsukino."

"Kamikatsu."

"That stuff is dangerous, you can addicted to painkillers."

"Kamikatsu, I have been in high school for six years. Football is my only way to make a lot of money down the road because I sure as hell won't last very long in college."

"You still shouldn't rely on painkillers."

"Kamikatsu, you know what it's like when you have a lot riding on how well you perform. If my knee breaks down then that will scare the national colleges, the X-League and definitely the American colleges away."

"I obviously understand your situation but I still never fully relied on painkillers."

"Quick question Kamikatsu, have you told the recruiters about your missing eye yet?"

Ishimaru was silent. He had gathered the team together, many of whom played on the soccer team with him about his lost eye situation after Seiku confronted him on it a few days prior. As expected, the entire team rallied around him and still had high expectations.

"As I thought. You have no right to judge me for my decision." Ken said, detecting Ishimaru's answer from his silence.

"...you're right. Our situations are a lot more similar than I thought." Ishimaru said, as he turned and left the training room without getting his ice pack as he originally intended

* * *

><p>Ishimaru got dressed and met up with Seiku, Daisuke and Vincent. Ishimaru admittedly felt uneasy being around Seiku and Daisuke due to his recent nightmare and Seiku asking for Ishimaru to hand over Chainz's book. Ishimaru however, knew that he would not be in a good position if he confronted Seiku and possibly Daisuke over the issue due to the fact that they know who Chainz is while Ishimaru had no idea who their respective mamodo partners were. Leaving the Athletic Complex, they saw Eve standing out there waiting on them.<p>

"Do you not have a life?" Ishimaru asked

"FYI, I actually just got here and I'm only coming because I need some new uniforms too."

"Well you could have went on your own, nobody told you to wait outside."

"That's funny, I recall you asking me this morning if I was going shopping with you guys." Eve said, rolling her eyes

Ishimaru was silent when he suddenly remembered that he in fact did ask Eve to come with them.

* * *

><p>Reaching the Tokyo Metropolitan Mall, they made their way to the student uniform department. Kana however, was already at the entrance when the group made their way over.<p>

"It's about time." she said in her monotone voice

Making their way to the side dedicated for East, they saw many other people from school also doing some shopping. For once, nobody was really paying attention to Eve, which seemed to happened every time she attended an ETHS function due to the numerous rumors still flying. What was noticable however, was Kana glaring daggers at Eve. Feeling the tension, Eve turned to the girl.

"What are you looking at?" Eve asked, annoyed

"Nothing much." Kana said, looking Eve up and down

"Excuse me?" Eve said, about to grab Kana, but the commotion was interrupted by a new arrival.

Turning around, a group of kids from West Tokyo High were standing there. In front was a tall young man standing around a solid six feet with spiky white hair. His tanned skin toned meshed well with his athletic frame. His handsome yet smug look was all too telling, he and the others were already wearing their West Tokyo school uniforms, consisting of a purple blazer with the West Tokyo emblem and purple/white plaid pants.

"Who the hell are you?" Vincent asked

"That's Hiroto "Ace" Yamato." Seiku answered

"Who?"

"He's the star linebacker on the football team, a point guard on the basketball team, designated hitter on the baseball team and striker on the soccer team. I don't understand why he's wearing a West Tokyo uniform since he goes to Tokyo Heights."

"Correction, I WENT to Heights. I transferred to West because I feel that my talents needed to be on a bigger stage."

"Transferred? More like recruited." Seiku scoffed

Ishimaru only paid attention until the point where Seiku said Ace was a striker, this made him think back to Coach Yuushi's comments.

_[Flashback...Chapter 109]_

_"Did Todai **(****A/N- Nickname for The University of Tokyo) **decide whether or not they were going to offer?"_

_"Ishimaru...even though you are a legacy and your father holds the scoring and assist record, **we don't know if they will give it to you or the striker at West.**_

_[End Flashback...]_

Ignoring Seiku's remark about being recruited, Ace approached Eve. He took her hand in his and lightly kissed it, causing a small blush to streak accross her face and for her to yank her hand away. "Everybody calls me Ace, but you can call me Hiroto."

"I don't think you should be laying your crusty lips on people's hands." Ishimaru said flatly

Ignoring Ishimaru, Ace suddenly took Eve's phone from her hand and punched his number in then texted his phone with hers and saving the number. He handed Eve's phone back to her and finally turned to Ishimaru.

"I'm out of your league Kamikatsu. All you need to know is that I'm going to kick your ass. If we meet on the football field, I'm going to kick your ass, if we meet on the basketball court, I'm going to kick your ass, and **when **we meet on the soccer pitch, I'm going to kick your ass." Ace was completely in Ishimaru's face at that point and it took everything Ishimaru had within him to hold him back from slugging Ace in the jaw.

Ace and his cronies roared with laughter as they walked off to find a new victim. Ishimaru was fuming, Ace had simply walked in and made Ishimaru his bitch.

"This. Ain't. Over." Ishimaru said, his face was a rich shade of magenta

* * *

><p>"Wake up Meida, we're here."<p>

The private jet touched in Miami where Angie, Beat, Rachel and Aaron were still staying in the beachouse. After taking a limo to the beach estate, they were quickly whisked in by Angie, whom Hori notified earlier about their arrival. Once situated, Hori was ready to get his answers.

"Tell me about your encounter with Solin." Hori asked Angie

_**A/N- Don't mind me, I'm just laying down the foundation. R&R folks!**_


	116. The origin of The Talented Five!

"Tell me about your encounter with Solin."

_[Flashback...Chapter 41. A/N- Refreshing your memories...]_

_Solin quickly glanced up and saw a chunk of the ice wall slice off and break into the ground. Aaron's voice echoed multiple Shuranus as Angie chipped away at the ice. On the other side, multiple explosions rocked off of the ice as Beat and Rachel were also putting in effort._

_"Sara, how much energy from within do you have?"_

_"I am not entirely sure what you're talking about."_

_"Ok...how are you feeling?"_

_"When I said a spell for this ice wall, I got really tired, but I still can run around a little."_

_"Alright. I want you to cast the spell again, I can beat both of them with some concentration."_

_Solin glanced up and saw yet another chunk of ice explode off of the wall. "It's not going to hold up much longer, if Lolo was still my partner, I would have destroyed their books in one spell. That doesn't matter right now though, I need to focus in order for this to work."_

_With all of the noises from Angie and Beat's spells destroying the crown of ice spikes, piece by piece, Solin was admittingly having a little trouble concentrating. He quickly shook that off however, and grasped his focus. He closed his eyes and felt a cool sensation throughout his body, Solin's body temperature dropped as he reopened his eyes, now a glowing blue color._

_"Sara, cast the spell now."_

_Sara nodded, as she placed all of her energy from within that her little body contained into the silver book as the light glowed very brightly. "RAYO BOLT!"_

_Solin, now floating in midair, sitting Indian-style with his eyes still glowing blue put both of his hands together. Outside of the crumbling fort of ice spikes, Beat and Angie were still on the offensive. "Yo Angie, let's go in for the kill. I'll drop down a mad explosion to bring this thang down. You snatch the girl and the book."_

_"Beat you idiot! Watch out!" Angie yelled, jumping out of the way and grabbing Aaron in the process, not even responding to Beat's suggestion._

_Just as she said that, a large spray of long, thin ice spikes shot out of the ground and impaled Beat, sending him into a nearby wall. More long, thin ice spikes rose out of the ground in rapid succession. Angie pulled back Aaron and now Rachel as she jumped and weaved through the spikes. SHe set down the two humans and ducked just as an ice spike attempted to impale her through the head as it came through a nearby wall._

_The remains of the ice wall that surrounded Solin and Sara crumbled. At that moment, Angie saw Solin whose eyes were still glowing a bright blue and floating in the air._

_[End Flashback...]_

"Are you telling me that was-" Hori began

"Yes. It was Tao Mode." Angie said, cutting him off while answering his question

"So the stories were true then."

"Yes."

"Tao Mode?" Meida asked confused

"Tao Mode is a special ability that can activate when the user is under duress and/or when s/he gets in tune with his/her senses by meditating, s/he enhances his/her spell power with psychic abilities. Tao Mode actually reduces the user's speed and physical strength abilities, but their spells and mental power become devastating. I am not entirely sure of the full extent of Tao Mode and I doubt anybody else does either."

"Does that make the user psychic?" Meida asked

"Yes and no. While Tao Mode does use psychic power to an extent, the user will not be able to use psychic spells so in the end, it would depend on what you consider is psychic. From what I researched back in the Makai before I came to Earth, it was noted that very few mamodo have achieved Tao Mode, which requires years and years of strict meditation and training. Even then, it is virtually impossible for most to accomplish. Most mamodo die during the training alone, the fact that Solin the Ice Titan was able to activate it and use it on Beat is a feat all in itself."

"Just how powerful is this guy?"

"Hard to say but the fact that he was able to defeat Slash, keep me and Beat at bay, graduate from his school as valedictorian and become an elite guard to King Zatch the Appeaser shortly after in addition to being a Titan speaks for itself. As much as it pains me to say this, there is no way I, Slash or Hori for that matter could take on Solin alone and win. Especially not without Revelation Power."

"Angie, we already been over this! You don't need Revelation Power, you're one of the strongest on Earth without it!" Aaron exclaimed, suddenly bolting from his seat

"I am very aware of that Aaron and that would be the case if this were a level playing field, but look at the bigger picture here. There are two Titans still at large, one of whom we're not even sure is a friend or foe and the other is the leader of the Black Corps, who destroyed another Titan with ease. Then you have the likes of Slash and Jyan who have Revelation Power in addition to there being five more holders who haven't been identified yet. Take into account that there are roughly thirty-five mamodo left on Earth counting the remaining Titans so you have to take into account everybody left is not too far from say CJ's level."

"Angie, all I'm trying to say is that you're strong enough to win it all..."

"I know that but I'm also looking at things with a dose of reality. I don't doubt my strength, I just see things are pretty bleak with all that has happened as of lately."

"As much as I enjoy to see the ongoing drama between mamodo and human partner, I do have things I actually care about." Hori interjected, causing them to go silent.

"What I got out of all of this, is that we have to find Solin somewhere in the U.S."

"Makes sense." Meida said, shrugging as she and Hori turned to leave

"Wait!"

Meida and Hori turned back around

"I'm going with you."

Hori did not respond to Angie's statement aside from a grunt and mutter about working alone but Meida took the news well. "We'l be more than happy to have you and your partner along for the ride."

"Well that settles it, if they're going then so are we." Beat announed

"No." Angie said, shaking her head

"What do you mean no?" Beat said with displeasure

"Beat, I know you're strong and I respect your strength. I have no doubts that you can keep up with me and Hori but this is something that does not concern you."

"How does it not concern me?! I was right by you when we fought Solin! I was stabbed by his ice spikes! It's my unfinished business as much as it's yours."

"I understand that Beat but the answer is still no. Hori and I not only share a common goal but are also part of **The Talented Five."**

"So you're throwing THAT in my face again...I see how it is now."

"Beat, I'm not-"

"Whatever, just do what you want." Beat got up and slammed the door behind him

Angie started after him but was waved off by Rachel. "I think he needs some time alone." she said quietly

"Speaking of which, how did you guys get that name anyway?" Aaron asked, now curious

"We were given that name at Elite Review..."

"Elite Review?"

"It is where many prospective mamodo attend in order to be granted Elite Status. This year in particular, happened to be a special one..."

_[Flashback...3 years before start of battle]  
><em>

_"This must be the place."_

_Angie stood amongst the hundreds if not thousands of other young mamodo hoping to be granted Elite status. They were standing before a vast taiga, guarded by gates and proctors. She noted that there were likely numerous dangerous wild animals in addition to enemy competitors and knew she had to mke haste once the objection was stated.  
><em>

_Angie put her mulling over the numerous possibilities aside and saw a familiar patch of shaved yet recognizable whitish gray hair. Quickly approaching him, she quickly came across her old friend and rival. _

_"Slash we finally meet again. You know, that was a crappy way of saying goodbye, Grace is always sitting on the ridge staring out into the lake."_

_"So? I have other priorities in mind right now." Slash said coldly_

_"It figures. Today may be our lucky day."_

_"As in how?"_

_"We finally have that rematch, that is of course if you can last long enough for me to get to you."_

_"I think you should be worrying about yourself."_

_"There's no need for me to do that. I already know that I'm going to make it to the end."_

_Their banter was cut short by one of the proctors, a lizard mamodo, who began reading the objective out loud._

_"Greetings to all of you prospective applicants. Contrary to popular belief, this is NOT Elite Review."_

_A wave of grumbles filled the air as the proctor continued._

_"This is a preliminary trial. All of you here will be divided into teams of five and await further instruction after forming said team."_

_Numerous holographic screens filled the sky, displaying names and lists of teams. Angie scanned the lists before finding her name.  
><em>

_"There I am." she said, her voice coated with excitement_

_"Well damn, we're on the same team." Slash pointed out_

_"Go figure. It also says that the other three members are Hori, Gansu Genso and Gatrion...who the heck are those guys?"_

_"Beats me." Slash said, looking around  
><em>

_Angie and Slash began walking the area in search of their other teammates, for the next twenty minutes or so, they kept on the lookout but to no avail. As the other teams were forming and near completion, Angie and Slash were on the verge of going at it as just a twosome when a slow ring of purple flames shot up and a white-haired boy in all black appeared.  
><em>

_"You...appeared out of thin air."_

_"That was my teleportation ability. I'm still pretty new at it and it's hard to control."_

_"And your name?"_

_"Hori."_

_"So you're the third person in our group. Any idea where the other two are?"_

_Before Hori could respond, a rumble from underground sent tremors throughout the taiga as two magenta gloved fists emerged from the ground. A spiky crown of magenta hair also rose from the ground, revealing a white face and a cherry-like nose. A tuft of blond hair swirled on his forehead as the rest of his buff yet tiny body emerged. His light pink skin and his magenta boots and trunks were also heavily apparent._

_"A floating clown..." Hori said _

_"My name is Gansu Genso."_

_"So we're only missing-"_

_"At that moment a crash rocked the broken ground as the now foursome turned to the last team member. What appeared to be a large beetle with human features such as his face and body stood before them. He wore what looked like a soldier's helmet with a ticking clock implanted in front of it.  
><em>

_"A giant bug." Hori said, finishing his earlier sentence_

_"Let me get this staright, we have a masked wanna-be ninja girl with a katana, a pyro kid who appears to be a sociopath, a floating clown, a giant bug and a semi-snake kid who can manipulate metal." Slash said, inserting that last line to poke a little fun at himself  
><em>

_"Pretty much." Angie said, letting that wannabe ninja crack Slash made slide_

_The proctor returned to his post, ready to continue his announcement now that the teams of five were organized. "Now that you are in your teams, we shall continue Out of the hundreds of teams, only sixty four will advance onwards so you all will need to get through the taiga and to the village where the actual Elite Review is being held. The rules are simple, just get there before anybody else because once sixty-four teams have crossed the line, a barrier will be enacted and will incinerate anybody or anything that touches it. You have been warned and we will not be held liable for whatever happens since you all have signed waivers earlier. Killing an opposing team is allowed among other things. However, all five team members _**must **_be present when crossing the finish line in order to advance so if your teammate dies, either you better drag their corpse or whatever's left of it with you or be disqualified. Without further ado, the taiga is open and you may go, best of luck to you all and may the best sixty four teams make it to the next round of elimination."_

_Angie, Slash, Hori, Gansu Genso and Gatrion began running for the gate amongst the other teams. Ready to make their own mark on history._

**_A/N- A rough yet stable alliance was formed! More of this to come! R&R folks! _**


	117. The origin of the Talented Five part 2

_The group of five stood in awe at the vast taiga. Rows and columns of pine and spruce trees stretched for miles on end, advancing deeper within the lush boreal forest painted in a reddish brown coat, they saw the local wildlife. Songbirds flew from tree to tree, owls were asleep in their nests, growls of a black bear could be heard from a few miles away. Despite the scenery, other teams were not in sight._

_"We can't let our guard down from this point onward." Slash noted  
><em>

_They trekked onwards for the next two hours as they still had not came across any other teams. It was a general consensus that the others were trying to get to the finish line first as opposed to attacking other teams, potentially slowing them down. Noticing a similar clearing up ahead, they stopped in their tracks and observed the area. It was the same vast taiga from before, the same pine and spruces, the same songbirds flying from tree to tree and the same growls of the black bear off into the distance.  
><em>

_"Haven't we passed this part already?" Angie asked looking around_

_"I noted the same thing." Slash inputted _

_"I know what's going on now." _

_They all turned to look at Gansu Genso whose hands were now covered with a green aura. "We've been caught into a looping illusion."_

_"Looping illusion?"_

_"Someone used their spell power to trap us into a never-ending loop so we will always stay in the same area no matter how long or how far we think we travel."_

_"How did you figure this out?"_

_"My spell power is **energy fields **and therefore my power depends on location. I can sense the electromagnetic waves throughout the Makai and I noticed that the waves were being manipulated as to where this illusion could be created._

_"And how do we break free from it?"_

_Gansu Genso lowered himself to the ground and firmly planted his feet. With a roar, his body was engulfed in a green aura as he spread the aura to his teammates. Within a flash, the illusion was broken and they were back to where they started when they originally went to the vast clearing._

_"Did it work?"_

_"See for yourself."  
><em>

_Hori was the first to step forward but quickly held up his guard as he quickly jumped back, his hands in front of him and covered in purple flames. Everybody quickly got into a defensive position before a cackling echoed throughout the area.  
><em>

_"So you saw through my illusion, I suppose you are fit since you're in this competition after all."_

_A lizard mamodo appeared before them, his slender body covered in slimy green scales and his eyes two yellow orbs with black slits. His whip-like tongue slithered from his mouth occasionally. Thankfully, he wore black pants that were rolled up at the knees though he was not wearing a shirt. _

_"Who the hell are you?"_

_"I am Psycher, my spell powers are **illusions and**_** trans****formations.**"

_"So your power is deception." Hori growled, his flames growing stronger_

_"You can say that."_

_"Deceiving us was a big mistake." _

_Hori fired a beam of dark flames at Psycher but the lizard faded into thin air, making himself invisible._

_"Keep on the lookout for his teammates, they're most likely in the area!" Gatrion exclaimed_

_"I came alone but we will cross paths in the future...whether it be here or on Earth." Psycher said before disappearing_

_With the Psycher encounter behind them, they continued forward. They occasionally heard the clanging of weapons, saw smoke from various elemental blasts and the screams of fallen mamodo. None of this however, fazed them and after a while actually became soothing. Nightfall came and the ongoing action around them continued. Deciding that it was best to camp out for the night, they gathered dead tree bark and foliage as a base for their campfire. After Hori got things started thanks to his flames, they gathered around and took in the warmth. _

_"How are we going to do the sleeping arrangements?" Slash asked_

_"We should all take shifts at certain parts of the night while everybody else sleeps. That way everybody gets rest and somebody is always up to defend the others." Gatrion suggested, to which everybody was seemingly okay with_

_"Before we choose who stands watch first, everybody should say where they're from and how they were chosen to be here." Slash suggested  
><em>

_Nobody said anything immediately but Hori broke the silence._

_"I came from a distant land in the Makai...the Fire Island to be exact."_

_The expression on the other four faces were a look of surprise, Hori disregarded this and continued. "Anyway, I ended up in this land and knocked out everybody who stood in my way. That's all you need to know."_

_The silence extended itself into a duration of a few minuted but it was Gansu Genso who spoke up next. "I am from a mountain community and happened to be a stand out amongst my people. Seeing as I was the best and only hope for our prominence, I was accepted and invited to Elite Review. Failure is not an option for me." _

_Angie then spoke up. "My people were slaughtered in a bloody civil war and I was found and taken in by a strong and kind woman named Nana. Nana runs an orphanage for children across the Makai in a small village with vast amounts of land she purchased from the king. I didn't adjust well at first and went through some troubling phases, after being caught shoplifting, I was placed into a military school that tripled as a boot camp and an asylum. I...I..I saw some things in there and thankfully Nana arranged for my release. Returning to the village, I engulfed myself in books in addition to training and quickly rose to the top. I found myself in a tense rivalry with Slash for the village's top contender. In the end, Nana submitted both of us and were approved."_

_Gatrion looked around and began t speak. "I am from a clan of beetle mamodo. Like the rest of you, I was a standout and was approved by the judges."_

_"Your turn Slash."_

_No response._

_"Slash?"_

_They got a view of Slash who was already snoring! "That sneaky bastard got us caught up in talking, that he used it as an opportunity to go to sleep so he wouldn't have to keep watch."_

_"Just wake his ass up then."_

_"No, we need everyone to get all the rest they can get."_

_"Then how are we going to decide who takes the first shift?"_

_"I'll do it."_

_Everybody except for a snoring Slash, looked at Hori._

_"I'm not even tired anyway. You guys go ahead and get sleep and one of you just ___get me when it's your shift."__

_ "Are you sure?" Angie asked _

_"Yes, now go." Hori barked_

_Within minutes everybody save for Hori was sound asleep. Sentry duty was a boring task for the most part. The fighting had died down save for the rare clanging of weapons or spell being cast. Hori took it as a sign that other teams were asleep. The next hour or so passed painfully as Hori felt himself getting restless, standing to his feet, he began to walk in an attempt to stretch his legs. He noticed himself straying a significant distance from their campsite but did not pay too much mind to this. After walking a considerable distance, Hori stopped immediately in his tracks.  
><em>

_"This area...gives me an odd taste of death."_

_Reluctantly venturing forth, Hori saw the entire area full of dead trees, leaves and other foliage. What was once lush and green or tawny and red were now brown and shriveled up. It was hard to tell what exactly it looked like in the middle of the night, but the flame on Hori's hand illuminated the area just enough so Hori could inspect the scenery._

_"What could have done this?"_

_As Hori said that, a shadowy figure appeared near him. Parrying his potential opponent, Hori darted to the left but another figure appeared. Soon, three more figures appeared, surrounding him into a circle. _

_"Five against one, I like those odds."  
><em>

_The shadowy figures did not respond to Hori's statement and instead, began attacking. Hori's hands glowed with purple flames as he swung at the oncoming assailants. He quickly got the upperhand as the flames in his hands grew brighter and were to the point where the entire taiga was illuminated. The shadowy figures continued attacking from every direction. Fists still glowing brightly, Hori began spinning, forming a purple flaming vortex around his body and kept the attackers at bay. Hori then threw his body in the direction of one of the attackers, he slammed his flaming fist into the opponent, sending them flying. The body dissipated, much to Hori's surprise. The others came at him all at the same time, Hori extinguished the flames on his fists as they honed in on him. It seemed as if he was surrendering.  
><em>

_He felt their bodyweight pile on top of him as they began punching and kicking him. Hori however, closed his eyes and focused, his body quickly released a large blast of dark flame, disintegrating their bodies. _

_"Your spell power is making **animated shadows**, reveal yourself!"_

_Instead of receiving a response, more shadowy figures emerged. Their eyes glowed in the nightfall, before Hori knew it dozens of them surrounded him from every angle. They moved towards in a slow precession, similar to zombies, Hori blasted a nearby shadowy figure with his flames only for it to simply become two seperate beings. "Damn it, if I destroy one they just asexually reproduce, making more of them."_

_Just as the shadows leaped upon Hori, a slash sliced multiple figures into pieces. Angie appeared with her katana glowing red._

_"Who said you could have all the fun?" she said standing next to him_

_A large orange beam exploded, clearing a path as Gansu Genso flew through._

_"Your flames lit up the entire side of the forest and we woke up to the commotion. It looks like a trap set up by another team."_

_More shadowy figures were sliced to pieces as Gatrion and Slash, who was riding on Gatrion's back emerged. Gatrion flew through midair, slicing the figures with his arms, which were transformed into mantis-like claws. Landing next to their teammates, they saw that the shadowy figures they sliced to pieces were now somewhere in the hundreds as opposed to the now seemingly mere dozens that had once surrounded Hori._

_"If we want to destroy these things for good, then we need to find the source of these shadows." Hori said as all five of them stood united, ready for the challenge in front of them. _

**_A/N- After posting twice a week for six consecutive months (or however many months it had been), I was burned out and took a week and a half hiatus. For now on, if I'm going to take a break from writing, I'll let you guys know in an Author's Note at the end of a chapter. Iron Revolution will now be returning to it's regular schedule of one midweek chapter and one weekend chapter. R&R folks!_**


	118. The origin of The Talented Five! part 3

_"Whoever is controlling these things can't be too far away."_

_"Right."_

_They quickly advanced forward, slicing and destroying the figures before them as they continued to regenerate. Hori, blasted through another imposing shadow in front of him as he watched it slowly regenerate into two more figures. _

_"That's it!"_

_"What?"_

_"I know how to win. Stand back everybody, I'm going to burn down this entire area!"_

_"Are you insane?!" Angie exclaimed, her eyes widening_

_"You can say that."_

_Hori's hands glowed with a dark inferno as the flames rose to well over a dozen feet into the air. Numerous zombie-like shadows lunged at him as he slammed his fists into the ground, covering the entire area with a flash of purple. When the flash faded, the once hundreds of animated shadows were now completely gone, the decayed fawna were now ashes and a charred yet conscious mamodo laid on the ground. Walking over to them, Hori grabbed one of them by the scruff of their neck and held them up.  
><em>

_"When we were destroying the shadows, I noticed that the more figures created, the harder it is to control, hence why they began moving slower and slower as more were created. When I first arrived in this area, I could barely keep up with the figures but as I destroyed them and more were created, it surprisingly got slightly easier. I assume that the regeneration phase of the figures is a separate spell that requires a lot of energy, which is why the user hid. While it was a valiant effort, it was no match for us in the end and it was only a matter of tie before his power was too split to overwhelm us."  
><em>

_"Are you going to kill me?" asked the vanquished opponent_

_Hori did not immediately answer him but then spoke. "That depends if I like the answers to the questions I'm about to ask."_

_"First, where are your teammates?"_

_"They are only a few hundred yards away."_

_"Second, why is all of that vegetation dead?"_

_"I don't know. It was like that when I started tailing you."_

_"Ok."_

_"Are you going to let me go?"_

_Hori looked at the others and back at his defeated opponent._

* * *

><p><em>[Late Morning, Early Afternoon...]<em>

_"How far away are we from the village?" Gatrion asked  
><em>

_"Not too much further." Gansu Genso replied_

_The five of them continued forth, refusing to take any breaks or stop from being one of the top 64 teams to make it in. Angie noticed that Hori had not spoken a word for the last twelve hours or so._

_"I thought you were going to kill that guy." Angie said out of the blue_

_Hori didn't immediately respond to Angie. He continued walking onwards before finally turning to face her. "I figured throwing him into the river was punishment enough." _

_They did not run into anymore obstacles along the way and found themselves at the end of the taiga and out onto the open road. Up ahead was a gate leading to another long, winding path. Quickly reaching the gate, the royal guards let them through as they found themselves on the winding path. After taking the path all of the way towards the end, they came across what appeared to be a slate castle. Pushing the heavy doors in, they saw a handful of other mamodo teams. A deer mamodo stood before them, acknowledging their entrance.  
><em>

_"Congratulations, you are the 10th team to arrive."  
><em>

_"Tenth?!" Hori exclaimed, bewildered  
><em>

_"I didn't know we got here that fast." Angie noted_

_"There are dozens of paths in the taiga, some are shorter and easier while others are longer and more rigorous."_

_"So it's simply a game of chance?" Slash asked_

_"Precisely."_

_Taking their place amongst the other nine teams, a boy wearing an iron mask with angel wings extending from his back, flew over to them and hovered from above._

_"What do you want?"_

_"Nothing...double-digits."  
><em>

_The entire roared burst into laughter as they were teased for being 10th out of 64 teams. The aura of anger radiating from the group was obvious as far as the eye could see, like pouring an entire tank of gasoline onto a wildfire. _

_[flashback interrupted...]_

"So The Talented Five is one of those ironic nicknames?" Aaron asked

"No."

"What happened next?" Rachel asked, curious

"Well...we had a chip on our shoulder. None of us took kindly to being called "dobule-digits" which was bad news for the other teams."

_[continue flashback...]_

_All sixty-four qualifying teams had arrived. The deer mamodo proctor from earlier stood before all of them.  
><em>

_"Congratulations to all sixty four teams who have made it through the taiga. You managed to stay alive and fight your way to the finish line, that being said your teams are now invalid."_

_A wave of whispering and grumbling fill the air before the proctor continued._

_"At this point, all teams are dissolved for you will be going solo from here on out. You are all going to compete in one of five tournaments."_

_"Tournaments? Explain." Angie demanded_

_"As you know, sixty four teams of five mamodo made it in. The teams are then dissolved as you are all placed in a tournament bracket. No two members of the same team will be in the same tournament bracket, hence why there are five separate ones."_

_"What is the point of this?" Slash asked_

_"Qualifying for elite status heavily depends on your solo work and combat abilities. Only the five winners of the tournament brackets will go on to the next phase.:_

_"So if we lose a round, we are automatically disqualified?" asked Hori_

_"Yes. Whether it's the first round or the championship round,if you do not win your resective bracket, you will be disqualified from the remainder of Elite Review. This is where you put it all on the line in hopes of winning and receiving the opportunity to be sanctioned as an elite. Best of luck to you all."  
><em>

_"Sounds like we have no choice but to win our brackets." Hori said, cracking his knuckles_

_Anticipating the oncoming tournaments, they knew they had to be as prepared as possible or risk losing it all here._

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- horrendously short chapter I know but there's more to come in this weekend's chapter where things WILL pickupso expect quite a bit of actiion to come your way. (Yes, I know already, I havent gone back to my regular schedule.) My pace is getting faster slowly but surely. (wow that an oxymoron) _**

**_Anyway, R&R folks!_**


	119. Origin of the Talented Five! Part 4

"The tournament, how was it set up exactly?" Aaron asked

"Like I just said, there were sixty-four mamodo in each of the five brackets. Only the winners of each bracket moved on to the next challenge while everyone else was eliminated." Angie said, a little annoyed by her human partner

"Tells us about some of the fights." Meida asked, surprising everyone when she broke her long silence

"Well, we defeated opponent after opponent and won our respective brackets..."

_[Flashback...]_

_Angie, Hori, Slash, Gansu Genso and Gatrion stood in the arena before the proctors on stage. The fact that all five of them managed to win out was an impressive feat even amongst the hard-grading proctors who had no choice but to be amused. The deer mamodo proctor came to the front of the stage to address them._

_"Congratulations on winning your respective brackets. It is not every day that all five members of the same team make it to the final round of evaluation. You have successfully navigated the taiga, made it amongst the top ten finishing teams. Managed to go through six rounds of opponents without much rest. All in all, not many mamodo are able to do that."  
><em>

_"Are you telling us that after all we went through, there is a chance nobody is granted Elite Status?" Hori asked  
><em>

_"Yes. There is the chance that nobody will be deemed worthy enough of Elite Status, therefore making your plight in vain. Judging by your previous performances, the rare moment of all of you being granted Elite Status is fairly notable. There's of course the possibility of one of you being granted. It all depends on how well you perform on this last test."_

_"What is this last test?"_

_In a flash, five adult soldiers appeared before them. They each wore a blue jumpsuit of sorts and were adorned in shoulder armor in addition to a helmet covering their entire faces and each of them carried a gun of sorts. _

_"These are Elite Soldiers, members of the king's palace guard. Your challenge is to either defeat said adult or survive within the allotted time."_

_Multiple lasers emerged from the ground, forming five separate arenas. Each of them found their way into the arenas and their opponents followed suit. Once facing each opponent, a virtual screen with the proctor's face on it appeared.  
><em>

_"You have twenty minutes. Best of luck."_

* * *

><p><em>Angie drew her katana and faced the elite soldier in front of her. She disappeared in a flash and reappeared, katana glowing, swinging it down towards the soldier who was simply standing there. Her katana however, never cut him as he simply blocked it with his finger. Bewildered, Angie felt a strong fore slam into her guy as she slid a few feet across the ground before getting up. She charged at him, katana still glowing a bright red and unleashed dozens of phantom-like slashes within seconds but the soldier continued blocking with simply his finger. <em>

_"Damn it. He's not even taking me seriously." she grumbled _

* * *

><p><em>Slash pulled on his glove as he slammed his fist into the ground, sending a crevice streaking across. His opponent gracefully jumped out of the way.<em>

_"Oh no you don't!"  
><em>

_Slash dropped down on a knee as a metallic film covered his fists and tiny metal spikes extended from the knuckle. He began furiously punching the ground in rapid succession as numerous iron spikes darted out of the ground. His opponent gracefully leaped and sidestepped each and every spike, causing Slash to put more effort into his spell. More spikes continued to emerge from the ground but still to no avail. His opponent's senses were on a whole different plane. _

_Slash's hand shifted back to normal as white sparks of energy glowed from it. He ran forward bringing an iron lance from the ground, quickly sending it flying in an attempt to gore his foe. His opponent once again gracefully dodged the bullet-like lance in elegant fashion._

_"I can't even get a single hit..."_

* * *

><p><em>Gansu Genso roared to the sky as his body glowed with orange energy. He charged his body into the adult soldier but the soldiers body broke down into vapor and reformed as Gansu Genso literally went through him.<br>_

_"What? I went through him...time to take this up a notch!"  
><em>

_The clown mamodo's orange glow shifted into a green glow as he began punching and kicking but the soldier's body again broke down into vapor, making him impossible to touch or grab. Gansu Genso continued his attempts to hit his opponent but all of the attempts failed._

_"I'm not able to hit him because of his body turning into vapor gas, I gotta figure out how to make him solid."_

* * *

><p><em>Gatrion was already in the heat of battle with his opponent. The soldier curled into a ball of sorts, forming a protective shell and Gatrion had no way of penetrating it. His mantis claw spell did not work nor did his wing spell get the job done. Gatrion found himself flying in the air as he circled for an opening. The beetle mamodo picked up speed through the air and felt that he had adequate force behind his body in order to deliver a devastating cut.<br>_

_However, it was still to no avail. For the first time in his life, Gatrion was faced with something he just couldn't cut through.  
><em>

_"There has to be a way..."_

* * *

><p><em>Without hesitating, Hori's hands were already covered in flames and flung fireballs at his opponent, who was countering them with energy blasts from his gun. Each blasts Hori tossed, the adult soldier fired a blast of equal strength in return. Hori aimed a much larger blast of dark flame at the soldier but seeing this as an opportunity, the soldier teleported and reappeared at point blank range, blasting Hori with a devastating shot.<br>_

_Singed and in pain, Hori stood up, but just in time for the soldier to unleash blast after blast on his body. The blue shots of energy felt like hundreds of small yet extremely sharp knives gliding across his body. He would not let the pain hinder him however, instead of giving in, Hori stood up, a burning sensation heated up his core.  
><em>

_"Adult or not, I know I can win."_

* * *

><p><em>Angie panted as she took in numerous deep breaths. She kept the elite guard, who had gone on the offensive, at bay by parrying and trusting her instinct. Katana still drawn, she closed her eyes an focused. Her opponent honed in on her as she locked on to her target. The elite guard pressed his index and middle fingers side to side and thrusted them forward, aiming for Angie's throat. Angie however, blocked the incoming fingers with her katana before fading out to her left. Her opponent already moved his fingers towards the left, reading her moves and just as he came to block, he found himself thrusting the air.<em>

_Angie then swung her katana sideways but before she could cut down the adult soldier, his fingers quickly formed into a fist and slammed into her katana, blocking and shattering it. However, the soldier's armor also fell into pieces. The shockwaves from the soldier's fist vibrated through angies now broken katana, sending her into the ground. Angie however, sat up.  
><em>

_"I did it...I cut his armor to pieces..."_

* * *

><p><em>Slash still could not touch his graceful opponent. No matter what he did, his opponent was able to dodge it. Remembering his lance, Slash slid his hand across the ground once more. As soon as they saw the lance's iron tip, the adult soldier had already leaped through the air to dodge. Coming down, the soldier stopped for a moment as he felt a sharp pain, looking down he saw the lance protruding from his armor.<em>

_"How...I dodged it." the soldier growled, clenching his fist_

_"I never fully summoned my lance. I noticed that your evasion spells are based on predetermined movements so I estimated that you would dodge as soon as you saw my lance emerging from the ground so I only partially summoned it to throw your spell off-course, leaving an opening. Adult Elite or not, nobody is untouchable."_

_(**A/N- This is how Slash learned the technique he used way back in Chapter 16)**_

* * *

><p><em>Still having trouble overcoming his defense-minded opponent, Gatrion still flew over them, conjuring an idea of sorts. His opponent continued their iron defense as Gatrion's arms shifted back into Mantis claws. He crossed both claws and climbed back up into the air, the beetle mamodo picked up speed and put tremendous force behind his body. An X-aura formed around Gatrion's body as he slammed into the curled up opponent, however they did not initially budge.<br>_

_Suddenly, the solider began moving back, slowly but surely the soldier was being pushed back further and further to the point the protective shell began to crack. Seizing the opportunity, Gatrion slammed his mantis claw down once more, destroying the shell. The shell quickly came apart and dissipated and the soldier stood on a knee before glaring at Gatrion with eyes mixed with hate and shock.  
><em>

* * *

><p><em>Frustrated at not being able to land a hit, Gansu Genso hovered in the air, letting calm thinking rule the day. "That's it!"<br>_

_Gansu Genso closed his eyes as waves of sparkling blue energy were emitted from his body the waves flowed to the point where they covered the entire arena. He continued to focus as the waves gotten stronger. Suddenly opening his eyes, he charged at the soldier, his body now glowing with red energy. Gansu Genso could not see the soldier's face due to his helmet but knew that he was smirking. _

_Gansu Genso slammed into the soldier with tremendous force, destroying his armor and sending him flying. The soldier groggily returned to his feet and looked up at Gansu Genso. "How..my body didn't turn into vapor."_

_"Keep in mind that my spell power is Energy Fields. So I realized I had to manipulate the energy fields around us by drastically decreasing the air pressure, making your vapor spell ineffective and keeping you solid."_

* * *

><p><em>"Adult or not...I can still win."<br>_

_Burned and more wounded than any of the others, Hori stood up. He wasn't going to falter here, there was no way in hell he was going to let the others be granted elite status and leave him in the dust. Hori's fists glowed with purple flames as he glared at the adule soldier._

_"Give it up kid, you're not elite material." the soldier sneered_

_Instead of discouraging Hori, the soldier's comment made his flame glow brighter and stronger. "No matter how any times you keep kicking me, I will jeep getting up to fight."_

_Hori's entire body was now coated with dark flames as he charged at the soldier. The soldier fired blast after blast from his gun but Hori dodged all of them. The soldier turned up the heat, unleashing much larger and stronger blasts but Hori continued dodging. _

_The adult then pressed a mechanism on his gun, revealing two small side cannons. Blue particles gathered as a large, devastating blast was being formed._

_"You're a pain in the ass and I'm going to make sure you are denied elite status!" The soldier roared_

_"Shut up." Hori said darkly as the flames from his body grew to an alarming size_

_"You're finished!"_

_The soldier unleashed the triple beamed blast. The massive beams consumed everything in their path but Hori did not fret nor falter. In fact he felt his instinct take over as the flames within his core grew hotter than they have ever been before. Hair raised and flames glowing ever so darkly, he felt his suppressed flames reaching a breaking point, aching to be released.  
><em>

_"Haaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Hori roared to the sky as the large flames emitting from his body formed into a dragon. The dragon's head formed followed by it's medieval styled wings stretched out followed by the rest of its body. The dragon unleashed a roar of it's own as it quickly countered the triple beams, destroying them and heading towards the adult soldier. The dragon's flames destroyed the soldier's armor and was on the verge of consuming him but the dragon suddenly dissipated._

* * *

><p><em>"Time's up!"<em>

_The deer mamodo proctor reappeared on the screen. _

_"Congratulations, you all have managed to survive the allotted twenty minutes against an Elite Soldier. You have all also completed the secret objective, which was to break the soldiers' armor and therefore have all been granted Elite Status."  
><em>

_"Secret objective?" _

_"It wouldn't be a secret if I told you about it beforehand. Once again, congratulations on passing through Elite Review. This is the first time in millennia that we have had five mamodo granted elite status. I will even say that this group could possibly be more talented than_ **The Four Heavenly Kings (Pamoon, Belgium EO, Demolt and Tsao-lon)** and perhaps the **Four Mamodo Prodigies (Brago, Zeno, Ashuron and Elzador)**.

_The deer mamodo suddenly stopped his praised as he looked off-screen. His eyes widened in surprise as he quickly turned back to the screen. "It appears that the king is here and he wants a word with you five."_

_Moving away from the screen, King Bell II appeared. By appearance, the king looked to be in his late teens or early twenties judging by his young face and somewhat long blonde hair. Seeing him on-screen made all five of them sick to their stomachs but nonetheless, wanted to hear what he had to say._

_"The five of you are from completely different parts of the Makai. Things like that are the reason we have these events. To showcase the ebst of what our world has to offer."_

_"Why did you let our world go to hell in a hand-basket?!" Hori snarled, though barely able to stand due to all of the burns sending his body into tremendous pain_

_"You watch your mouth!" Hori's opponent from earlier bellowed_

_"It's fine." King Bell II said to the soldier_

_"To answer your question young one, things aren't as easy or as simple as they seem. Please keep in mind that I deeply care about our world and those that live in it."_

_"That's complete bullshit." Gatrion mumbled_

_"As a tradition, the king christens each class that makes it through Elite Review with a name such as The Four Heavenly Kings and The Four Mamodo Prodigies. From this day forth due to the performance and success in completing Elite Review, as Mamodo King of the Makai, I christen you all as **The Talented Five.****"**_

_[End Flashback...] _

"And that is how we got that name. Of course, we don't care to be called anything given to us by Zatch the Appeaser."

"That's cazy on how much you guys went through." Aaron said, amazed

"Perhaps but it only made us stronger."

"So where are Gatrion and Gansu Genso at now?" Meida asked, curious

"Who knows, who cares." Hori said, rolling his eyes

"I'm honestly not sure, but knowing those two, they're still around somewhere." Angie said, getting up form the table

"Now that we're done with story time, we should get going." Hori announced

"We will first thing tomorrow." Meida said, sending out a text to one of the butlers

* * *

><p><em>[Undisclosed location...]<br>_

Felicity sat before the remaining Five Nightmares of The Black Corps, all of them kneeling. Elemento's defeat in addition to encounter with Slash and Hori were reported to her, however she did not seem angry at all only unamused. "It doesn't matter. Elemento was weak anyway and besides, this couldn't have come at a better time."

"What do you mean ma'am?" Venom asked, still kneeling

"Let's just say, I resorted to some outside help." She said, motioning towards the door

A boy at around six feet tall stood there. Horns extended from his very messy blonde hair, his dark green eyes were bloodshot , thick blue lines ran down those bloodshot green eyes yet his face was calm and serene. Interestingly enough, he wore a white overcoat, gray pants, and a blue tank top. Black claw-like nails extended from his fingers but were usually kept in his pocket.

"This is Alam. All you need to know about him is that he is a fighting machine, I won't send him out on the field for now at least. However, if you continue to screw up, I will have no other choice but to coerce him to fight. Instead, he will be staying here as an adviser. Hori defeating Elemento will send a sign of weakness to the other squads and generals and therefore, he needs to be eliminated at all costs, even if I have to step in myself. Your objective is still to also capture Slash alive if at all possible. His revelation power will be a great gift to Blue and remember failure is **not **an option, got it?"

"Yes ma'am!" they shouted as they dispersed

Felicity sat back in her chair, staring out of the window

"I'm just biding my time as everything comes together..." Felicity said to herself, resting her chin on her hands

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- I originally was writing about the various fights before getting to the final round of evaluation but then saw that it would take numerous chapters to portray it and cause plot derailment since it's already known that the Talented Five won their respective tournament brackets. So I cut it out. Meida and Hori in addition to Aaron and Angie are setting out to find Solin for answers. Felicity now wants Hori's head on a platter.**_

_**After not seeing them for about a month, we will be going back to Ishi and Eve in the next chapter so look for that to be some fun. R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	120. Not Ishi's day!

The sun sat on the outer edge of the morning sky as the breeze blew between the numerous Tokyo skyscrapers. In it's eastern suburb away from the skyline, thousands of students were on their morning commute to the local schools. Ishimaru and Eve were no different.

"...and there's a hot tub, LED flat-screen TVs, a bar, and all kind of other stuff in there."

"You know this how?"

"Just from what the seniors told me last year."

"I don't know if I believe all of that but then again, I remember Caleb used to skip class to hang out in the Seniors' Lounge. When I asked, he refused to tell me what was back there, so I guess we'll have to see for ourselves then."

Ishimaru and Eve went through the front gate as they began their senior year at East Tokyo High School. The guys wore their familiar short-sleeved black button down shirts and khaki slacks. While the girls wore black button-down blouses and khaki skirts or the traditional sailor-style uniforms, which were black with gold trim.

As Ishimaru and Eve walked towards the entrance, they could hundreds of eyes staring at them. Some whispering, others not so much.

"Miroashi is back?"

"I heard she barged in at Kamikatsu's trial."

"She must be hooking up with Kamikatsu so she'll get a cut of his money when he goes pro."

"I heard she had a few kids."

"You're crazy! There's no way Kamikatsu would stick around if that happened!"

Ishimaru looked a little uneasy but Eve did not seem affected by the chatter at all. Within a fe minutes, the be rung and after putting their shoes away and trading them for slippers, they found their homeroom in no time. Going into the classroom, they saw Seiku, Kana, Vincent and all of the other usual suspects. Taking their seats, the homeroom teacher started to babble about irrelevant topics.

Ishimaru looked to his right and saw Eve listening to the homeroom teacher and jotting down notes. He looked to his left to see Seiku poking Kana with his pencil. Turning his head towards the back, he saw Vincent already asleep and without an immediate care in the world. Bored, Ishimaru decided he needed someone to entertain him.

"Hey Eve." Ishimaru whispered

Eve ignored him and continued taking notes

"Eve."

Eve continued taking notes, not paying attention to Ishimaru

Ishimaru ripped a sheet of paper out of his notebook, made a ball out of it and clonked Eve in the head with it. Eve still did not respond and continued to take notes, though it seemed as if she was writing harder. Ishimaru ripped out a few more sheets of paper and one after another, continued to throw them at Eve. The paper balls bounced off her head and one even knocked the pencil out of her hand but she simply picked it up and continued writing notes down.

Ishimaru sighed as he gave up but, with quick reflexes thanks to soccer, he suddenly ducked as a _**textbook** _sailed over his head and beaned Seiku. Looking to his right, he saw Eve sitting there continuing to take notes as if nothing had just happened.

"It's going to be a loooong day."

* * *

><p>Chainz and Sundance were left to their own devices and ended up at the local park full of other children not in school for one reason or another. Seeing a crowd of kids running across the park, it piqued their curiosity as to what they were doing exactly.<p>

"What are you guys doing?" Sundance called out to them

A few of the children stopped to look at the newcomers. "There's this bunny rabbit here and we're trying to catch it. Whoever catches it gets to keep it."

The children quickly returned to running so Chainz and Sundance joined in.

Within a minute, Chainz and Sundance were leading the pack, which wasn't much of a feat considering that they were only jogging in an attempt to keep things fair. As they dashed through the grass, Sundance looked back at Chainz.

"This rabbit...may be a mamodo."

"Yeah, I thought about that. There's only one way to find out and that's catching it."

In a nearby tree however, sat a teenaged girl. She sat in the tree and let her legs dangle off the branch, her black boots lightly scraping the bark. She ran her pale white fingers through her long green hair which happened to be tied into a ponytail. She looked down at the running children with her large pale eyes with long, green slits. Piercings dangled throughout her ears and eyebrow. She flicked a leaf off of her tight black leather skirt and rearranged her black tube top. A white cobra logo rested on the back of said tube top.

"You have never been as good as picking up scents as you think Chainz..."

* * *

><p>Chainz and Sundance sped away from the kids and took a sharp turn nearing a row of bushes. Without hesitating, they went through the bushes and pounced on a mound of white fur. After a few seconds of tussling, the rabbit broke free and turned back towards them, fur frazzled and clear blue eyes glowing with rage. The rabbit bared its fangs and hissed at Chainz and Sundance.<p>

"Its human partner could be anywhere and we don[t have ours. It's best to avoid a fight right now." Sundance suggested

"True. I have an idea."

"Hey, rabbit!" Chainz called out

"That's your big idea?!" Sundance exclaimed, his eyes nearly popping out of his head

"Hey, I never said it was a big idea." Chainz shrugged

To their surprise however, the rabbit suddenly sat on its haunches, though still eying Chainz and Sundance suspiciously.

"Wait, so you can understand us?" Sundance asked, surprised

"Poyu Poyu Poy." The rabbit said happily

"Talk about a mood swing."

"I didn't understand anything it said." Chainz said, confused

The rabbit then hopped over towards them and without warning, kicked both Chainz and Sundance, sending them to the ground.

"Hey, what the hell did you do that for?!" Sundance growled

"Poyu Poyu Poy Poy!"

"I can understand him."

"Yeah...me too."

"I get it now, you kicked us so we can understand what you're saying."

"Poyu!"

"Can human understand you or can you at least get them to?"

"Poyu."

"I see, so it only works on mamodo then."

"Poyu."

"What is your name?"

"Poyu Poyu."

"So it's Riley?"

"Poyu Poy! Poyu Poyu Poyu Poyu Poyu!"

"But your human partner calls you Itosagi because he put Itokuzu (Japanese word for fluff or fluffy) and Usagi (Japanese word for rabbit) together?"

"Poyu!"

"Oh.." Sundance said

"Well...we're gonna call you Itosagi anyway."

"Poyu!"

Itosagi lowered its head in shame. Chainz and Sundance however, paid little attention to that.

"Are you a boy rabbit or a girl rabbit?" Chainz asked tactlessly

"Poyu! Poyu Poy!" Itosagi exclaimed angrily

"No, no you don't have to show us! We'll take your word for it that you're a boy." Sundance waved his hands frantically

* * *

><p>"Finally the lunch bell!"<p>

Ishimaru somehow survived his homeroom teacher's four hour lecture about irrelevant subjects and now was the tie he had been waiting for. He quickly got out of his seat, motioned Eve to follow him and the ongoing wave of seniors make their way to the Seniors' Lounge. The deeper they went into hallway however the more the crowd density increased. The flowing stream soon came to a sudden halt and Ishimaru, despite being one of the tallest students at East, could not see what was causing the holdup. He and Eve pushed through the line and found their way to the front. Ace and his goons, all decked out in their West Tokyo uniforms, were blocking the door.

"What the hell are YOU doing here?!" Ishimaru shouted

"I thought West's classes run t the same time as East's." Eve inputted

"They do, however West bends the rules when it comes to athletes." Ace sneered

"Still doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"We're here because we were hired."

"By who?"

"None of your damn business Kamikatsu. That's who. Now if you wanna get to the Seniors' Lounge, pony up ¥3000. (about 30 US dollars)

"Are you out of your damn mind?"

"Like I said, forked up the cash or get lost."

"Why should we have to pay that kind of money just to hang out at our own school?" Eve asked, not pleased

"Ms. Miroashi, I can allow you in for free if you're willing to be my woman." Ace said smiling

Before Eve could answer, Ishimaru grabbed her by the arm and stormed off. Whispers filled the hallway like wildfire.

"Did you guys see that? Ace punked Kamikatsu!"

"Geez, I thought Kamikatsu was going to stand up to Ace and chase him off our campus!"

"How embarrassing! West is never going to let us live this one down."

Ishimaru was beyond furious. How could he let Ace humiliate him on his own turf in front of the entire Senior class? This was turning out to be the worst school day ever.

* * *

><p>"We can stop here for the night."<p>

On the other side of the world, Meida, Hori, Aaron and Angie were on the path to finding Solin. Nearing one of the Tateishi Family's numerous condos, Meida suggested they stay there for the night. Walking inside, the doorman, an older greying gentleman in a bellhop-like uniform.

"Good evening Tateishi-sama, are these your guests?" the American gentleman asked, even bowing in respect

"Yes they are."

"Splendid, I shall direct the elevator to the top floor."

After pressing the button to the penthouse, the elevator glided to the top where they got off. Going inside the penthouse, looked like a palace to Aaron and Angie.

"My God..."

"Make yourselves at home." Meida said, grabbing the remote and switching to the news.

_"Another missing person has turned up with no recollections regarding their disappearance. Authorities say that this the third person in the last week to go missing and to be found with the memories of what happened during their disappearance wiped without a trace and speculate the possibility of there being more."_

Meida turned off the tv screen and looked back at Aaron and Angie

"A mamodo had to have something to do with that."

"We're thinking the same thing."

"We need to keep a mamodo like this off our backs or things could get dangerous fast."

The doorman from earlier sat near the phone at his desk and noted that his shift was over. Walking out the door, he ripped his face off like it was a rubber mask, revealing his true face. His slimy green scales shone in the moonlight and his two yellow orbs with black slits for eyes bulged out of his head. His whip-like tongue slithered from his mouth and released a bit of a hiss.

"Finally I can stop posing as that old fool. My revenge on the Talented Five couldn't have come at a better time."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Ishimaru can't let Ace keep making him look bad. Who is the girl sitting in the tree, is she friend or foe? Psycher from the Talented Five flashbacks has returned and is looking for payback. Will he get it? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	121. Never Again

Fortunately for Ishimaru's sake, the rest of the week went by in a flash. Today was Friday and game day. He arrived at school early to retrieve his football jersey from the athletic complex. It was a gold jersey with a black number six on it and "cavaliers" was embroidered on the front, also in black. A black "ET", were on the side of both sleeves with a saber going through it.

"Ready for the game tonight?" Seiku asked, slapping him on the back and showing off in his jersey labeled with a number 26

"As much as I'll ever be." Ishimaru said rolling his eyes

Ishimaru did not like being around Seiku after the incident a few weeks ago, but for the sake of keeping the peace and the fact that he did not know who Seiku's mamodo partner was, he had to tolerate the goofy blonde.

"Seiku, you will barely get any carries with the way Ken throws the ball." Daisuke piped, his jersey having number 80 on it.

"Rub it in why don't ya. Just because you're the team's best receiver, doesn't mean you're anything special."

"_Slot _receiver." Daisuke corrected him

The buzz around school was also filled with excitement. Many were anticipating the pep rally as well since it meant no afternoon classes. After going through the now routine homeroom mumbo-jumbo, morning classes ended. Ishimaru parted ways with Eve, who went to the library and made his way to the courtyard to get a breath of fresh air and to avoid Seiku and his teammates' antics. He saw Ken tossing the football to himself, as if he was just keeping focus. The sunlight reflected from his gold jersey and all Ishimaru could see was his black number 4. Nonetheless, he called out to the starting quarterback.

"Hey Ken!"

"What's up?"

"Nothing much. I came out to the courtyard, to get some fresh air."

"That's cool. I'm just keeping focus for tonight's game. There are some scouts from Keidai (Keio University) and Kyodai (Kyoto University) who are going to be at tonight's game. They both have already offered scholarships and are just evaluating my progress."

"That's good news. They offered me for soccer, how is your knee if you don't mind me asking?"

"It will be fine but regardless, it won't stop me from beating Oka tech tonight."

"Be careful and good luck tonight." Ishimaru said

"Make sure your leg is rested because you're going to be kicking a lot of extra points." Ken said, with a smirk

Unbeknownst to them, Ace stood around the corner. He was surprisingly not with his cronies ad had skipped out on classes at West again just to snoop on East even though they weren't playing each other until the middle of the season. Ace knew Ken would be a huge threat to West's chances at the city championship and their possibility of keeping The Wooden Katana, a rivalry trophy for the winner of the annual East Tokyo-West Tokyo football game. One side of the katana was painted purple and white, West Tokyo colors and the other side was painted black and gold, East Tokyo colors.

Like the other high schools, West also had a football game today. Ace wore a purple football jersey with white paws on both sleeves, "West Tokyo" was written in white on the front of his jersey. His jersey number was 46, also in white font. He pulled out his cellphone and placed it to his ear.

"Put your captain on the phone. Tell him it's Ace."

Ace waited a few moments before speaking again.

"Yeah, I got a tip for you guys tonight. It's about Tsukino's knee…"

The late morning and lunch period sailed by as it was now time for the pep rally. Students packed into the gym as things got underway. The cheerleaders danced and cheered. The underclassmen and upperclassmen got into shouting matches. The band played and played some more, Coach Yushi said his piece and then named the captain for the game."

"Tonight's captain is the one and only, your starting quarterback. Tsukino Ken!"

The school erupted with applause as Ken came to the center of the court and seized the microphone. He urged the students to show up to the game and support the cavaliers and where there black and gold with pride. After the thunderous applause, everybody filed out of the gym while the football players went to the athletic complex.

The next few hours went as quickly as they came. Cavalier Stadium behind the school was filled to the brink with students, alumni and other spectators. Eve, Chainz and Sundance sat sandwiched between hundreds of other students. Chainz and Sundance were shirtless and covered in gold paint with black letters painted on them. Itosagi crawled up from under the bleacher. He had had a gold bandana wrapped around his neck.

"Who do you think is going to win?" Sundance asked

"Poyu Pyu Poyu Poyu Poy."

"Yes, East is going to cover the spread."

"Poyu Poy Poy."

"No I didn't bet that much money on it."

"Poyu Poyu Poy."

"What do you mean you used your partner's debit card?"

"Poyu Poyu Poyu Poyu."

"What do you mean he won't find out?"

"Poyu Poyu!"

"What do you mean stop repeating everything you say?"

"Poyu Poyu Poy!"

"What do you mean "what do you mean"?

In the lockeroom, everybody sat there fully suited out in full pads. Gold jerseys, plain black pants and black socks, cleats were in assorted combinations of black gold and white. The players held their black helmets with the golden ET logo on both sides with black facemasks.

Numerous assistant coaches stood around the locker room as Coach Yuushi stood at the front.

"Listen up. We have a mission tonight and that's to win. We will not let Okashina Tech get in our way, we all bled and sweated together and now it's time for that work to pay off. We will go out and we will accomplish our gal. Failure is not and I repeat not an option now let's get out there and show them why you don't mess with the Cavaliers!"

"YEEEEEEAAAHHH!"

The entire team got to their feet and strapped their helmets on. Ken stood in the middle as the entire team put their hands in and shouted.

"Bust their ass on three! Bust their ass on three! One..two…three…."

"BUST THEIR ASS!"

The team surged out of the locker room and onto the field.

"And their go your East Tokyo Cavalieeeeeeeeerrrrrsss!" The announcer shouted over the intercom letting the last part roll off his tongue

Oka Tech won the toss and elected to receive. Ishimaru and the kickoff team kicked off the ball to the bulldogs, a team wearing orange helmets, white jerseys and orange pants. The ball sailed behind the endzone, resulting in a touchback and allowing the Bulldogs to start on the twenty yard line. The Cavalier defense made a quick three and out, forcing the Bulldogs to punt. The offense took over at their own thirty yard line. Ken took the offense on the field which consisted of the offensive line, Vincent at tight end, Daisuke at slot receiver, Seiku at halfback and other guys filling the remaining positions. Ken barked signals as he stepped about three yards behind the center and Seiku stood immediately behind Ken, making the pistol formation.

Ken hiked the ball and immediately handed it off to Seiku, who ran through the left side of the offensive line, gaining about four yards.

"Kasumoda Seiku on the run. Gain of four on the play." The announcer said

The game and Oka Tech as a whole was as expected, tough due to the drastic lowering of admissions and the mass transfers. As the game went on, it became more and more obvious that Oka Tech was targeting Ken's knee. Whenever he got pressured, the defender would grab at his knee instead of trying to tackle him and in the few times he ran with the ball, a pileup always formed, many Oka Tech players pulled on his knee or intentionally fell on top of it.

The whistle blew at halftime and the score was tied at 21 apiece. Ken was already in the training room and a student manager was injecting more painkiller into his knee. Ishimaru, watching the carnage on the field, went into the training room and gazing upon the site.

"All right Ken, enough is enough!"

"Fuck off Kamikatsu. You _**know **_I can't lose this opportunity."

"Ken, what you're doing isn't safe."

"Mind your own business." Ken snarled as the student trainer already discarded the syringe and left out the room and the quarterback followed suit.

Coach Yuushi acknowledged the ongoing performance. Some good and some bad but encouraged the team to keep on fighting.

East received the ball at the half and was starting on their own twenty yard line. Ken called the play in the huddle as the offense lined up. Ken barked signals as the center hiked the ball. Ken dropped back to pass, he saw nobody open and took off with the ball. He crossed the line of scrimmage and dodged the incoming defender. Ken picked up speed and dodged two more defenders, he cut back and crossed field. He continued running and crossed the fifty, the crowd was on its feet. The cheering getting louder, Ken knew the scouts were watching and filling up with giddiness. He had to keep running, he had to break free of these last defenders and he would score. He was showing everybody why he was the top quarterback in Japan, why he had scholarship offers from every school in the country and some from schools in America. Why he was the projected #1 overall pick for the X-League. The bulldogs' strong safety was in front of his path and charging at him like a bull.

"_Crack!"_

That was the sound of the safety taking down Ken among other things. The play ended up being a forty yard quarterback keeper. Ken was slow to get up, the crowd silence was deafening but he sat up and saw the trainers rushing towards him. Ken pushed off the ground got on his feet but his knee instantly gave out, sending him crashing into the ground. The trainers finally reach him and take a look at his knee and to Ken's horror; it looked as if it was hanging there by only a few tendons. The skin wasn't broken nor was he bleeding but just looking at his leg would make one wonder whether or it needed to be amputated.

The trainers quickly motion to the sideline as some paramedics attending the game brought out a stretcher and placed Ken on it. He held a thumbs up which lead to a crowd roar, he looked towards the sidelines full of his teammates. Disappointment, worry and hurt all filled their eyes as they looked onward. He couldn't look Ishimaru in the eye, he had warned him. He had warned him many times about this and was genuinely worried about him. He felt horrible for yelling at Ishimaru and knew he had to make it up to him later.

The paramedics put Ken into the ambulance, strapped him up and drove off to the hospital. "Kamikatsu!" coach Yuushi called out

"Go to quarterback. "

"Coach, you know I can't run this offense like Ken." Ishimaru protested

"Nobody is saying you have to be Ken. Remember when I told you during two-a-days that you had to always be prepared? This is what I was talking about. Remember your first game on varsity in soccer?"

"Yeah coach, I was a freshman and I was scared out of my mind."

"Take command of this football field like you do in soccer. Your team needs you tonight, they are going to look to you like everybody looks to you on the soccer field."

"Yes sir."

"Going in at quarterback is number six, Kamikatsu Ishimaru."

The crowd clapped and whistled.

"Come on Kamikatsu!"

"You can do this!"

"Ishi's going in at quarterback." Sundance said in awe

Eve stopped fiddling with her cellphone and looked at the game.

Ishimaru jogged to the huddle. The other guys looked at him with uncertainty, but Ishimaru knew he had to take control of this field and team. "Why the long faces? We have ourselves a game to win. Toss to the right on two. Toss to the right on two. Break!"

The offense lined up as Ishimaru stood three yards behind the center and Seiku stood behind him in the pistol formation. Ishimaru barked signals and hiked the ball. He tossed it to Seiku, who cut up the field for a few yards before being tackled.

"Kasumoda Seiku on the run, gain of four on the play."

Ishimaru signaled the team to get to the line of scrimmage, indicating he wanted to run the same play. Ishimaru barked signals and hiked the ball, tossing it to Seiku. The blonde gained a few more yards before being dragged down.

"Kasumoda Seiku on the run, gain of three on the play."

Gaining confidence, Ishimaru already knew what he wanted to run on this play. "Guys, we're going to sweep but this time to the left. I'm going to keep the ball."

"Oka Tech already knows what we're doing." Vincent rebutted

"I got this one. Just block like normal."

"Fine."

Ishimaru got to the line of scrimmage, he glanced at the crowd and saw Eve. He saw Chainz and Sundance as well and smirked. He quickly turned his attention back to the line of scrimmage, he barked signals and hiked the ball. He dashed to the left side of the line, everybody picked up their blocks. A linebacker came charging towards Ishimaru but Seiku jumped in front of him and took the hit, leaving Ishimaru free off the edge. Ishimaru tucked the ball and took off down the field. Daisuke blocked an incoming cornerback and Ishimaru broke completely free.

The crowd got loud with cheers and screams as Ishimaru had only one defender standing between him and a 45 yard touchdown run. He placed his forearm out and ran him over, barreling into the endzone for a touchdown.

"Touchdown Cavaliers!"

Ishimaru was met with the entire offense in the endzone, jumping and celebrating. On the sidelines, he was met with more pats and cheers. People in the crowd were yelling praise, all of Ishimaru's anxiety and lack of confidence, vanished. The defense, completely fired up, began delivering grushing hits.

Back on offense, Ishimaru hiked the ball, faked the handoff to Seiku. He dropped back to pass and found Daisuke on a slant route, who ran it in for a touchdown.

On another drive, Ishimaru ended up kicking a thirty-six yard field goal and the game ended sometime after.

"The final score, The Okashina Tech Bulldogs 21, your East Tokyo Cavaliers 38!"

Back in the locker room, everybody whooped, cheered and danced around. Coach Yuushi called everybody together.

"Hell of a job tonight. Way to fight through adversity and get the win. Now, to hand out the game ball. There is a certain someone this all would not have been possible without. Kamikatsu Ishimaru!"

The team erupted into applause as Coach Yuushi tossed Ishimaru the game ball. He couldn't help but smile, the rest of the team continued getting undressed and into the shower. Ishimaru went to Coach Yuushi's office instead.

"Coach, what about Ken's knee?"

"Ken has been hiding the fact that he sprained his MCL a little while ago and instead of getting proper treatment for something that would have been healed in about two weeks, he and a student trainer have been shooting up on illegal painkillers and now his knee ligaments have been completely deteriorated. He MIGHT not be able to play football again plus his drug use is a serious violation in and will cost him his season regardless."

"Oh...what about his scholarships?"

"Ken's injury is already a liability and the fact that he chose to cover it instead has brought his integrity into question. This concerns the scouts and many of his offers are likely going to be pulled...the X-League is also out of the question for the time being too."

"...if only I would have told somebody then-"

"Ishimaru, this wasn't your fault. Ken has nobody to blame but himself."

[_Flashback...Chapter 115]_

_"Kamikatsu, you know what it's like when you have a lot riding on how well you perform. If my knee breaks down then that will scare the national colleges, the X-League and definitely the American colleges away."_

_"I obviously understand your situation but I still never fully relied on painkillers."_

_"Quick question Kamikatsu, have you told the recruiters about your missing eye yet?"_

_Ishimaru was silent. He had gathered the team together, many of whom played on the soccer team with him about his lost eye situation after Seiku confronted him on it a few days prior. As expected, the entire team rallied around him and still had high expectations._

_"As I thought. You have no right to judge me for my decision." Ken said, detecting Ishimaru's answer from his silence._

_"...you're right. Our situations are a lot more similar than I thought." Ishimaru said, as he turned and left the training room without getting his ice pack as he originally intended_

_[End Flashback...]_

"Coach. I want to tell the scouts about my missing eye."

"Ishimaru, no matter what happens, I am proud of you for doing the right thing."

"Thank you coach but I'm going to wait until after football is done with. I don't want it to become much of a distraction."

"Do whatever you think is best."

"Alright."

Ishimaru left the office. He went back to his locker where he took off his remaining pads and wrapped a towel around his body. He saw Seiku and some of the other guys surrounding him.

"Ishi, I'm having a party at my house in a bit. Swing by."

"Maybe." he said before getting into the shower

After his shower, Ishimaru came back to an empty locker room. Enjoying the silence, he quietly got dressed and slipped on his black and gold East Tokyo Letterman jacket. The cool autumn breeze made it perfectly acceptable to start wearing it. Going outside, he saw Chainz, Sundance and Eve waiting for him.

"Good job tonight!" Sundance piped happily

"What can I say, I'm a badass."

"And humble too." Eve added in

"Anyway, Seiku is having this party at his place right now and I was seeing if you wanted to go." Ishimaru asked

"Just because you won a silly football game doesn't mean I have to go on a date with you."

"Well you apparently want it to be a date because those words never came out of my mouth."

"Shut up. I'm not much of a party person anyway."

"It'll only be a few people."

After dropping off Chainz and Sundance at his house, Ishimaru and Eve left to go to Seiku's party, which was eight blocks away. Finally making it to his front door, Ishimaru and Eve heard the loud music blaring from the house. Going inside, the house was _packed _with seemingly everybody from East and people from other schools.

"I thought you said it was only supposed to be a few people."

"That's what I assumed since he made it last minute and even said that a few people were getting together."

"Ishi...what we think is a few and what Seiku thinks is a few ARE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT FEW'S!"

"Damn, you don't have to yell." Ishimaru said, twisting his finger in his ear

Going deeper inside the house, people began noticing both Ishimaru and Eve. The music was lowered as the entire house gave him a standing ovation. Seiku came out of the crowd and brought Ishimaru and Eve to the living room where Daisuke and a few other football players and other girls were.

"Whaddya think?" Seiku said, extending his arms across the room

"I thought this was only supposed to be for a few of us." Ishimaru said, looking around

"It was, but you know how fast word spreads about my parties." Seiku said with a laugh.

"By the way, I got a few kegs in the kitchen and in the backyard. Help yourselves."

Ishimaru got up and began walking towards the kitchen but turned back towards Eve. "Do you want anything?"

Eve's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh...um...some beer will be fine"

"Alright."

Ishimaru grabbed two red solo cups and filled them up with the amber liquid. He came back and handed the cup to Eve, bbefore they could drink, the music was cut again. Seiku stood on top of a table, shot glass in hand.

"I would like to give a toast to the East Tokyo Cavaliers for kicking as tonight. I got a few carries with the rock but most importantly to our new starting quarterback who also happens to be our kicker and punter, Kamikatsu Ishimaru."

Everybody began clapping and cheering.

"To Kamikatsu!"

"TO KAMIKATSU!" the room shouted in unison as they began drinking

Ishimaru and Eve looked at each other, smirled and hit cups as they joined in the festivities. Before Ishi knew it, he had drank over half the keg by himself. Which made things even more enjoyable. Their joy however was cut short when one of the guys at the party, a reserve player, was shoved to the ground. The music stopped again as Ace and his cronies, all decked out in their purple and white letter jackets.

"Hey there East tards." he sneered

Ishimaru was still irritated from Ace and had been drinking. Though against the party at first, he had began to really enjoy himself and Eve had been actually less annoying to be around. There was no way he was going to let Ace or any goon from West Tokyo ruin this.

"Get out of here Hiroto." Seiku snarled

"Only chicks call me by my first name. It's _A_ce _to_ you."

"More like Hiro-chan." A drunk Ishimaru mocked, as he came to the side of the other East football players

"What did you call me Kamikatsu?" Ace hissed

"Y-you heeeard me Hiro-chan."

"You son of a bitch!"

Ace charged at Ishimaru, only for him to sidestep the raging bishonen. Ace turned around and charged as Ishi again, throwing punch after punch at Ishimaru and missing all of them due to Ishi's drunken stumbling becoming a form of dodging. Nearing the door, Ishimaru opened it as Ace, too angry to assess the situation, tripped over Ishimaru's foot and out the door. His cronies quickly followed him as well before Seiku came over and slammed the door shut.

Everybody cheered as the party went back to normal. Ishimaru began living it up, drunkenly dancing on the dancefloor, chugging more beer, taking shots. Eve, who had sipped on the same cup the entire night, had seen enough.

"Ishi, it's time to go." she said, grabbing him by the arm

"Lighten up and stop being a square." Ishi said, almost falling over

"I don't need to." she said, flinging his arm over her shoulder and walking him down the street.

"Lemme go I can wal maself hom." Ishi mumbled

"No. Don't make me pull your ear like I pull Sundance's."

Ishimaru quickly shut up.

Eve continued hauling Ishi the eight blocks up the street until they reached his house. Going inside and closing the door behind her with her foot, she vetoed the idea of carrying him up the stairs mainly due to the fact that he was 180 pounds (81kg) and therefore she couldn't lift him. Eve plopped him on the couch before passing out herself. She was never going to a party with Ishimaru again.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Longest chapter I've written in quite some time. I didn't expect the IshiEve drabble to be this long but oh well, this will be the last we see of them for quite some time. Next chapter is when we get serious again. **_


	122. Psycher returns! Hori, a marked target!

For Meida, Aaron and their mamodo, every early morning meant for time to search for Solin and ultimately solving the mystery as to whether or not her father was still alive and the circumstances of his alleged accident. Meida casually drove down the road in one of her many vehicles, in this case a luxury car that was roomy enough for the four of them. Her hand glided to the tuner and flipped through the channels until landing on one she was satisfied with.

"Might as well check the news. See if there's anything new." She said in a low tone as she continued focusing on the road

"_The hunt for a missing rest stop attendant continues. Johan McDavies, a local rest stop attendant, was last seen outside the rest stop he tends to on Highway 23.7. ..."_

Meida turned the volume down and looked at Aaron. "We're on Highway 23.7 and the rest stop is only a mile or so up ahead. This could be the work of a mamodo."

"You could be right. Only one way to find out."

Meida sped the car ahead and made a quick beeline for the rest area. Pulling up into a parking space, she noticed that nobody else was around. Arming themselves with their partner's spellbooks, Aaron and Meida got out of the car followed by their mamodo. They investigated the area, starting with the office and the bathrooms and the picnic area. They set their sights behind the buildings and under or near other structures as well. Just as they were about to give up, they a loud scratch. Quickly finding the area from which the noise came, they saw a figure up ahead in the wooded area. They quickly found themselves rushing towards said figure. Getting closer, it appeared to be a middle-aged man with graying hair, equally graying bushy sideburns in addition to a red trucking cap planting squarely on his head. the older man's tan skin and grey eyes coincided with his dingy blue overalls.

"State your name!" Meida shouted as she ventured deeper in

"Jo...Johan. Johan McDavies." He said

"So you're the missing rest stop attendant then."

"I supposed that would be correct."

"Where have you been? If you were simply in the wooded area, how come nobody has found you yet?"

"Well, you almost didn't check this area yourself." Johan replied, earning a glare from Meida

"Anyway, I was attacked."

"By who?"

"I don't know, it looked like a lizard man. A real strange critter, like nothing I ever seen before. I was tending to my usual duties when without warning, it attacked real fast-like and knocked me out cold."

"I see. Well, let's get you back into town and alert the authorities." Aaron said, helping the older man up

As they were walking back to the car, Johan's old, tired face quickly shifted into that of a smirk. A thick, scaly green tail emerged out of the back of his overalls and extended in length until it touched upon the ground. He moved his hands towards his face and began ripping it off like a thin mask made of cheap latex or spandex. A scaly, green face appeared and two yellow orbs for eyes in addition to black slits replaced the stormy gray ones.

Just as "Johan" whipped his tail forward, it was caught by Hori's bare hand without him even turning around. Still tightly gripping "Johan"'s tail, Hori tossed him forward, but he flipped and landed on his feet.

"You have walked right into my trap." Psycher hissed, fully revealing his identity

"So it's you..." Hori said

Angie also removed her katana from her sheath, ready to dice Psycher into pieces, but Hori stopped her. "I don't need your help with this clown."

"Fine." she said, returning her katana

"What do you want with us?" Meida asked, spell book opened and ready

"You humiliated me at Elite Review all of those years ago and you also happen to be causing problems for The Black Corps."

"Your point?"

"As one of **The Six Nightmares of The Black Corps**, I will make you pay." Psycher hissed, revealing the black ring branded on his tail.

He whipped his tail forward with blazing speed and Hori caught it with his bare hands. Psycher lifted his tail into the air with Hori still attached to it but the white haired boy pulled back with tremendous force, landing on his feet. Tossing Psycher forward, the humanoid lizard mamodo flipped and slung his tail at Hori once again. Hori however, teleported and reappear in midair, this time in front of Psycher. He swung his fist, hitting him in the jaw and knocking him down.

"Damn you." Psycher hissed, a purple trail of blood dripping down from his mouth

"Keep your eyes peeled Meida. His human partner could be anywhere."

"I came and usually operate alone. I won't make that mistake next time."

"There won't be a next time as far as I'm concerned." Hori said, glancing at Meida, signifying that he wanted to use a spell

"If I were you, I would be more worried about finding that old geezer."

"What did you do with him?" Meida demanded

"I tied him up and left him in the building."

"What? We just-"

"Time's running out. I'm not sure how much air he has left." Psycher said, flickering his thin tongue.

"Why you-"

Psycher disappeared in a puff of smoke. He was surely going to be a future problem.

* * *

><p>Going back inside, Meida and the others searched the office for any sign of the man. Like before, it was again to no avail. Aaron however, had another idea. "Angie, can you hear any faint sounds? Like a muffle or something?"<p>

"What are you getting at?"

"I just had thoughts that if what Psycher said is true and he is in fact in this building, then he surey must be hidden somewhere like in a wall or above the ceiling tiles."

"I'll try."

Angie closed her eyes and sat down Indian-style. She closed her eyes and focused, going into a sense of meditation. After a few moments, her eyes shot open as she stood back up.

"This way...quickly."

They hurried down a corridor and made a sharp right. Angie stopped before a brick wall towards the building's entrance. Angie removed her katana, closing her eyes once more.

"May this cut be swift, precise and graceful."

With three slashes, the brick wall sliced apart like butter, revealing a tied up and unconscious older gentleman. His appearance matched Psycher's disguise from earlier. Angie sliced the rope, freeing the man. After a minute or so, the man's eyes fluttered open, his eyes darted around his surroundings and back down his body.

"Thank you...I didn't think I was ever gonna get out of that dadgum wall."

"What exactly happened?"

"I was tendin' to business as normal when that lizard feller came and started screamin' his ugly head off 'bout stealing my face. Just as I tried to shot the bastard, he swung his tail and I was out cold. COLD I tell ya'!"

"We need t get you back into town and tell the authorities what happened here." Meida said, as she and Aaron helped Johan get to his feet.

* * *

><p>Hundreds of miles away, Celandor walked through the quiet forest. He slowly continued his pace, not even turning his head to look back. A long trail of dead trees and plants lie in his wake. Every step he took, the surrounding area went from lush green to broken and greyed or brown. The elf-like mamodo saw a nearby wildflower. The flower glowed an elegant indigo in the evening sky and Celandor immediately knew it was rare.<p>

He rushed over to it and reached for the flower but quickly pulled his hand back before touching it. He admired and stared at the flower in awe of it's beauty and envious of it's peaceful swaying.

"You don't have a care in the world...all you have to do is dance in the wind and look pretty. I...I...I don't have that opportunity."

Celandor sat and gazed at the flower for what seemed like hours, not being able to contain himself, he reached out and picked the flower. Bringing it to his nose in an attempt to whiff its rare fragrance but before it could reach his nostrils, the flower immediately wilted and crumbled. Tears instantly filled Celandor's eyes, he couldn't even pick up a flower and learn its smell. He couldn't touch anything to feel its texture. It was too much to bear, he fell to his knees as the tears flowed.

"YAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" Celandor screamed and yelled in agony, slamming his fists into the ground. Everything around Celandor began dying and wilting at an even faster rate. Noticing his surroundings, Cleandor quickly slammed his hand into his forehead. He drew in a few deep breaths before standing up, as if he took back control over himself. Celandor's once pale green eyes were now a glowing blood red, a smirk plastered on his face. Without saying a word, he continued venturing into the forest until he found his usual hollow tree and sat inside of it. To his delight, this tree did not wilt or die because it was already dead when he came across it.

Celandor's eyes were the only things one could see in the now dark forest.

* * *

><p><em>"Johan McDavies has been found safe and unharmed thanks to Tateishi Meida snf s group of unknown companions, CEO of the famous Japanese conglomerate, the Tateishi Zaibatsu. The young heiress recently turned CEO..."<em>

Meida cut the car radio off. After returning Johan, the media swarmed her like piranhas and she answered every question they also figured that it would be good PR for the zaibatsu as well.

"Unknown companions...man screw the media." Aaron said, crossing his arms. He surely thought he'd at least get a mention by name but of course the cameras were more focused on the former heiress.

"It's not all it's cracked up to be..." Meida said, still driving

"Easy for you to say, you're on TV all the time...anyway, where to next?"

"Not sure. I was just going to drive until we come across the next town."

"Oh great, who knows how long that'll take." Aaron said, slumping back into his seat

Unbeknownst to them, they were being tailed. Roku and a young boy stood a distance away from them on the side of the road. The boy he was with had short, wild purple hair. His big green eyes were as notable as his tan skin with various markings tattooed all over his body. His furry sleeveless brown shirt further signified his semi-feral background. However, he did wear khaki cargo shorts but no shoes. Aside from the banded markings on his arms and legs, he had a black ring tattooed around his wrist.

"Psycher had them practically in the bag and he blew it because he was too arrogant to bring his partner along." Roku said with disgust

"It's only a matter of time before they meet The Legion of Boom." the boy said, laughing at his pun

"Izzo, those puns weren't funny the first time you said it...six months ago."

"What's wrong? Too many crabby acids in your diet?" Izzo asked, rubbing Roku's toned belly and almost getting a punch in return.

"Stop with the damn puns...anyway, since we can't wait on that dune Psycher to take down Hori, then it's now our job instead."

_**A/N- This stuff is going to pick up even faster as we go along. The remaining Nightmares of the Black Corp are all after Hori. Not only Psycher but Izzo and Roku as well. R&R folks!**_


	123. Enter Gansu Genso and Omar!

Meida had been driving across the coast for the last day or so and decided to stop at the family condo off the Carolina Coast. She pulled into the city and began driving around, trying to follow the directions.

"Meida, do you even know where you're going?" Hori asked, rolling his eyes

"All I have to do is follow my navigator and we'll be there in no time." she replied

Driving around the city for the next hour, Meida had no idea where she was going. Even with the navigator, she was clueless and after a while, everybody took notice and quickly grew tired of it.

"Just how long has it been since you even been here?" Aaron retorted

"Not long...just a little over ten years." Meida said with a slight chuckle

"You can't be serious."

Before Meida could offer a rebuttal, a loud bang rattled off of the hood of her car. Stopping the vehicle, she looked up and saw Izzo sitting there, the surrounding area of the car, cracked and damaged. On the passenger side of the car, was a young man not too much older than herself. His short snow white hair stood straight up, almost as if it was spiky in a unique sort of way. His eyes couldn't be seen due to his red , artsy-styled goggles. His pale skin contrasted with his black sweatshirt, rolled up at the sleeves. His dark blue skinny jeans and black Toms evened out his whole look. In his hand however, was a peach spell book.

Reacting quickly, Meida and Hori quickly jumped out of the car. Meida flipped opened the spell book and jumpd back.

_"Nekoruga!"_

Hori released a beam of purple flame from his hand, knocking Izzo back. Izzo however, stood his ground and stretched out his arms. Izzo's partner finally opened the spell book as the peach-colored light began glowing from it.

_"Doublo Rogar!"_

Izzo's hands detached from his body and came at Hori, who side stepped them as they landed on Meida's car. The hands gripped the side mirror on both sides. Seeing this, Aaron and Angie quickly got out of the vehicle as it exploded in a massive burst of flames. Being in close proximity to the explosion, the force and pressure sent both Meida and Hori flying. Angie and Aaron as well but in the opposite direction.

Hori could not gain control of himself in midair and crashed into the ground, rolling a few feet before stopping. Meida felt herself free falling and braced herself for impact, seeing as how Hori could not teleport and catch her. The girl however, did not hit the ground. In fact, she felt herself stop in midair. Meida quickly looked up to see who was responsible for keeping her from hitting the street. A clown mamodo's pale white face, cherry-like red nose, a tuft of swirly blond hair, dull blue eyes and a spiky magenta crown stared back at her.

Meida was gently lowered to the ground as she fully turned around. "Thank you." she said, bowing

"No problem. Hori wouldn't be able to use his spells without you." the clown mamodo said

"You know Hori...wait! Are you-"

"Gansu Genso!"

Meida and Gansu Genso turned around towards the owner of the voice. A boy in his early twenties came upon the scene. His dark brown skin indicated that he was a black male. His fade haircut and double studs in his left ear made his look fairly unique. His black tank top showed off and complimented his fairly athletic build and his black basketball shorts with white stripes on both sides in addition to the fact he was wearing white nikes with the signature black checks on both sides complimented his color coordinated outfit. In his hand was a magenta spellbook.

"What's up?"

"You move too damn fast. Anyway, we gotta deal with these clowns first."

"Hey!"

"No offense."

Gansu Genso and his partner turned towards Izzo and his partner, who had simply stood there watching the result of their work.

"Look David, we have some new challengers and to think I had been _**dying** _to meet Hori and his partner."

"Omar, let's do this." Gansu Genso said to his partner

"Right."

* * *

><p>"<em>Doublo Rogar!"<em>

Izzo's hands clenched into fists and detached once more, making a straight shot towards Gansu Genso. Omar and Gansu Genso however, were not fazed by this and held their ground. Omar calmly opened the magenta spell book and held his head high in confidence.

_"Vitalruk!"_

Gansu Genso roared as a thin red aura coated his tiny body. The fists came near him and he quickly crossed his arms in front of his face as a defense. The fists exploded on impact, making a large cloud of smoke. The smoke cleared however and Gansu Genso still floated in midair, still glowing.

"Omar, open the next gate!"

"_Deux Vitalruk!"_

Gansu Genso unleashed another roar as the red aura emitting from his body shifted in an orange one. The aura grew brighter and slightly thicker, in a flash, Gansu Genso slammed his body into Izzo, knocking him back. Gansu Genso unleashed a quick combo of punches and kicks, battering Izzo's body menacingly. Izzo tried to resist Gansu Genso's assault by unleashing a combo of his own but that chance was denied by Gansu Genso's quick thinking. With a blow to the stomach, Izzo was pushed back into David, sending them both tumbling on the ground.

"Damn it. Let's fall back." David grunted, revealing a strange orb. He tossed it at Gansu Genso and Omar, sending up a cloud of lavender smoke. Gansu Genso coughed and waved the surprisingly thin gas away. When the hazy clouds cleared up, both David and Izzo were nowhere to be seen, causing him to let his guard down.

Gansu Genso's body stopped glowing and Omar closed his spell book, turning his attention back to Meida. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks again."

"Not a problem. My name is Omar Johnson."

"My name is Tateishi Meida."

"Yeah, I saw you on TV the other day about that missing dude from the rest stop. I have a question for you though, you seemed to recognize my partner, how did you know Gansu Genso?"

Meida, a little surprised by Omar's question, looked towards her left side and saw Hori coming to and getting on his feet. He saw Gansu Genso and immediately scowled before turning back to Meida. "She knows who he is because of what me and Angie told her."

"Angie's here too?!" Gansu Genso exclaimed, hovering towards Hori

"Unfortunately-"

"Hey guys!"

Hori was cut off by a shout from Aaron alongside Angie, who were finally coming towards them.

"Angie, it's a been a while."

"Same could be said to you." she said as they bowed to each other as a sign of respect

"Anyway, what brings you guys to this area?" Gansu Genso asked

"It's not really any of your-" Hori started to say before being cut off by Meida

"We are looking for a mamodo named Solin. We received word he was here in the US but not much else."

"Why do you need to find him if you don't mind me asking?"

Meida explained to Gansu Genso and Omar about what exactly happened to her father, becoming CEO of her now inherited company and the discovery of her father's capsized yacht. She then explains on how she was looking for her family's condo but was unaware of it's location due to not being here in over a decade.

"I'm sorry about your dad but the least we can do is show you all around the city and point you in the direction of your condo." Omar suggested

"Sounds cool to me." Aaron said

"That'll be great." Meida also inputted

"I don't need you to show me around. Hell, I didn't need you butting in earlier." Hori growled

"Hey, you were on a one-way path to a burnt book if it I hadn't stepped in." Gansu Genso shot back

"Whatever."

Omar tooked the group on a tour of the city's shorelines, stores and numerous other tourist attractions where everybody had a nice time and it was already the mid-afternoon by the time things settled down a bit.

"Where are we headed to now?" Meida asked

"My job." Omar said, as they continued down the sidewalk

The soon came across a fairly large building. Going inside, their was a young woman at the receptionist counter who immediately smiled at Omar and his newfound guests.

"Hi Tracey, they're with me."

"Alright."

They were then lead into a large gymnasium packed with dozens of children running around and playing.

"I'm a youth coordinator. I run multiple after school programs, mentor the kids and coach some of the sports teams."

"You really like kids." Angie said

"Yeah, I want to help out as much I can, give back to the community."

"Hori, why don't you go play with the other kids?" Meida suggested, gently pushing the white haired boy

"What? Why? Keep in mind that we're looking for Solin plus those Black Corps guys might still be lurking nearby."

"You don't interact with kids around your age too often. This is a good opportunity for you, don't worry about the other stuff right now."

* * *

><p>Hori cursed under his breath as he sat on a nearby bench while the other kids played a game that appeared to be tag. However, he noticed that the children were running and staying at a specific spot on the court. It then dawned on him that they were playing hide-n-go-seek. He noticed the group of kids grow and grow until a timid boy, easily the smallest out of the group came stumbling towards them and tripped over his foot, causing the others to burst into laughter.<p>

"You lose again Danny! You're going to be it until you catch somebody."

"It's not fair, I'm always it. Why can't somebody else start off."

"Because Danny, every time somebody else is it, you're the first one that gets caught because you're also the slowest."

Danny sighed as the kids went to go hide all throughout the youth center and some areas outside. This made Hori grimace in disgust, however he did not say anything. He continue to watch Danny try and fail to catch any of the others. When everybody made it back to base scot-free, Hori had seen enough. Tired of Danny's ineptitude, he found himself striding over to them.

"I'm playing now."

"Fine, but you'll have to be it with Danny. You have to count to a hundred." the same boy who berated Danny earlier said

"Alright then. Go hide." Hori said coolly

The other kids scattered as Danny covered his eyes and began to count. Before he reached one hundred, Hori stopped him.

"They've had more than enough time to hide."

"But we didn't finish-"

"It doesn't matter."

Danny and Hori continued looking around. Hori got a good look at Danny's appearance. He was a plain boy, his messy brown hair and tan skin with gray eyes didn't make it stand out from any other human kid in Hori's opinion. His striped blue and white shirt and blue jeans with white sneakers made him even more ordinary which caused Hori to almost dismiss him completely. To Hori, this game was so easy, it wasn't fun. Thanks to his keen eyesight and sensory abilities, he knew exactly where every kid was hiding and could catch all of them in a flash but at the same time, he didn't want to. It was almost as if he was rooting for Danny to do it on his own.

"Alright, so where should we look?" Hori asked, feigning ignorance

"Fro what I noticed, the kids pick the same pattern of hiding spots each time."

"They do that because they don't respect you or your ability to catch them." Hori replied to which Danny nodded

"I know. It's not like I'm fast enough or athletic enough to catch them."

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself. What is something you're good at?"

"I can read better than everybody in my class and I have the best grades too."

"Then why don't you just outsmart them?" Hori suggested slyly

"I...I...I never thought about that."

"Right. So tell me about each kid and how you would catch them."

"Well..."

Hori and Danny sat down and chatted for a moment. Danny explained each kid's preference for hideouts in correlation to how fast they ran. Within the span of ten minutes, Danny caught each and every kid, making him the winner of the game. As a result, the game ended and it was about time to go home.  
>Heading back towards Meida and the others, Hori felt a tap on his shoulder, turning around, he saw that it was Danny.<p>

"Thank you so much Hori. There's no way I would have caught them all without you."

"Why are you thanking me when I didn't help you do anything. You outsmarted those kids, I just stood there and watched."

Danny was taken aback by this for a moment but then smiled instead. "To be honest with you, I almost didn't come to the center today because I was tired of the kids picking on me but thanks to you, I see that I have a gift that I shouldn't waste."

Hori simply grunted in response and crossed his arms. Why did he reach out to such a weak, hopeless kid?

_"I saw myself in that kid..." he thought to himself_

_[Flashback...9 years ago.]_

_Hori stood in the middle of a large circle of children. He drew in his breath and opened his palm, only releasing a quick and weak flash of purple flame before falling over, causing the entire area to erupt into laughter._

_"Hori you're terrible."_

_"You suck."_

_"What a baby."_

_"That's the fourth time this week he failed at a simple Nekoru spell."_

_Hori felt salty tears sting his eyes as he quickly sprang up. A wave of hurt and humiliation, materialized into fury and determination as his body engulfed itself in a purple flame aura. The heat and intensity of the flames caused everybody to keep their distance as Hori unleashed a massive beam of fire, scorching everything in it's path. The aura quickly died out as Hori fell back down on a knee. Looking around himself, were the onlookers staring in awe ad shock._

_[End Flashback...]_

_"That was the spark that lead me to realizing that I had a gift...maybe today was the spark that kid needed."_

While Hori was lost in his thoughts, Meida, Aaron and Angie were still in conversation with Omar.

"Omar, we want you and Gansu Genso to join us on our quest to find Solin." Aaron declared

"It sounds like fun, it really does but I'm gonna have to decline. I can't leave the center behind."

"I see." Aaron said, disappointed

* * *

><p>A few yards away from outside the center, Roku and Izzo, along with their human partners sat on a hill. "So he's the one." Roku asked, referring to Gansu Genso<p>

"Yeah, that's him." Izzo said with disdain

"Since you're too much of an incompetent oaf. I'll take care of this." Roku said, standing up

"He may be small, but that guy's pretty tough." Izzo remarked

"You weren't aggressive enough and you had to fall back. I know how to get to them." Roku said

"Fine then, you're on your own. This isn't what Felicity ordered us to do, dealing with him now is only going to hurt us in the end, let's just go with my plan and wait until later to confront him." Izzo declared

"I don't care what she said. You made The Six Nightmares look weak, so I'm going to show you how it's done." Roku said

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the directions Omar." Meida said<p>

"Dude, I really wish you would change your mind." Aaron said, still dissapointed

"Thanks for the hospitality." Angie said

"No problem guys. We will help you guys whenever necessary."

Omar and Gansu Genso had walked with them to the limo Meida called due to the previous car being destroyed by Izzo. Omar and Gansu Genso waved as they parted ways. Unnoticed by everyone else, Hori looked back at the youth center with a grim look.

As Omar and Gansu Genso were nearing the center, a large explosion rocked the place, sending them stumbling backwards. "What the fuck was that?!" he shouted, getting up

"Everybody already gone home so thankfully nobody got hurt." Gansu Genso noted as they went inside

Small fires were scattered throughout the area, smoke was emitted from the area as Gansu Genso and Omar ventured deeper inside. They inspected the area for the potential assailant when a small cry could be faintly heard.

"Help!"

"Help!"

"I recognize that voice...DANNY!"

Omar ran towards the gymnasium locker room with Gansu Genso flying alongside him. The entire area was damaged. Fallen lockers were everywhere, mountains of bricks obstructed any sensible path and vine-like live wires crackled with blue electricity. He could see Danny however, surrounded by buring debris with no immediate means of escape.

"Don't worry Danny, we'll find a way around." Omar called out to him

Getting to the alternate locker room entrance meant that they would have to go through the gymnasium first. Going inside the gym, Omar noted that it surprisingly had only minimal damage to it. Going inside, he and Gansu Genso saw the alternate exit and began making their way towards there but an explosion went off on their right side, knocking Omar off his feet and into the hardwood floor. Getting up, he saw Roku and his partner Francis standing in front of them.

"You did this?"

"Yep."

"You bastards are gonna pay!" Omar snarled

"Omar, how are we going to get to Danny and keep these guys at bay?"

"I don't know, we're going to have to think of something." Omar said, opening the magenta spell book

"Oh good, so you're going to play." Roku said as Justin opened his light green spell book

Gansu Genso and Roku stared each other down, each second was a precious tidbit of time.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Gansu Genso and Omar are in a tight spot. Will they get to Danny in time? Hori isn't as mean or as coldhearted as he seems? What did he look back at the center for? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_


	124. Opening The Wisdom Gate!

"What you've done...is unforgivable."

"I don't care. The Six Nightmares and The Black Corps as a whole have our own agenda and you just happen to be standing in the way."

"I've heard enough. Gansu Genso, I'm opening the first gate, Life."

"Alright."

Gansu Genso flew higher in the air as he stopped and hovered above the gymnasium-turned-battlefield.

"The first spell, _Vitalruk!"_

Gansu Genso unleashed a roar as a thin red aura coated his body. He flew downwards before changing direction, making a straight path towards Roku and Francis. The hardwood floor broke and split apart, leaving a trail under Gansu Genso.

"_Sh'dowoulon!"_

Roku's shadow stretched from underneath him, extending at a rapid pace, the shadow lifted itself from the ground, forming into a wolf's head, bearing its fangs and all. The wolf head reached out to bite Gansu Genso but the clown-like mamodo had other plans. He swung his fist, sending up a large chunk of the hardwood floor, causing the wolf's head to bite a mouthful of it. The wolf's head however, bit through it like cardboard and opened it's jaws to clamped down on Gansu Genso but he flew backwards, getting himself out of the wolf's range.

The wolf dissipated and Roku's shadow returned to it's normal length. Seeing this as an opportunity, Gansu Genso flew back into range, ready to launch his next attack.

"_Sh'dowshiel!"_

Roku's shadow extended from under him again, forming and encasing a sizable dome around him and Francis, protecting them.

"That's not going to save you!" Gansu Genso yelled, slamming his fist into the dome

He set off a combo of punches and kicks but to no avail. Even with his first spell activated, Gansu Genso could not shatter the dome.

"_What's going on? My Vitalruk spell also known as the Life Gate, increases my physical strength and speed in addition to having the ability to manipulate earth my location permits it. Why isn't this barrier cracking? It doesn't appear to be that strong."  
><em>

"Gansu Genso, the dome isn't cracking!" Omar asked, calling out to him

"I know! Open the second gate!"

"You sure about that?"

"Yes!"

"Alright then, _Deux Vitalruk!"_

"The second gate, Order!"

"The thin red aura around Gansu Genso's body shifted in an orange and grew thicker as a result of the second spell. Gansu Genso quickly flew towards the gate, he moved his hands towards the wall, causing the bricks to crack and break apart, giving him access to the water pipes. With another wave of his hands, Gansu Genso began ripping them out of the walls. Gaining control of the now broken water system, he redirected the heavily pressurized water at the dome but after a few seconds of hitting it, the water quickly went from a powerful blast of pressure to a soft stream, making it useless.

"Damn it!"

Gansu Genso threw his body into the dome, small cracks began to creep up on it, growing more and more prominent by each second. Noticing his penetration level, Gansu Genso pressed harder, finally getting through! Roku however, did not shy away from his incoming charge. He held his hands out and caught the powered-up clown mamodo. Roku's feet began sliding backwards as Gansu Genso pressed forward, getting a slight edge in their stalemate.

"_Sh'dowoulon_!"

Roku's shadow quickly regrouped and extended, this time the wolf head ensnared Gansu Genso's body in it's powerful jaws.

"Ahhhh!"

"Gansu Genso!"

_"We opened the Order Gate, Gansu Genso's defense should have been raised. Our spell power had to have been reduced but how?" Omar thought to himself  
><em>

Roku stomped his foot in the ground, sending Gansu Genso into the air before slamming him into the grad, sending more hardwood chunks everywhere. The surrounding fire roared with delight at the flying hardwood, giving it another meal for its ravenous flames. A crater formed around where Gansu Genso lay, beaten and bruised, Gansu Genso's back was against the wall and his current odds against him.

* * *

><p>Danny was still huddled up on a lone bench. The burning debris began falling at a faster and deadlier rate. The young boy was trapped with the inferno surrounding him, he had no choice but to stay put.<p>

"Omar! Omar help!"

Danny felt a tremor that nearly knocked him from the safety of the bench. A burning chunk of debris hit the wooden bench, setting it ablaze. Danny quickly inched away from the growing fire and frantically looked for something else to grab on to. He looked at one of the few lockers that were still standing upright and jumped on it, clinging on for dear life. Looking down, he saw the wooden bench he took refuge on, get completely consumed by the gluttonous flames. The lockers were only a temporary fix, not only because of the risk of falling debris having a better shot of him now but also because he new he could not grip the locker holes forever.

Danny felt a few of the fingers on his left hand slip out of the holes. "Oh no!"

He quickly regained the grip, however it was not stable and the perspiration from his body did nothing beneficial but made his hands slick against the metal surface. No longer being able to hold his grip, Danny let go of the locker, fully expecting to be overtaken by the now completely spread flames. Not wanting to witness himself being burned, Danny closed his eyes and braced his body for burns...

_"Is this it? Am I dead?"_

Silence.

_"So that was it, I am dead. It wasn't as long and painful as I thought it would be." _

But Danny felt his body instinctively open his eyes. He saw a familiar white-haired boy standing over him!

"Huh?" Danny asked groggily shooting up

"About time you wake up, you mumbling some bullshit about being dead." Hori grunted, not really looking at Danny

"Thank you!" Danny exclaimed, running and hugging Hori tightly

In response Hori gently pushed the boy away and began walking away

"H-how did you know I was in there?" Danny asked, his voice soft and timid

Hori stopped in his tracks but did not answer immediately.

_[Flashback...a few minutes ago]_

_"Driver, put these directions in and take us to the condo." Meida said, sliding the paper through a slot_

_"Right away Tateishi-sama." He said over the speakers_

_Hori continued looking back at the youth center as he watched Omar and Gansu Genso walking towards it as it exploded. He turned back around and noted that the driver continued driving as if the explosion did not happen. Of course, Hori knew that they only did things if Meida ordered them to and he knew the explosion concerned her but at the same time, she knew nobody was in the youth center when it happened. At least as far as she knew, Hori however, knew otherwise. _

_Hori looked at Meida, who to his surprise was looking back at him. She nodded, knowing that his stormy eyes sad everything. Without saying a word, Hori teleported into the burning locker room as he saw Danny falling into the inferno. He teleported once more, catching Danny as he noted the boy fading out of consciousness. Hori teleported once more to the front of the building, where he laid Danny on the grass. _

_[End Flashback...]_

"It doesn't matter..." Hori said, still looking at the burning building

Before Danny could say anything to respond to Hori, a police car came on the scene. A woman in her mid to late 30s got out of the back of the police car, running over to Danny. Embracing him tightly as the tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Thank goodness you're alright." she said, continuing her tight embrace

"Mom..."

"When you didn't come home from the center, and I saw reports of it catching on fire...I...I didn't know what to think."

"That boy over there saved me. Otherwise, I would have been a goner." Danny said pointing to Hori as his mother finally let go of him

The woman approached Hori, eyes still full of tears and hugged him as well to which Hori did not hug back but the shocked look on his face said it all.

"Thank you for saving my son. There aren't too many people especially kids, who have such compassion to do what you did. Danny has often came home crying because of the others mistreating and bullying him at the center but for the first time today, I can tell that he was happy. He is happy to have met you today Hori and I know he won't forget it. Your parents have been raising you well, I wish I knew how to thank you since we don't have very much..."

"Don't worry about it." Hori said gruffly

"No, really I-"

"I said it was fine!"

Danny's mother smiled as she stood back up and took Danny by the hand. "Bye Hori! Thank you for saving me! I want to play with you again really soon!"

Hori did not say anything back to Danny as he and his mother were escorted away by the officer, who had called the fire department, but saw Meida standing nearby. "You did well." she said with a small smile, ruffling his hair

"Gansu Genso and that Roku guy from a while ago are fighting inside. I sense another mamodo off into the distance but we'll let them be for now since they are not an imminent threat."

Meida grabbed onto Hori as he teleported them inside the burning gym. Many burning ceiling chunks among other debris, were scattered throughout the area. The hardwood floor was heavily damaged and virtually non-existent. Their presence, caught the attention of Omar, Gansu Genso in addition to Roku and Francis.

"What are you guys still doing here?" Omar asked

"Hori rescued Danny so there's no need to worry about him at this point."

"That's great news but we don't need you interfering in this fight." Gansu Genso said, rising out of the crater and back into the air

"I have no intention on doing so, I'm just hanging back in case you die and/or get your book burned." Hori said, scoffing

"Heh. Omar, perhaps you should open the third gate. I'm not sure why my powers have been weakened but if we want to end this, we're going to have to go up a notch."

"Gates?" Meida asked, confused

"Gansu Genso's spell powers are based off of **energy fields and chakras. **His spells are set in layers, similar to how the energy fields or chakras in the body are. " Hori explained to his partner

"I get that but where do the gates part come in at?"

"Another name for Gansu Genso's chakras are what they represent. Gansu Genso's first spell in the lowest level of energy field in the body which has a red aura. It is also known as The Life Gate. It's spiritual element is earth which allows him to manipulate the earth if the location of where he is fighting permits it. His physical abilities such as his strength and speed, also increase slightly."

"I see and the second?"

"Gansu Genso's second spell is the next level up which has an orange aura. That is known as The Order Gate. It's spiritual element is water, which like earth, allows him to manipulate water if the location of the battlefield is favorable. It also takes his physical abilities a step further by an increasing it slightly above the upgrades from his first spell."

"All right, I get it now. So Gansu Genso can adapt any element to his own, sounds like he can match up well to just about any opponent at any time."

"There is a drawback."

"What do you mean?"

"Like I said, his spells are layered, you can't just access a top chakra. You have to work your way up, so all of Gansu Genso's spells must be used in chronological order, which takes time to build up and in turn, if the location is not favorable, it can put him at a major disadvantage at the same time."

"That's pretty complex."

"Mhm."

* * *

><p>"Gansu Genso, opening the third gate would consume a good portion of my heart energy." Omar protested<p>

"We don't have enough power to beat this guy at the moment. If we need to keep opening more gates then so be it."

"We haven't practice much with the third gate.'

"Omar, the center is falling apart in front of your very own eyes, if not now then when?"

Omar did not immediately answer Gansu Genso. He loved the center more than anything in the world but at the same time, opening the third gate would be where things would get risky. No, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"Gansu Genso. We will find a way to win, no matter what!"

Gansu Genso sighed in frustration with Omar's stubbornness but charged forward anyway. Smiling, Roku dodged all of Gansu Genso's incoming punches before uppercutting the clown mamodo, knocking him back into the ground.

"_Gou Sh'dowsen!'_

Roku cupped his hands together and slowly spread them as a large ball of dark energy formed. The ball continued growing until it was about the size of a small sofa. Satisfied, Roku tossed the powerful sphere at Gansu Genso, who was struggling to get up. Before it could get to Gansu Genso, it unexpectedly made a sharp turn up, ascending into the ceiling, causing it to explode and rain down massive chunks of ceiling and other debris. The iron pipes holding parts of the roof together as support, also fell destroying what was left of the hardwood floor.

"You actually thought I was aiming that at you, no. Destroying this place will hurt you far more than hitting you with that spell ever would. This entire place can collapse at any moment, your fate was sealed as soon as you inhaled that noxious gas."

"Noxious gas..."

[_Flashback Chapter123...]_

_"Damn it. Let's fall back." David grunted, revealing a strange orb. He tossed it at Gansu Genso and Omar, sending up a cloud of lavender smoke. Gansu Genso coughed and waved the surprisingly thin gas away._

_[End Flashback...]_

"So that gas Gansu Genso inhaled must have somehow weakened him, hence why we couldn't unleash massive power despite us opening two gates."

"Pretty close to figuring it out. That noxious gas affects a mamodo's sensory abilities and since your partner heavily relies on his sensory abilities in combat, it affects him more than a typical mamodo."

"Damn you cheating bastards!" Omar snarled, gripping the magenta spell book tightly

Gansu Genso on the other hand, was extremely calm and placid in spite of everything going on around him. He levitated in midair with his legs crossed and eyes closed.

"Omar, open the third gate." he ordered, not moving for his spot or opening his eyes.

Taking note of Gansu Genso's relaxed state. Omar decided to finally go through with it. "I trust you Gansu Genso. The third spell, _Trois Vitalruk!"_

Gansu Genso's orange aura brightened to yellow and the aura grew larger and thicker. His muscles grew out a little, indicating his improved physical state. Omar could feel energy flowing from his book, almost as if it were tangible. Gansu Genso, still levitating, opened his eyes, a new vigor burned within.

"The Wisdom Gate has been opened."

Omar smirked as he and Gansu Genso both felt a new momentum push on the upswing.

**_A/N- Hopefully the way Gansu Genso's spell powers worked has been explained well enough. Third third gate is finally opened! Will Omar and Gansu Genso capitalize on this tide before the building collapses on them? What's in store for Hori? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!_**


	125. New Tactics and New Friends

Gansu Genso opened his eyes and looked at the now shell shocked Roku.

"The Wisdom Gate has been opened."

"Wisdom Gate?"

"Gansu Genso's third spell is the next level of energy field or chakra. The Wisdom gate not only increases his physical abilities, but it allows him to manipulate fire if the location is favorable."

"Considering this whole place is burning to the ground, now is the perfect time to take advantage of that."

"Precisely."

Gansu Genso charged at Roku, but Francis' quick thinking came into play.

"_Sh'dowshiel!"_

Roku's shadow shot up from under him, forming a protective dome. That however, did nothing to stop Gansu Genso, who shattered the entire barrier with one fist. The sheer force alone from the blow sent Roku and Francis flying backwards.

"This fight won't end yet!" Roku shouted

"_Sh'dowkiroro!"_

Roku's shadow morphed into an ax, the darkness covering the gymnasium due to the destroyed electricity system, caused the shadow ax to grow substantially in size. Roku wielded the now massive axe as he charged forward, slamming it down on Gansu Genso. However, the clown-like mamodo caught the axe within his hands and pressed back. The axe began raising up before dissipating, Gansu Genso focused sight on Roku again but noted the continually falling debris as another large chunk of the ceiling hit the bleachers. Knowing this was a race against time, Gansu Genso had to finish this.

He levitated to the top of the room as all of the surrounding fire flowed to him and rotated around his body in a stream-like manner. The flames surrounding Gansu Genso grew larger and larger until he resembled an orange ball of yarn. Gansu Genso's yellow aura was bright as bright could be, with the mass amount of fire surrounding his tiny body, his glowing yellow aura and Omar's magenta spell book glowing like never before, it was only a matter of time before this was over.

"This battle isn't over yet! Francis, time to obliterate him! Use our strongest spell!"

_"Bush'dowdon!"_

A large giant emerged from the shadows as it grew larger and larger. The shadow giant, taking no particular form, surged at Gansu Genso, the mass of flames still flowing around him. Without hesitation, Gansu Genso sent the massive vortex of fire at the giant, completely consuming and destroying it without much difficulty. The flames continued forth as they brought both Roku and Francis into its stomach. Roku's book was incinerated, making him fade away instantly, the flames surrounding Francis disappeared as he dropped to the hardwood floor, unburned. He quickly got to his feet and fled the building, Gansu Genso's yellow aura faded away as he levitated back down to where he only floated about four feet from the ground.

Omar closed the book and fell on a knee but Gansu Genso quickly grabbed him by the shoulders and carried him outside while Meida and Hori followed suit. After they left, the center immediately collapsed behind them. The remnant fires engulfed the rubble. The fire department finally arrived but it was mostly in vain due to the dark storm clouds that subtly formed above them. Regardless, the firefighters began hosing down what they could and allowed the incoming rain to take care of the rest.

* * *

><p>Izzo and David stood on the hill overlooking what's left of the center. "What a fool. If he would have just listened to me, he wouldn't have self-destructed." Izzo lamented, shaking his head<p>

"Perhaps, you should stop with the explosion puns." David remarked

"Let's return to Felicity and report this." Izzo said as a white dragon emerged from the ground, waiting to give them a ride

* * *

><p>"Damn it!"<p>

Omar was on his knees in front of the pile of rubble and ashes that was once the youth center where he worked and loved. All of his childhood memories, all of the after-school visits, all of the sports he played, his first school dance, the first time he ever made friends, his first sleepover, a lock-in at the center. Everything he came back to his hometown to work for in order to give other kids the same opportunity to have cherished memories like he did. All of it, gone.

"This place...was everything to me. " Omar said to himself in a low voice as the rain began falling harder

A small shard of brick was near him, Omar shakily picked it up and held it in his right hand. Memories of the past sped through his head, all of the smiling and eager faces of the children who paid the center a daily visit, they had no place to call their own.

"I'll never forgive those bastards for this..." Omar growled, squeezing the shard tightly and cutting his hand as a result. Blood mixed with rainwater dripped from his hand as he did not move from that spot. He did however, look up when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Bailey..."

Mr. Bailey was the elderly owner of the center. A man Omar looked to as a grandfather figure or perhaps even a second father. He had run the center when Omar was a kid and now getting up there in years, Omar promised to continue running the center long after he was gone.

"Mr. Bailey, I'm sorry...the center got destroyed and-"

"Quiet now Omar. You helped save a young boy's life and fought to keep the center form being destroyed. Nobody loves this place as much as you do, not even me. We can always build a new center but we will never have another Omar."

Omar wasn't one to give out a bunch of hugs but at that moment, he shot up to his feet and held to old man in a tight embrace as he looked down, trying to hide or hold back his tears.

Meida couldn't help but be moved by the sight before her. She found herself approaching them and causing them both to turn their heads.

"Mr. Bailey, Omar...I will give you the money for a new youth center." Meida declared

"Young lady, you don't have to do that." Mr. Bailey said

"I know, but I want to. You and Omar love this place and have dedicated your lives to seeing that it brings joy to others like it brought unto yourselves. I can't just idly stand here and watch it all go away."

"Meida, I'm not taking any handout-"

"Handout? You wish. This is a loan."

"There's no way we could-"

"You'll pay me in the form of helping me find Solin and traveling with us."

"I already told you, I can't-"

"Deal."

Meida and Omar turned to look at Mr. Bailey, the old man had a grin and eyes filled with happiness

"Omar, go out and see the world. You put your dream on hold to come back and help out, you have done this community a great service but life is too short."

"What about-"

"When the center is rebuilt, I'll watch over it and keep the kids under my wing. I may be getting on in years but I still got a little more left in the tank."

* * *

><p>"Ready to go?" Meida asked<p>

"Yeah." Omar replied, putting his suitcase into Meida's new SUV.

"Mr. Bailey, I will be back to run the center full-time when my debt is paid...and when my dream comes true."

"I'll hold on until that day." Mr. Bailey said as he waved goodbye

Meida and the newly expanded group set off down the road, continuing their search.

* * *

><p>Hundreds of miles away, the white dragon broke through the carpeted ground as Izzo and his human partner David hopped off of its back.<p>

"Ugh, I told you not to bring that creature within my presence!" Felicity barked

Felicity hated Ryu, not only out of envy of him being Head General and de facto second-in-command of the Black Corps but also the fact that his squad outclassed the Six Nightmares. As a result, Felicity issued a ban on using Ryu's dragons to travel from place to place but everybody often went behind her back and used them anyway.

"Such a blatant provocative act is grounds for dismissal but since i think you're somewhat competent, I'll let it slide thid time." Felicity said in an attempt to sound stern.

"I beg your pardon ma'am...about Roku he-"

"Got his book burned? I already know and I don't like it. Things are getting out of hand."

"What are-"

"I won't send Alam out onto the field nor will I directly get involved. At least not yet, instead the fight will be taken to Hori's human partner personally."

"Tateishi Meida is the CEO of the Tateishi Zaibatsu." Venom interjected

"I am aware of that. Anyway, I have sown the seeds for this paln of action and have-'

"Allow me to interject."

Felicity got quiet when she noticed Alam speaking and the scowl on her face showed that she was not amused about being interrupted but let him continue.

"Felicity and I have been collaborating. The current course of action is a recipe for disaster to say the least. Keep in mind that they are elite mamodo and directly confronting them like this puts guys like yourselves in a terrible position. That of course is not to say that you aren't strong or talented since you are The Six...well now Four Nightmares of the Black Corps."

Alam sighed and continued.

"It is time to stop acting like common thugs and start using tactics. To simplify things further, this girl, Meida is it...is CEO of her company. She has the wealth and means to travel and make things happen. She has slowly but surely reunited most of her partner's old team of elites, if she is to be stopped and out of the way, then the best tactic to use here, is to fight money with money."

"Felicity, forgive me for speaking out of turn but give Blue a call. He'll have to open up his checkbook.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Short chapter but it is also the premise for the next phase in Hori's character arc. Alam finally addresses the problem while Felicity beat around the bush a bit. Of course, Felicity doesn't take too kindly to that. Omar and Gansu Genso have joined up with Meida, Hori, Aaron and Angie, making it Three of The Talented Five back together again. Are they no closer to Solin than when they started or are they actually making progress? Time will tell. R&R folks! **_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Name- Roku<strong>_

_**Partner- Francis**_

_**Element- Shadows**_

_**Book Color- Light Green**_

_**Rank- 30th out of 100**_

_**Book Burned By- Gansu Genso and Omar**_

_**Spells-**_

_**Sh'dowshiel: Ashadow comes out the ground and creates a  
>protective dome. <strong>_

_**Sh'dowoulon: Stretches shadow towards a target as it grows a wolf's head to  
>bite them.<strong>_

_**Bush'dow: Roku's shadow forms a body and can fight enemies.**_

_**Gou Sh'dowsen: Creates a bigger ball of darkness to throw.  
>Stronger Sh'dowsen<strong>_

_**Sh'dowkiroro: Creates an ax created from his shadow or the shadow of a  
>nearby source. The more darkness around, the stronger the ax<strong>_

_**Ganzu Sh'dowsen: Fires multiple Sh'dowsens at a target or targets.**_

_**Bush'dowdon:  
>This time, a shapeless giant appears from his shadow and fights. Strongest<br>spell. Incredibly exhausting.**_


	126. Ousted! Hori's new feeeling!

"I've been driving for so long, I lost count about five hours ago..."

Meida had been driving across the East Coast for quite some time. After having Omar and Gansu Genso join their group, she arranged for an SUV in order to accommodate everyone. The ride has been quiet from quite some time, Omar decided to let his curiosity get the best of him. He cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Meida, just how rich are you?"

"Omar! That's a pretty rude thing to ask." Gansu Genso snapped

"No, it's fine." Meida said, pulling her PDA up from the dashboard. She punched in a few keys and showed it to Omar, whose eyes widened.

"Daaaayyyyum...that's...that's a lot of zeroes."

"Of course, that doesn't count stocks, CDs, investments, off-shores accounts and so on.."

Gansu Genso couldn't but smile at Omar being silenced. Meida taught him a"That pretty valuable lesson.

* * *

><p>"I've been meaning to ask you G.G., have you seen Gatrion around?" Angie asked<p>

"I have not but knowing him, he's probably in a large city somewhere."

"We're about fifteen minutes away from the next major city plus I'm tired so we'll stop there for the night." Meida piped in

"Sounds great. I could use a feathered pillow and bed." Aaron said yawning, getting quite used to Meida's upscale lifestyle

"If we run across him, we should get him back into the fold. I think it would be quite nice to have the Talented Five reunited at last."

"What about Slash?" Gansu Genso asked

The mention of Slash's name earned a grunt from Hori but Angie decided to explain to the clown mamodo Slash's absence. "Slash is training on Mt. Fuji."

"But why is he not with us?"

"He is...difficult to work and travel with."

* * *

><p><em>[ ...]<em>

"Achoo!" Slash sneezed, nearly falling over the ridge

"They say when you randomly sneeze, that means someone is talking about you." Kiichiro said

"That's impossible. People are always talking about me and I usually don't sneeze."

Kiichiro rolled her eyes in response to her cocky partner.

* * *

><p>Meida's SUV had just crossed the city limits. She glanced over at her GPS before pulling onto the freeway.<p>

"So where is this condo at?" Aaron asked, looking out of the window

"I don't have a condo here...only a field office." Meida replied, much to Aaron's dissapointment

"Don't worry, there should be enough room for everyone

Before Aaron could open his mouth to whine a bit, Meida's cellphone rang, prompting her to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Greetings Tateishi-sama."

Meida quickly recognized it was Toru.

"Toru, I have known for a long time, no reason to be all formal."

"It's a habit. Anyway, there are some papers that need your stamp of approval."

"I'm nearing one of the zaibatsu's field offices. I'll text you the location, fax it over."

"Will do."

Meida hung up and continued down the freeway before exiting and making numerous twists and turns around traffic lights. Within minutes, she pulled into a parking lot and turned off the vehicle. Opening the doors everybody followed Meida's lead as she unlocked the door and lead everyone inside.

Meida's field office was far bigger than the others thought it would be. Cyan silk carpeting covered the floors and stairs, exquisite leather sofas, a flat screen television all decorated the lower floor. The kitchen had granite counter tops, the upper floor contained numerous bedrooms. It was more so a nice two-story house than a field office really. While the others were in awe of the amenities, Hori and Meida were both in the main room of the field office.

Wasting no time, Meida quickly got on the PC and activated the fax machine. Almost instantly, paper documents slid out of the fax machine as Meida picked them up, slipped on reading glasses and got to work. Meida's eyes widened as she read into the fine print before suddenly dropping the papers. Her tupical blank look shifted from a look of shock into a frown, her frown shifted into a scowl. A deep scarlet covered her angry face as she aggressively typed in a few keys on the laptop and Toru's face appeared on the screen. He appeared to be in Meida's personal office with his feet on her desk.

"Good evening Meida." Toru said with a smug smirk on his face

"Damn you." Meida hissed at the screen

"Why are you so upset?" he asked, nonchalantly

"Why would you sell company stock without consulting me?!" she snarled, trying to contain herself

"As COO, I have the power to do so. It is in the company's best interest for me to do so." Toru responded

"Who did you sell it to and exactly how much?"

"Let's just say that they are private investors. They paid a handsome price for fifteen percent."

"So you're meaning to tell me that you sold fifteen percent of my zaibatsu...the zaibatsu my father built from the ground up to a private sector, people I don't know anything about?"

"That will be correct."

"You're fired. Pack your stuff and get out." Meida ordered

"Look at the bigger picture here Meida, the zaibatsu's surplus will increase tenfold...and besides, you can't fire me."

"What makes you think I can't?"

"Because it's not your company anymore. Remember when I said private investors bought company stock? Well, they were also given seats on our Board of Trustees since I fired the old ones. We had a vote earlier today and decided that you need to be relieved of your duties."

"You can't do that!"

"Actually, I can. You see, the thing is your father had a very open and democratic policy. He felt that if he wasn't doing his job, then he wanted someone to call him out on it, he also never wanted to act like a tyrant and devised the idea of a BoT. He was a very compassionate yet foolish man."

Meida glared at the screen, looking at Toru's smug face made her want to puke.

"Don't feel too bad Meida, the company is in good hands now. The new CEO is your truly and since I'm so benevolent, I will offer you a job as a janitor and if you work hard, you can be promoted to the mailroom."

"You can't do this..."

"Everything I did was perfectly legal. When I was COO, I was in charge of company finances which included handling stocks. The BoT had a vote and felt that you haven't been doing your job, which of course is true."

"I have been doing my job!"

"How? Going on these overseas trips, wasting company resources? Taking a company helicopter? Spending company laboratory funding for examining chunks of ice? Using an investigation team as your own personal task force?"

Meida was quiet but Toru continued his verbal assault.

"Meida, I warned you about this."

_[Flashback...Chapter 111]_

_"With all due respect, going on such an expedition is a waste of company resources. Especially at a time when our political enemies and competitors see us as weak and vulnerable. I wor...I mean your father worked hard to make this company part of the Big Five" _

_"If that is the case, then we will find out very quickly and leave. We will be launching our own investigation and you will organize it. That is an order."  
><em>

_"Very well then Tateishi-sama." Toru said through clenched teeth as he left the office_

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

"So you planned this way back then. You never had any intention of stepping aside and helping me run the zaibatsu."

"You catch on quick." Toru said, his voice heavy with sarcasm

"Then what was the point of sending me these papers?" Meida said tossing them aside

"Just because I wanted to see you squirm."

"So once again, you're fired."

"You bastard." Meida spat at the screen, disgusted

Toru's laughing irritated her even more as she clicked the hangup button. Getting up from the chair, Meida took a few steps before slamming her first on the desk. She was furious and devastated at the same time. How could she let this happen? Toru played upon helping her find Solin and ultimately the fate of her father and when she left the country, trusting Toru, he took advantage of said trust and ripped the zaibatsu away from her.

_[Flashback...10 years ago..]_

_"Meida, someday you will be CEO of this company. I believe that you are bound for great things."  
><em>

_"NO daddy! I don't want to run the stupid company!"_

_"You'll understand when you're older." he said, sighing_

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...5 years ago..]<em>

_"Meida, when I met your mother, I was a man with nothing more than a dream. She supported me as I began to make my dream a reality, and today the zaibatsu is one of my pride and joys. This company doesn't just symbolize hard work but also my growth as a man and as a human being."_

_"Father..."_

_"I know you have your own dreams and aspirations, which doesn't involve the zaibatsu. However, I'm still going to make you my heir and when my time comes, what you do with the zaibatsu is up to you...even if that means selling or disbanding it. I love you Meida and I will support whatever decision you make."  
><em>

_[End Flashbacks...]_

"I never wanted to become a CEO and only did so because of Hori's suggestion of trying it...I...I...I understand why my father loved it so much. I have come to love my job and my zaibatsu as much as he did and to see what I love and everything he worked for go away like that...damn it!" She slammed her disk on the desk again and again. Tears flowed out of her eyes as her grief overtook her.

Hori actually felt his face soften after watching Meida's grief. He felt himself wanting to reach out to his partner and do something for her.

_"What is this feeling? Why do I want to reach out to Meida? I feel her grief too...it's as though when she suffers, I suffer. Is the connection between humans and mamodo truly this strong?"_

Hori clenched his fist and his indifference towards Toru quickly became hatred. He wanted revenge and to retake the Tateishi Zaibatsu, giving to its rightful owner. He heard the door slam, he looked up and saw that Meida was nowhere to be find and head set off into the streets. Not wanting to waste any time, Hori quickly set off after her, knowing she was too emotional and might do something rash. Realizing that he was about to make a rash decision himself, he stopped for a moment.

Hori looked up and saw Aaron, Angie, Omar and Gansu Genso on the stairwell with concerned looks on their faces.

"We heard the whole thing." Omar said

"I'm...sorry." Angie remarked

"Angie, Gansu Genso do you sense that?" Hori asked, not acknowledging the part of them overhearing

"Yeah." Angie said

"Ditto." Gansu Genso responded

"We need to get moving." Hori remarked as they quickly set off

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Toru backstabs Meida and ousts her of the Tateishi Zaibatsu. Meida has grown attached to the zaibatsu but is too upset to think clearly at the moment and dashed out of the door. Hori, Gansu Genso and Angie sense a powerful mamodo and set off quickly in an attempt to find Meida and confront the mamodo. Hori feels empathy towards Meida for the first time and as a result, he wants to get the zaibatsu back. Find our what happens next in the next chapter! R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	127. Getting away

"_I gotta get away...I gotta get away from it all."_

Meida skated through the crowd of people on the sidewalk. She had no idea how far nor how long she had been walking. She had just bolted without thinking. Continuing her path down the downtown district, Meida noticed that the happy buzz amongst people grew louder, giving her a sense of serenity. It made her think of Tokyo for some reason and at the moment, she was perfectly content with this. Deciding to revel amongst the happy crowd, Meida looked around for a café that provided an outdoor option. Finding a place, she seated herself and ordered a few plates of food. She had never been a big eater but felt this could be a big enough distraction to taker her mind off of losing her company…well for a while at least.

The former CEO began gorging herself with sandwiches, cheesecakes and cookies to the point where the manager cut her off. Regardless it made Meida temporarily forget about her problems until it was time to pay the bill. Taking the company debit card out of her wallet, she saw the logo and frowned.

Leaving the café, she found herself walking up the street once again. With nowhere to really go, Meida began sightseeing; gawking at every window display she came across. On the verge of turning back to what was once _her _field office, Meida heard what sounded like a strange yet interesting mix between heavy metal, screamo and hard rock up the street. Meida didn't know what to think of it at first since three somewhat similar yet vastly different genres don't necessarily blend well together but the more she listened to it, the more drawn in she felt.

Following the music lead her to what appeared to be an underground punk club. Going down the descending the stairs, Meida flicked a bill at the bouncer and went inside. The place was as industrial as it got with pipes lining up the ceilings, metallic walls bordered the entire place with the exception of the bar, which was lined up with bricks. Meida finally located the source of the music, a band on stage covered in black clothing and piercings. She could not tell much else about their descriptions however, due to being too far away from the stage.

Speaking of the stage area, Meida saw the audience in what appeared to be a brawl. Various people who were similarly dressed as the band on-stage were pushing, shoving and punching. Others were getting onto the stage and leaping off. Meida suddenly recalled that the physical commotion was not that of a brawl but instead a mosh pit and the people jumping off stage were stage diving. Hesitant to join in due to her sticking out like a sore thumb to an extent but also due to not having much experience with mosh pits, Meida found herself waddling into the heart of the crowd.

The band music grew with intensity as the crowd became even antsier than before. Meida felt her body get thrown around and bounced off of a few people like a human pinball. Quickly stumbling out of the crowd, Meida took refuge at the nearby bar and rested her feverish head on the counter. Remembering the drinking laws in the US were 21 and up, Meida knew not to tell the bartender that she was 19. To her relief however, he did not ask her age or any id. Meida assumed it was because he didn't want any trouble but also to avoid opening a potential can of worms.

Looking up, she saw a shot glass on the table and the bartender poured what appeared to be a blue liquid in it. Not completely caring what the substance was, Meida drank it in its entirety before slamming it back on the countertop. The blue liquid tasted of a strong blueberry punch with a strong aftertaste. Meida figured it to be some sort of tropical vodka. She motioned the bartender for another shot and her wish was granted as she took down another one. The hard liquid tasted nice but she found herself wanting more and was disappointed by its lack of a buzz despite the strong aftertaste.

"Pour me another…" Meida requested but the bartender shook his head in response

"Why not?"

"Two is all you need." He said, walking away

Grumbling, Meida got up from the bar after paying her small tab. She instinctively forgot her other occupations and found herself being drawn in again by the music. Unlike the first time however, she was completely receptive to her environment. She jumped when everybody else umped and screamed when everybody else screamed. The music's intensity rose once again as another mosh pit ensued. This time however, instead of bouncing off of the mosh pit, Meida was tossing others into the pit. The former heiress was having the time of her life until she bumped into a girl with spiky purple hair.

Meida had a better look of her when she turned around. In addition to her short, spiky violet hair, she was roughly the same height as Meida in addition to her painted black lips. Her white tube top matched her pale skin. Her legs adorned with short leather shorts, various zippers everywhere in addition to red fishnet leggings and black combat boots.

"Hands off bitch."

"Sorry 'bout that." Meida said, her casual tone a sharp contrast from her usual polite demeanor

"Sorry ain't gonna cut it." The girl replied, revealing a switchblade

"So you wanna use a weapon?" Meida said, her casual tone withstanding

"Are you mocking me?" the girl growled, making a swipe at Meida with her blade

"You said it, not me." Meida replied taking a step back to stay out of the blade's range

That was the moment the shots fully hit her. One could say that the alcohol hit her while she was screaming and dancing with the crowd since extroverted behavior was not exactly something Meida was known for, but it was a moot point.

The continually moshing crowd did not seem to notice the confrontation between Meida and the girl save for a few girls and guys similarly dressed to the purple haired girl that confronted the former heiress.

Taking note of the girl grabbing their attention, Meida had to think of something. Being intoxicated did not help things at all but it was something she had to deal with. Hori could easily get her out of this mess, but she had suddenly left plus she didn't have his spell book with her anyway. Hori could teleport at any second but there was no way to make a sure bet on it nor when such an event would happen. Knowing the obvious options were out, Meida had to fend for herself. Noticing an empty beer bottle on a nearby table, Meida took the opportunity break the bottom of it and use it as a makeshift knife. Gripping the neck of the bottle, Meida moved forward. Waving and thrusting it at the girl who threatened her. The girl in response backed away from Meida who was surprisingly quite aggressive. This did not deter her as Meida felt herself gain more aggression due to the adrenaline mixing with the alcohol. She noted that the girl was running out of room to back away. Taking a gamble, Meida squatted down slightly before lunging and slammed her forearm into the girls chest, pinning her to the ground.

Well within her drunken rage, Meida raised up the broken bottle ready to press it onto the girl's throat, but felt herself come to a halt. After a few moments, Meida realized that she stopped due to the small twinkle of fear in the girl's eyes. Gainig control of herself, Meida dropped the broken bottle and stood up to her feet, horrified at what just transpired. Before she could help the girl up or even open her mouth to apologize, the girl's posse surrounded her. Despite realizing another fight was on the verge of breaking out, Meida did not plan on fighting back, still overstricken with shame over her actions. Sh felt a hand on her shoulder and a soft yet firm voice filling the air.

"Lay off, she's with me."

Meida looked behind her and saw a young man who fit the description of the rest of the patrons. His long black hair reached his shoulders with relative ease. His black t-shirt was similar to the others in the still ongoing mosh pit so Meida quickly assumed it was affiliated with the band on stage. He was somewhat taller than her which Meida noted as a mere observation, his face was as serious as his voice.

"And who the hell are you?" one of them asked

"Anybody who fucks with Violet fucks with the whole gang."

"As I recall, Violet is the one who initiated all of this. So unless you guys want an all-out brawl, it will be best for you to back off."

"So you're trying to be a hero tough guy?" Another one of the guys said, revealing his own switchblade

Just as the others were also bringing out their own blades, Violet who was on the ground, waved them off.

"Back off guys."

"What, why?"

"Do you not recognize who he is?"

Violet's posse was immediately dumbfounded. After observing the young man next to Meida, their eyes widened as they quickly put their blades away.

"Damn, it's Roland. We better back off."

Two of the girls in Violet's posse helped lead her out of there as the others followed suit. Violet however, stopped for a moment and turned her head. "You got away with your life this time. You better watch your back."

"Are you alright?" Roland asked

"I'm fine. Thank you but why did you help me?"

"I didn't need anything happening to Hori's bookkeeper."

"Bookkeeper...wait how do you know that?"

"I also have a mamodo." Roland said, holding up a spell book.

_**A/N- Cliffhanger and a short chapter. Wednesday's chapter will be much longer and will be when we start making the upward trend towards the climax. The pacing will pick up significantly and whatnot. R&R folks.**_


	128. Distortion and sinister deception!

"That still doesn't explain how you know that."

"It doesn't matter how I know, we need to get going." Roland replied

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Meida snapped

Sighing, Roland calmly picked Meida up and put her over his shoulder. As expected, Meida immediately began flailing her arms and legs, trying to break free of Roland's surprisingly strong grasp.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Meida exclaimed

Roland ignored the still somewhat drunk girl and went up the stairs leading out of the club at a steady pace. Going out of the door, he set her down where Hori and the others were waiting for her.

"Thank you for your help Roland." Angie said

"Quick work man." Aaron said, also complimenting him

"Wait, you guys know him?" Meida asked, dumbfounded

"Not exactly." Aaron said

"Huh?"

"Hori, Gansu Genso and I sensed another mamodo's presence after you left. We could tell right away that the mamodo was powerful so we came after you immediately but shortly after, we realized that it was a familiar mamodo presence. Turned out that the mamodo we sensed was Gatrion so after catching up to him, we explained your description. Roland then said that he saw you walking inside the club so we sent him in to get you."

Meida simply nodded, it was clear that she was not sober enough to follow everything Angie just said so they left that subject alone. Everybody's attention turned to the large figure coming up the stairs. Gatrion appeared relative the same according to the accounts from Angie and Hori. He still had a tall and imposing figure, his humanoid features were quite evident in addition to the still ticking clock implanted on his helmet. Most notably however, was shades on his eyes and the bottle in his hand.

"You're not supposed to have that." Roland scolded

"Chill man." Gatrion scoffed

"Anyway, now isn't a good time to talk. Let's meet up again tomorrow." Roland suggested

The following morning, Meida awoken from her bed with a bit of a hangover. Gently rubbing her forehead and temples, she got out of bed and slipped some clothes on. Heading down the stairs, she saw Roland and Gatrion already sitting with the others in her den area.

"Look who's finally up." Aaron said enthusiastically

"Hangover alert!" Omar exclaimed

Walking over to them, Meida gently ruffled Hori's hair to which he grunted in acknowledgement. After taking her seat, last night's events were re-explained to her. In return, she informed Roland and Gatrion about their recent run-ins with the Black Corps, losing just about everything but the clothes on her back, what happened to her father and his questionable fate and lastly Solin.

"It's funny you mention this Solin guy. We saw a guy like that a few weeks ago in the Great Plains region of the US but that's thousands of miles away from here on the East Coast. What was most interesting was the fact that it was practically a blizzard this early into the Fall."

"That had to be him. I heard that he can turn the surrounding area into a blizzard if he chooses to do so...he may or may not be in the area but it's all we have to go on."

"Meida, you can't fly us there and it's only a matter of time before your SUV is repossessed-" Angie mentioned before she was cut off

"I still have cash on my person and in my personal account. I lost a majority of my assets but I'm not completely broke." Meida informed

"It would be easier and more convenient to go by mass transportation anyway. From what you told us about the Black Corps and this Toru guy, he probably has that SUV tracked and perhaps a bomb or something planted in it." Roland said

"I wouldn't put it past him to do that. Where's the nearest train station?" Meida asked

* * *

><p><em>[Pacific Island near Hawaii...] <em>

Blue sat on his throne staring out into space like he did every so often. Today had been a slow day so far but that of course, did not last for too long as the doors to the throne room flew open. Dr. Hatcher **_(A/N- See Chapter 39 if you need a refresher.)_ **came up the carpeted trail and stopped before Blue.

"My lord, I have a big report for you."

"It better be interesting Hatcher. You're lucky I didn't kill you for being Treachor's head scientist."

"My lord, you know I was only a spy. The Light Society pales in comparison when it comes to working for the Black Corps."

"Very well then. What is your report?"

"The mamodo sealed inside this island's volcano has awakened but not in the physical sense, it has a form of consciousness."

"Explain."

"While it's not truly awakened, it has the ability to distort "dimensions" for lack of a better term, to create a tangible form. Our tests show that it is extremely attentive and seems to recognize it's past in addition to its current surroundings. However, according to our readings, it has conflicted emotions."

"Specify on these conflicted emotions."

"While its power is great and destructive to the point living creatures perish instantly within its presence, said power brings it sadness."

Blue did not immediately respond to Dr. Hatcher's explanation, almost as if he was consolidating everything he had said. "Emotions will cause it to get my goals conflicted and therefore harder for me to control. That of course runs a risk of it rebelling against me and even with my power, I likely would not be able to stop it...at least in my current state, but once I become a Mamodo God, that will not even be a concern to me."

"So what do you want us to do?" Dr. Hatcher asked, ignoring Blue's aspirations about becoming a god instead of a king

"Artificially seal any and all emotions with the exception of **Hatred, Solitude, Cruelty, Fear, Condemnation, Uncertainty and Hopelessness** then artificially amplify its submissive nature."

"Yes my lord. Anything else?"

"What is the status on the human vessel?"

"The vessel is almost complete, come and take a look for yourself."

Dr. Hatcher and Blue walked down the carpeted path and left the throne room. Going outside, numerous armed Black Corps guards stood at attention and saluted as they walked past them. They descended down the stairs and continued through various paths and corridors before reaching a heavy door. Another armed guard opened the metallic door, granting them access and slammed it behind them. Going down one more flight of stairs, they came to a door that required a retina scan.

Dr. Hatcher raised his glasses as the laser scanned his eye. Unsealing itself, the door unlatched and let them in. Calling the lab huge was by far an understatement. Hundreds of tanks filled with a dark purple liquid containing various creatures were everywhere. Going deeper, one could see numerous dry erase boards with equations scribbled as far as the eye can see. Other scientists decked out in black lab coats, were scurrying throughout the place, tending to numerous projects. Dr. Hatcher however, continued leading Blue deeper and deeper into the laboratory for what seemed to stretch on for miles.

A young brunette female scientist was up ahead and Dr. Hatcher immediately motioned her to come over to them.

"Bring out the human vessel."

"Yes sir."

She quickly ran over to a control pad and pressed a few buttons, then operated a lever. The ceiling opened up as a mechanized tank was lowered onto the floor. Like the other tanks, this one was also filled with a dark purple liquid. Looking closer, one could see that the human vessel was what appeared to be of a young black haired woman. Her naked body covered in numerous wires and diodes, small sparks could occasionally be seen. Pressing a button on his handheld device, Blue spoke into it. "Tell Elisabeth to come to the lab...there's a pleasant surprise for her."

Within a few minutes, Blue's human partner finally arrived in the lab. It was had to tell what the woman was thinking due to her stone-like face.

"You're a madman Blue, a madman!" Elisabeth exclaimed, her voice laced with excitement even though her face nor body language showed it.

_[Flashback..Chapter 39 aftermath. What was done off-screen...]_

_Blue and Elisabeth sat in the jet after their victory over Arkham which did not come without spoils. Alana's corpse remained in a coffin of sorts as they flew back to the island. Reaching the island, they immediately went to the labs and presented the corpse to the scientists. With all of them gathered and anticipating his instructions, Blue began his speech. _

_"As we all know, many human corpses have been experimented on and all of them failed. There is a reason for that, they all lacked something special. I'm sure you're all wondering what exactly I mean by that, well many of them didn't have mamodo partners and the few who did, like the brat we found in the Ryukyu Islands **(A/N- Whoever can figure out who I'm referring to from the first arc will get free cookies or something from me.)** didn't have the adequate quantity of what is needed."  
><em>

_Blue cleared his throat then continued_

_"I specifically had three targets in mind and by fate, all three potential targets were gathered in the Sahara Desert. Just when I was about to pick one off, I was interrupted and confronted. In the midst of a decisive victory, I killed the human partner and dragged the corpse to where you see it today. What was missing, was heart energy. It takes a special person to be able to read the spell book of a Titan and in order for my plan to work, I needed a Titan's human partner" _

_"What do you want us to do with it my lord?"_

_"The corpse is going to get reanimated, that's what. I am going to lace the body up with wires and diodes. These wires are personally synchronized with me so I and only I can control it. Plus this also allows me to destroy the corpse should I see no further use for it. Once the wiring is done, the rest is your responsibility."  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]_

"Keep Alana sealed until the time is appropriate." Blue ordered

"Yes my lord." Dr. Hatcher complied

After being resealed, everybody left the scene and little did they know, Alana's corpse opened her now dim blue eyes slightly.

* * *

><p>Toru straightened out his red and white striped tie as he walked up to the podium. News about Meida's "resignation" spread around the Japanese and international business world like wildfire much to his delight. He had made sure it was announced that he was taking over as CEO and was about to make a brief statement and answer a few questions from the media. He adjusted his microphone and began.<p>

"It with great sadness that Ms. Tateishi Meida had to step down as CEO of the Tateishi Zaibatsu. This was not an easy decision but it was best that control was handed over to a better suitor. With that being said, the Tateishi Zaibatsu will continue forth and remain strong. Any questions?"

Dozens of reporters began speaking at once and Toru picked them out one by one, answering their every question. Proud of the moment he's been grooming himself for years, Toru found himself being escorted back to the limo. Getting inside, he saw Felicity, Alam and Mrs. Figg, Felicity's human partner waiting for him. They were all seated on the opposite end.

"After all these years, I have finally been given my due." Toru said, relaxing

"Well, I hope you enjoy it because you owe us even more than before." Felicity informed him

"I realize that and will carry out anything you wish since you guys did blow up the old geezer's yacht, setting everything in motion."

"Meida and Hori are responsible for the demise of some of my squad members. I want Hori's book burned and Meida killed." Felicity demanded

"Felicity, Psycher is the ideal candidate for carrying that out." Alam whispered to her

"The human doesn't need to know that." Felicity whispered in return

Toru did not immediately respond, as if he was hesitant about this.

"Well, I have known Meida for a long time and watched her grow up through the years. Who would have thought that somewhat bratty little girl would grow up to be one of my business and political enemies. I _almost _feel bad for this."

Toru pulled out his cell phone and dialed a few numbers. "I am in need for your services."

"Yes, yes and yes."

Toru hung up the phone and looked back at Felicity. "The hit has been placed."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- So we learn that Gatrion is Roland's partner and that they have seen Solin. The mamodo inside the volcano has awakened to an extent. Dr. Hatcher was never an official Light Society member but a mole for the Black Corps. Blue wants to use Alana's corpse as a human partner for the mamodo sealed in the volcano due to her high level of heart energy. Toru is in heavy debt to The Black Corps and wanted to be CEO at all costs. Will they find Solin soon? How successful was Blue's reanimation scheme? Is Felicity and the Black Corps as a whole truly an ally to Toru? Did he bite off more than he could chew? What's going to happen next? Only one way to find out! R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	129. Subconscious Discovery!

"Frozen?! What do you mean frozen?"

Meida had been arguing with the bank for the last two hours. Everyone of her debit cards were invalid due to Toru freezing her assets. Slamming down the phone in disgust, Meida sat on the couch.

"Could this get any worse?"

The sound of a vehicle driving by alerted Meida. Rushing to the window, she saw the luxury SUV being towed away. Rushing outside, she turned and saw a note on the door. Quickly ripping it off,she skimmed the paper. "Repossessed under orders from the Tateishi Zaibatsu."

Things had just gotten worse. Meida cursed Toru but lamented that she had no means of transportation, virtually no money save for the cash on her person. How was she supposed to find Solin without any resources? Meida remembered Roland's suggestion about taking the train to the Great Plains region but traveling around without much money or a vehicle would be tough. Especially considering the region's harsh climate.

Gathering a small bag, Meida met up with the others as they began their trek to the train station. "Meida, traveling on the train is pretty fun." Roland said

"Heh."

The group walked through the busy downtown streets, earning glances and stares from other bystanders, largely in part to Gatrion and Gansu Genso. Ignoring them, they continued onwards towards the train station. The rumbling of tracks and the sound of engines prompted Meida and the others to sped up their pace. After reaching the elegant brick building, they quickly hurried inside. The train station's main hallway was packed full of people, their happy buzz echoed everywhere. Shops, cafes, bookstores and numerous other things were plastered everywhere, almost like a mall.

"Guys, I'll go buy the tickets. Look around until I come back." Meida said, scurrying off

"Wait, you don't know where you're going!" Roland called out to her

Meida did not hear Roland due to the ongoing loud buzz amongst the other people. She continued forward, pushing through the crowd in search of the ticket desk. The further she went down the hallway, the thinner the crowd around her had gotten. After about another minute or so, Meida was all alone. She stopped for a moment to take in her surroundings. The numerous stores and cafes were replaced by could painted white brick walls. Meida considered turning back for a moment but had a hunch that she was going in the right direction.

As she continued down the corridor, a thumping noise went between her ears, causing her to stop and look around for a moment. Not seeing anything, Meida kept walking but the thumping had gotten louder. Before Meida could go any faster, the thumping suddenly stopped. Turning around, she saw nobody behind her, sighing she turned forward to continue walking but suddenly saw someone in front of her, causing her to scream.

The source of the thumping was none other than an annoyed Hori. "What the hell did you do that for?"

"It's not my fault you humans are afraid of your own shadows." he retorted

"What did you come to me for?"

"Those other idiots were getting on my last nerves and you ran off without anybody telling you where the ticket office is at. It's not like you to not know where you're going."

"I've had a lot on my mind lately.."

"I know. Anyway, Roland said that the ticket office is right around the corner over there."

"One other thing, why did you make all of that noise? You usually just teleport."

"I did teleport. What are you talking about? I don't sense human or mamodo in the area." Hori replied, looking at Meida with skepticism in his tone

Meida put her suspicions aside, as she and Hori continued the path to the ticket office. What they didn't realize at the time, was that Meida's suspicions of somebody following her were in fact correct. They continued down the corridor and around the path, finally seeing their destination up ahead.

Reaching the ticket office, they were greeted by a young woman with straight raven hair and friendly lavender eyes. Her work uniform consisted of a white silk blouse, knee length black skirt and brown stockings. Seeing Meida and Hori, she greeted them with a sweet smile.

"Hi, welcome to the train station! Do you need tickets?"

"Yes. Eight tickets please." Meida replied, handing over the cash in exchange for the tickets.

"Have a safe and wonderful trip." she said sweetly handing the tickets to her, slightly leaning over and dipping her arm a bit, losing her balance a little.

Meida thanked the woman and the duo were on their way back to the others. Hori turned and eyed the woman suspiciously for a moment before turning back around, keeping pace with his partner. Watching them leave, a smile crept upon the woman's face.

* * *

><p>As Meida and Hori continued onwards, Meida realized Hori's grim expression. "What's the problem, that isn't your usual scowl."<p>

Hori did not immediately respond. He was too deep in thought but it was still more than obvious that something as troubling him. Meida continued to wonder what could be up with her mamodo partner who seemed pretty indifferent like usual until a few minutes ago. Before she could delve any deeper, Meida felt her vision fade and her body grow heavy. The wave of grogginess crept up her body until it became almost impossible to move. Meida felt her vision fade even further before collapsing to the ground.

"Meida!"

Hori picked up his partner and knew he had to teleport fast. Just as he thought, something was not right but Meida needed help immediately. He quickly teleported, bound to Roland and the others then onto the nearest hospital.

* * *

><p>The woman at the ticket office slowly got up from the chair and looked around before peeling her face off like cheap latex, slowly revealing green reptilian skin and large yellow orbs for eyes. Psycher, the humanoid lizard mamodo smiled to himself as he flashed the silver dagger coated in a thin layer of blood before sliding it back into a compartment neatly tucked inside of the blouse's sleeve.<p>

Leaving the office, he kicked the real ticket office worker's unconscious body and slammed the door shut. Psycher then placed a small earpiece on his ear and simultaeneously pushed a button.

"Psycher reporting in. I have stabbed Tateishi Meida."

"Does the target still live?" Felicity's voice asked, slightly annoyed

"Most likely. I did not stab any vital organs but I'm sure her eventual loss of blood will keep her incapacitated."

"Finish the job. Even if it takes your human partner."

"Yes ma'am. Psycher out."

* * *

><p>"<em>Am I...dead?'<em>

_"Where am I exactly?"_

Meida saw walls of orange surrounding her in every direction. She had no idea whether she was still alive or not but wherever she was, it definitely wasn't home. She didn't know how she could accurately describe where she was other than the fact that it was surprisingly warm and of course, the orange walls. Meida then realized she spoke too soon regarding the warm part as the temperature took a sudden free fall.

With no winter jacket or anything protective, Meida's body shivered and trembled in the frigid temperature.

"What kind of place is this?!" she exclaimed

**"You're in your own subconscious."**

"Who said that?"

A flurry of snow blew into Meida's face as a body formed from the snow. The being formed was almost as tall as she was, stopping a few inches short. The being continued taking form. Meida saw messy blue hair, pale gray skin and of course a hoodie in addition to some slightly baggy jeans.

Meida was unsure what exactly the being was until she saw lines running down their face, indicating that they were a mamodo. Judging by the appearance, Meida instantly guessed that the being was male but still wondered who he was exactly.

"Who are you?"

**"I am the one you've been looking for."** he replied

"Solin?!"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN-Short chapter + cliffhanger = trolling writer**_

_**I forgot to mention that I was taking the previous week off, sorry about that guys. Psycher has stabbed Meida, making her go unconscious due to loss of blood. Felicity and Alam went behind Toru's back to take care of Meida themselves. Meida has found Solin but not in the way she thought she would. **_**_How in the hell is this possible? The answer has been talked about in multiple previous chapters but will discussed once again on Wednesday so those of you who don't look will be reminded anyway. More to come on all of this in the ongoing chapters. R&R folks!  
><em>**


	130. The flower of compassion finally blooms!

"Yes, I am Solin otherwise known as The Ice Titan."

"But how are you talking to me right now?"

"I have been watching you for quite some time now. I am able to talk with you in spite of you being in a coma because my mind is synchronized with yours thanks to my Tao Mode."

"I'm in a coma...that would explain why I'm in my subconscious right now. If you're in Tao Mode and I'm in a coma then based on what I heard about it, you're meditating somewhere."

"That is correct, I have a very special reason why I'm synchronizing with you right now."

"What is so special about me?"

"I cannot tell you the answer to that right now. _**(**__**A/N- For those of you who may have forgot, go back to Chapter 108 where Solin explains things to Josh and Jyan.)**_ You must figure it out on your own and will need to continue to guide Hori down that path so he can fully realized it himself."**  
><strong>

"I see...wait, if you have been tracking us this whole time then why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Like I said before, it was best that you and Hori have these experiences together in order to grow as partners and to reach the next level."

"Reach the next level..." Meida said to herself faintly

* * *

><p>Hori stood next to the bed steadfast. He had been watching over Meida for the last few days without any food nor sleep, there was no way he was going to make the same mistake twice.<p>

_"How could this have happened, I didn't sense any mamodo..."_

"Hori!"

The tired, white-haired mamodo turned to see Angie and Gansu Genso standing (or floating in GG's case) at the doorway. Hori grunted in acknowledgment.

"Did you see anything or anyone?" Angie asked

"If I had saw anyone, they wouldn't be alive right now." Hori snapped

"True." Angie and Gansu Genso replied in unison

"Anyway, you should get some rest. We can watch over Meida for you in the meantime." Angie suggested

"No. Whoever did this may return and try to finish Meida off...I didn't protect her and it should only be me to resolve this."

"Good luck then." Angie said as she and Gansu Genso turned to leave

* * *

><p>"I don't get it...where do we go from here? Everything has been in a complete downwhirl spiral." Meida said, sighing<p>

"Your resolve is far stronger than you think."

"Open your eyes and look around you. You brought many people together and Hori's heart is changing because of you."

Solin closed his eyes as the orange room around them changed into what seemed like an open field. The grass a lovely emerald and the breeze blowing gently around them. Meida looked up to see a party cloudy sky with numerous patches of deep blue.

"What is this?" she asked

"I have channeled through your mind in order to find these memories."

Meida wasn't sure if she was to feel impressed, amazed, violated or perhaps all of the above. She nodded as Solin continued."

"Take a look at the experiences you two have had and the effect on Hori."

The sunny, breezy area quickly shifted to what appeared to be a familiar creepy wooded area.

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...Chapter 109]<em>

_Red particles built up in the spider head on Venom's chest before releasing a beam heading straight for Celandor. The attack would have been a direct hit if it wasn't for a bright flash of purple flames. Hori and Meida materialized from the inferno, spell book in hand._

_"I'm your new target." he declared_

_..._

_"They're retreating." Meida said, looking up_

_"This isn't the last we'll see of them, I'll make sure I bring him down." Hori said, clinching his fist_

_"T-Thank you for saving me." The now freed Celandor said timidly_

_"I wasn't trying to save you, I wanted to fight a strong opponent." Hori scoffed as he and Meida teleported away_

_[End Flashback...]_

"I remember that place. We saw that mamodo get attacked and we jumped in to save him." Meida replied

"Correct, let me take you to the next place."

* * *

><p>Solin closed his again and the dark woods turned into the Tateishi Family throne room.<p>

"This is where my entire family gathered after we heard about my father's supposed death and his will was being played..."

_[Flashback...Chapter 110]_

_"I don't know about this..." Meida said, unsure of the whole situation_

_"You're obliged to take it. Plus it gives us more resources to help me be king." Hori said flatly_

_Nodding, Meida stood up and walked to the podium, facing everybody in the room. Kasuda smiled and stepped aside as Meida took to the microphone. "I, Tateishi Meida hereby accept the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Tateishi Zaibatsu and matriarch of the Tateishi Clan. Turning to Kasuda, he bowed to her as a sign of respect and submission. Looking up, Meida saw the entire room, filled with hundreds of people, bow to her as well. The pattern at which people were bowing looked liked a stack of dominoes._

_[End Flashback...]_

"Hori encouraged me to become CEO and I eventually grew to love it and realized how much that company meant to my father and now, how much it means to me."

"Precisely."

* * *

><p>Closing his eyes once again, Solin brought Meida to the next memory.<p>

The throne room was then traded for a rocky terrain surrounded with numerous pine trees, rocky slopes and ridges.

"Mt. Fuji..." Meida said trailing off

_[Flashback..Chapter 114]_

_Unbeknownst to everyone, Roku's shadow subtly transformed into a blade, he was going for Kiichiro's throat! Just as he was able to snuff out the young girl's life, he saw his shadow break into pieces and his stomach under an overwhelming amount of pressure. Hori teleported, slamming into Roku's stomach, forcing him to break the spell! Hori then grabbed Kiichiro and teleported back to Meida and Slash. Kiichiro quickly ran to her partner, wrapping her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. Slash however, pushed Kiichiro backwards and ripped off her pink robe, tossing it in the air as it exploded._

_"Cowardly bastard planted a bomb on Kiichiro's robe."_

_Roku and Francis quickly fled the scene, but the others were not worried for they knew they would cross paths again eventually._

_"Thank you for saving me." Kiichiro said sweetly_

_"I simply wanted to fight a strong opponent. I only saved you so I can get my shot at Slash." Hori scoffed_

_"I don't think you mean that." she said_

_Hori paused and for a moment, he felt nostalgic looking into Kiichiro's bright eyes full of wonder. "Naive little girl." he said dismissively before turning to Slash_

_[End Flashback...]_

"Hori saved Slash's partner that day. Even though he had his back against the wall, he kept fighting and got the upper hand. Not once did I doubt he would save that little girl."

"Now, you're getting it." Solin said as they continued on

* * *

><p>The mountainous area was gone and replaced by the burnt remains of the youth center Omar oversaw.<p>

"We were here not too long ago..."

_[Flashback...Chapter 124]_

_Danny felt his body instinctively open his eyes. He saw a familiar white-haired boy standing over him!_

_"Huh?" Danny asked groggily shooting up_

_"About time you wake up, you mumbling some bullshit about being dead." Hori grunted, not really looking at Danny_

_"Thank you!" Danny exclaimed, running and hugging Hori tightly_

_In response Hori gently pushed the boy away and began walking away_

_"H-how did you know I was in there?" Danny asked, his voice soft and timid_

_Hori stopped in his tracks but did not answer immediately._

"_It doesn't matter..." Hori said, still looking at the burning building_

_Before Danny could say anything to respond to Hori, a police car came on the scene. A woman in her mid to late 30s got out of the back of the police car, running over to Danny. Embracing him tightly as the tears rolled down her cheeks._

_"Thank goodness you're alright." she said, continuing her tight embrace_

_"Mom..."_

_"When you didn't come home from the center, and I saw reports of it catching on fire...I...I didn't know what to think."_

_"That boy over there saved me. Otherwise, I would have been a goner." Danny said pointing to Hori as his mother finally let go of him_

_The woman approached Hori, eyes still full of tears and hugged him as well to which Hori did not hug back but the shocked look on his face said it all._

_"Thank you for saving my son. There aren't too many people especially kids, who have such compassion to do what you did. Danny has often came home crying because of the others mistreating and bullying him at the center but for the first time today, I can tell that he was happy. He is happy to have met you today Hori and I know he won't forget it. Your parents have been raising you well, I wish I knew how to thank you since we don't have very much..."_

_"Don't worry about it." Hori said gruffly_

_"No, really I-"_

_"I said it was fine!"_

_Danny's mother smiled as she stood back up and took Danny by the hand. "Bye Hori! Thank you for saving me! I want to play with you again really soon!"_

_Hori did not say anything back to Danny as he and his mother were escorted away by the officer, who had called the fire department, but saw Meida standing nearby. "You did well." she said with a small smile, ruffling his hair_

_[End Flashback...]_

"Hori was genuinely concerned about Danny despite not openly saying it and he saved his life. I remember this day clearly...it was the first time I ever smiled at him."

* * *

><p>Solin simply nodded in agreement as they went forward. The interior of Meida's field office surrounded them. She saw herself, looking towards the ground and Hori standing next to her.<p>

_[Flashback...Chapter 126]_

_"I never wanted to become a CEO and only did so because of Hori's suggestion of trying it...I...I...I understand why my father loved it so much. I have come to love my job and my zaibatsu as much as he did and to see what I love and everything he worked for go away like that...damn it!" She slammed her disk on the desk again and again. Tears flowed out of her eyes as her grief overtook her._

_Hori actually felt his face soften after watching Meida's grief. He felt himself wanting to reach out to his partner and do something for her._

_"What is this feeling? Why do I want to reach out to Meida? I feel her grief too...it's as though when she suffers, I suffer. Is the connection between humans and mamodo truly this strong?"_

_Hori clenched his fist and his indifference towards Toru quickly became hatred. He wanted revenge and to retake the Tateishi Zaibatsu, giving to its rightful owner. He heard the door slam, he looked up and saw that Meida was nowhere to be find and head set off into the streets. Not wanting to waste any time, Hori quickly set off after her, knowing she was too emotional and might do something rash. Realizing that he was about to make a rash decision himself, he stopped for a moment._

_Hori looked up and saw Aaron, Angie, Omar and Gansu Genso on the stairwell with concerned looks on their faces._

_"We heard the whole thing." Omar said_

_"I'm...sorry." Angie remarked_

_"Angie, Gansu Genso do you sense that?" Hori asked, not acknowledging the part of them overhearing_

_"Yeah." Angie said_

_"Ditto." Gansu Genso responded_

_"We need to get moving." Hori remarked as they quickly set off_

_[End Flashback...]_

Meida's eyes were widened, gently trembling.

* * *

><p>Without saying a word, Solin closed his eyes and a white light surrounded from every direction.<p>

"I don't recognize this place."

"Of course you don't. You were unconscious but you still picked up on it subconsciously."

_[Flashback...a few days earlier]_

_Hori was standing over a now heavily bleeding Meida as he worked desperately to close up her wound. He ripped off his own shirt and tied it around her torso, blood stained his hands and wrists but he did not care. Meida's breathing was much faster than normal, Hori's face darkened as he picked her up and put her over his back. In fear of damaging her further if he teleported, Hori walked down the long and twisting corridors as Meida's short and rapid breaths continued. Looking closely, tears were falling from his eyes in small drips. His steps staggered a little when he felt blood run down his arms, Hori's temporary crude treatment on Meida's wound was not effective enough. _

_"I can't use my own healing ability on her...she'll die by the time I get even halfway finished. She's lost a lot of blood at this point...I'll retie it and keep going."_

_Hori's hands became even bloodier as he fixed the crude mend made from his shirt. Quickly fixing it, he picked her back up and continued through the station not stopping even once. After reaching the crowded part of the train station, he immediately placed Meida on the ground as numerous people including the other allies rushed over to him. Within minutes, paramedics arrived and Meida was placed on a stretcher. _

_The bloodied Hori got into the ambulance with the paramedics as they rushed her to the hospital. "You did a fine job holding off the wound until we could get here young man. You should be proud of yourself." one of the paramedics said to Hori who didn't reply back_

_[End Flashback...]_

"And he's been standing by your bedside ever since." Solin told her

Tears filled Meida's eyes but unlike the previous memory, she was smiling. Finally, she understood what Solin was telling her.

"Hori's compassion for others and especially you, has grown little by little each and every day. At one time, he was in a dark place and was very cruel and ruthless but you Meida, you have shown him another path."

Wiping her eyes, Meida felt a new resolve burn through her body. Without these experiences she had while traveling around looking for Solin, who knows where they would be now.

"When I get out of my coma, we will get the Tateishi Zaibatsu back and then stop Toru along with The Black Corps." Meida said with a confident smile

* * *

><p>Hori continued standing next to the unconscious Meida as the hospital door flew open. The doctor and his assistant came into the room, fully clothed in scrubs in addition to surgical masks and gloves.<p>

"Hello there young man. We're here to give a check up on Ms. Tateishi, can you please step out of the room for a few minutes?"

Hori nodded as he walked outside and felt the door close behind him. He decided to take a stroll down the hall since he knew his extremely tired body would fall asleep if he sat down. Up ahead, he saw a figure leaned against the wall and getting closer to it, he saw what appeared to be a doctor's assistant. Gently touching the assistant, he fell to the ground like a heap of bricks. "Damn it." Hori growled

Looking further around the corner, Hori saw numerous people laying against the wall or on the floor, including the doctor. "No..."

Hori turned and began to run back down the corridor to Meida's room. He did not have enough energy to teleport but that did not stop him from sprinting. Reaching Meida's room, he flung the door open and saw the "doctor" with a scalpel in hand. Hori saw the scalpel was nearing Meida's throat and with an amazing force of sheer willpower, he teleported in front of his partner and knocked the scalpel away.

"Just who are you?" he demanded

The "doctor" stepped back and pulled his face off, ripping it like it was cheap latex, revealing none other than a familiar humanoid lizard.

"Psycher!"

"The one and only."

The imposter assistant, not taking off his surgical mask or scrubs, revealed a mauve spell book.

"This is Jöergen, my human partner."

"I don't give a damn who your partner is. You die here."

"How will that happen? Your book owner is in a coma and you haven't had any sleep in days."

"I will protect Meida, even if it means my life."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- So...we're going to end the chapter here. Just as Hori predicted, Psycher is back to finish the job and this time, has brought his human partner along. Solin has helped Meida realize how far Hori has truly come and far they have left to go. Hori is at a massive disadvantage but will fight anyway. Hori vs Psycher in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_


	131. Finding a way out!

"If you're offering your life then I'm obliged to take it. Jöergen, if you please."

"_Gorusen!"_

Hori looked around him as nothing in the room changed nor did Psycher fire any attack on him, it was as the spell did nothing. Not letting his guard down, he kept his eyes on Psycher.

"I see I have you undivided attention. Jöergen, round two!"

_"Goreida!"_

Hori looked around one again as it seemed that nothing happened. Even though the hospital room among everything else looked unscathed, Hori knew better.

"Welcome to my domain." Psycher announced

"Your domain?"

"You don't remember back in Elite Review all of those years ago? You are under my illusion."

"Your illusion?"

"I can manipulate anything I want. Observe."

The heavy wooden door behind Hori opened as a cart rolled into the room containing numerous scalpels and other surgical supply. The scalpels ascended from the cart, levitating in the air. The sharp instruments began hovering over Hori before circling around him.

"So if this is an illusion, then there isn't any damage you can do to me since I know it isn't real." Hori replied observantly

At that moment, multiple scalpels came upon Hori, cutting him multiple times. To the white haired boy's surprised, he felt a excruciatingly sharp pain on various areas of his body.

"Ahhh!"

Hori slowly raised his arm where numerous small but deep cuts decorated it. Blood slowly dripped, forming a thin puddle on the floor. Checking his other areas, he also saw blood trailing before dripping to the floor.

"Wrong. Even though this is an illusion created by me, I can still inflict pain."

A second set of scalpels rose from the cart and made a beeline for Hori. He tried to dodge but his body felt heavier than a few tons of bricks, the scalpels cut across his skin, bring more pain upon him. Much to his dismay, the intensity of the bleeding picked up a bit. Fortunately Hori wasn't a human, otherwise he would be suffering the same fate as Meida if not worse.

"How does it feel to be helpless and cornered like a rat"

Hori didn't answer him, too angry and in too much pain to speak.

"I'm going to cut you slowly and little by little until I feel like forcing you to show me where your book is hidden."

Psycher walked up to Hori, still unable to move due to the perceived weight of us body. Reaching him , he placed his cold, scaly hand on Hori's forehead. Hori tried to grab onto Psycher's arm in an attempt to rip it out of the lizard mamodo's shoulder socket but it was futile. Hori's body tensed up as Psycher tightened his grip on Hori's forehead.

An icy chill ran through Hori's body as he was rendered helpless. Psycher's thin and narrow tongue slithered out of his mouth a few times as his lips stretched out, forming a smile of some sorts.

"Let's take a peak inside of this mind of yours."

"_Dioga Goru-"_

Before Jöergen could finish reading the spell, his body was slammed into a nearby wall. It was clear that he was injured but protected Psycher's spell book. Hori then noticed the room's surroundings beginning to twist into and form into a spiral of sorts before what sounded like glass shattering vibrated through Hori's ears. Rubbing his eyes, he saw that he was still in Meida's hospital room exactly like it was before he confronted Psycher.

Turning around, he saw Gansu Genso, who was glowing with a green aura and Angie, with her katana drawn. Both Aaron and Omar had their respective spell books opened and glowing.

"Back off." Angie warned

"You have us to deal with now." Gansu Genso added in

"It seems that we've drawn too much attention." Psycher said rather calmly as Jöergen got to his feet, still hurt from Gansu Genso's charge into him

The pair turned and headed towards the window, jumping out before anybody could stop them. "Are you alright?" Angie asked, helping Hori to his feet

"Yeah...I'm not really good at this sort of thing...but..you know...thanks for saving my ass back there." Hori said groggily

"Don't mention it." Angie replied, sheathing her katana

"Meida vital signs are alright, it seems that she wasn't harmed." Gansu Genso said, floating back over to them

"The real doctors have woken up and will be coming to check on her shortly." Aaron added in

Hori nodded in acknowledgement before turning to Gansu Genso. Hori did not immediately say anything, as he felt himself thinking. _**(A/N- Think back to chapter 117 where it's explained how Gansu Genso was able to counter Psycher's illusion spell.)**_

"Gansu Genso...that green aura. That was the same spell you used back during Elite Review?"

"Yes, that would be correct."

"I see...at least I have a name and face now."

"Huh?"

"Psycher stabbed Meida and is a member of the Black Corps. He's gonna pay for everything he's done."

"In other words, we gotta take the fight to them." Angie said, excitement was evident in her voice.

"Precisely."

* * *

><p>Little did they know, Meida witnessed the whole ordeal thanks to Solin's assistance. "How do I get back?"<p>

She knew her question was a little too blunt but Solin understood the situation and did not react negatively to it.

"The answer is within." Solin explained

"Can you be a little more specific than that?" Meida asked, annoyed with Solin's riddles

"The answer you seek is very simple yet very difficult."

In response, Meida glared at Solin before closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "Okay...within..answer..I think I got it."

"Go ahead."

"You said the answer is within, well I'm already in my own subconscious so in that sense, I am within."

"Alright, you're partially there."

"Within...subconscious...me...okay I think I have the next part."

"I know it has to do with what's in the heart plus the power used from the spellbooks comes from the heart. Putting the two together, I get that I need to look inside my own heart"

As if on cue, a wooden brown door appeared in front of Meida. The dark haired girl tried to open the door but to no avail.

"You're halfway through, the door will only open once you fully understand my riddle."

Meida thought about everything she had learned and realized since she's been in a coma. The girl chuckled to herself before regaining her composure.

"Do you mind informing me on what you find funny?"

"I was so eager to get out of here, that I didn't think clearly but I know the rest of the riddle. After everything you showed me here, how could I not?"

Meida cleared her throat before making eye contact with Solin again.

"As long as I continue to follow my heart and show my compassion for others...I...no _**we** _will reach our goals and the Black Corps will not prosper."

The door opened and a blinding light was all she could see in front of her. Meida walked away from the door and to Solin where she gave a grateful bow. "Thank you for everything."

"If we are to stop The Black Corps and Blue's plans to become a mamodo god, then it can only be done with the Revelation Powers. My destiny is to lead the Revelation Holder into battle and **u****nite all seven virtues into one." **Solin said to her

**"**Where can I find you in person? There's still a lot of things for me to ask you about, like what actually happened to my father."

"Do not worry about finding me for you have more important things to tend to right now. Once the Tateishi Zaibatsu is reclaimed and the rest of the nightmares are taken care of, everything will come together."

Meida sighed, she really needed to know whether or not her father truly died and why there was ice coating his yacht. She knew Solin was right and felt that she could trust him and decided to put off her questions until then. She finally went through the door as the blinding light from earlier quickly engulfed her. She felt herself spring up and noticed that everybody was surrounding her.

"You're finally awake." Omar said with a smile

"Welcome back." Aaron said

Meida's attention focused on her mamodo partner who grunted in acknowledgement. He didn't have to tell her how relieved he was that she was back, not only because he wasn't the type of guy to be openly sentimental but mainly because she could see it in his eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Angie asked her

Shaking out her weariness, Meida looked as though she had to think about what Angie said. "I've...been better. That's besides the point, call the nurse in here."

"Why?"

"Once I pass all of my tests and get released from the hospital, we're going back to Japan."

The room's vibe quickly became one of excitement. Meida couldn't help but smile at this.

"I will get everything back!" she exclaimed

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN-I know it's a pretty short chapter but Wednesday's chapter will be much longer and bring on a human and mamodo we haven**_**_'t seen in quite some time. We will be propelled into the official start of Hori's character arc climax AND the midpoint in the overall Black Corps arc. Huge gamebreaker coming, R&R folks!  
><em>**


	132. Jyan and Josh return!

"All right Ms. Tateishi, your examination is complete."

Meida underwent an examination to determine her recovery rate and when she could be officially released. After a series of test were conducted the doctor was almost ready to give her the results.

"Can I leave today?"

"Sorry but you won't be leaving for at least another three weeks."

"Three weeks...I see." Meida said, disappointed. However, she knew that also meant more time to prepare.

Sighing, the former heiress flipped on the television, going straight for the Worldwide Business News channel. The newscaster was droning on and on about stocks while numerous stock market numbers, some green and some red were streaming across the screen. It was crazy on how much of a businesswoman Meida had became over the last few months or so. She felt the ongoing drone began to lull her to sleep until she heard a breaking news alert.

_"We have a Breaking News alert. Yamazaki Toru, CEO of the Tateishi Zaibatsu is under fire as an anonymous source has linked the Zaibatsu to allegedly funding Yakuza activities. Unconfirmed reports link the zaibatsu to drug trafficking, arms dealing, corporate raids, illegal animal smuggling and other shady activities. As a result, Tateishi Zaibatsu stocks have dropped tremendously and experts believe that the stock will continue to plummet over the oncoming weeks as investors continue to pull out. It is also speculated that the Tateishi Zaibatsu alleged investments into the Black Market is also a contributing factor to stocks recent mass plummet."  
><em>

Just then, Toru appeared on screen, as numerous mikes followed him en route to the stopped to turn to them as the numerous questions were fired at him in unison. "The Tateishi Zaibatsu is not involved into the alleged activity by any means. We are a family owned and operate conglomerate and will keep it that way. We will be launching our own internal investigation in the oncoming days as well."

A disgusted Meida flung the TV remote at the screen, turning it off. Toru was running the company her father built from nothing into the ground. She _had _to get it back and pronto.

"Meida, you have some visitors." the nurse called out to her

Sitting up in the bed, Meida was surprised when she first laid eyes on her visitors. "Josh...Jyan? What are you to doing here?"

Before Josh could speak, Hori stormed into the room. "What the hell do you want?" he snarled, glaring at Jyan

"Mind your own business." Jyan said flatly

"Hori, enough." Meida said sternly before looking back up at Josh

"Sorry for the unexpected visit, there's something you two need to know about." Josh explained

"What is it exactly and how did you guys find me here?"

"Well, we heard from Chainz who was told by CJ who was told by Beat who was told by Angie."

"Leave it to Angie to run her mouth." Hori muttered

"About what I needed to tell you guys, it all started back when I was looking at the USB drive my sister gave me..."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...one week ago.]<em>

_"Josh, it's been quite some time...are you ready for this?"_

_"Yeah, Marisa gave it to me for a reason. There seems to be something on here she wanted us to know."_

_Josh put the USB into his laptop as his laptop acknowledged it. A screen popped up, leading him to click on the file. After clicking on it, numerous smaller files popped up labeled after numerous subjects but one that especially caught his eye was labeled "Revelation Powers". Clicking on the link, Josh couldn't believe his eyes on what he saw next. The label on top of the screen said "Revelation Power subjects and theories by Martin Hawk".  
><em>

_"Of course, I remember back when I was telling Marty what I saw from Jyan and he was writing it all down, but how did Marisa get ahold of Marty's files? Why would she want me to look at these?"_

_Josh began scrolling down and saw a folder labeled "Jyan". Clicking on it, he saw a folder labeled "profile" and clicked. It listed basic details such as his height, weight hair color, eye color and spell element. What intrigued Josh the most, was an A+ under his picture. "Why does Jyan have an A+ under his picture..." Of course, he found his answer almost immediately._

_"Potential threat level...I see."  
><em>

_[End Flashback...]_

"Interestingly enough, Hori and I had a confrontation with him a while ago. He showed up around the same time those Black Corps guys did, perhaps he has some sort of ties to them."

"It could explain why Black Corps members have been targeting us...he did have a list in the files." Josh said, shaking his head

"A list? Explain."

"Well, it was more than that..."

_[Continuing Flashback...]_

_After clicking away from Jyan's profile information, Josh saw a similar one on Slash but his threat level was an S instead of an A+ like Jyan's. Looking through the files, he saw another one labeled "Revelation Powers". Immediately clicking on it, a PDF file containing numerous pages of info immediately drew Josh's interest as he begn to read it._

_"Revelation Powers are an immense power boost given to very few mamodo who display not only the potential power capacity but also the character to obtain it. Makai lore has it that only the chosen seven can receive said powers but my theory is that there is a way they can be artificially unlocked and wielded. How did the Revelation Powers come to be?  
><em>

_From what Sly, my mamodo partner learned from ancient Makai texts, the original battle for king started approximately 83,000 years ago. At this time, wars occurred on a regular basis, as numerous tribes fought and fought for control with no outright victor. The leader of every tribe and clan held a summit and decided that the strongest child would fight for the right to be king. After extensive debate, roughly eight hundred children were established as candidates for the battle to be king. In an attempt to avoid cheating and interference, they were all sent to the human world, otherwise known as Earth to hold their battle there. Upon reaching the Earth they were given stone tablets to which their spells appeared. In order to make the competition even tougher, it was established that only the primitive humans of that era could read the tablets.  
><em>

_ After a very long and hard fought battle amongst the eight hundred children, a winner was crowned. The very first king of the Makai was known as Glacies, an extremely powerful mamodo who primarily wielded ice. It is widely believed amongst mamodo that Glacies is primarily responsible for what humans know as the Ice Age. _

_Once Glacies' reign began, he realized that he had no desire to rule forever and that in order to prevent being a tyrant, he needed to create a cycle so that other generations may be allowed to rule. He hated the aristocracy and believed that just because you were born into royalty, does not necessarily make you a good leader. So he made it an established law that after one thousand years, the next battle for king will begin but in order to cut down the chaos and to be more selective he drastically cut the number down to one hundred.  
><em>

_Another reason why Glacies is considered to be the greatest mamodo king of all time, is because of the virtues he used in his rule. those virtues are known as **Love **(he loved his queen, his children and his subjects dearly)**, Friendship **(his friendship with his partner and fellow mamodo aided him through tough times),** Compassion **(being a compassionate king gave him empathy and aided his decision making),** Courage **(he knew he had to be brave for the entire Makai and during the battle for king. As a king, he always faced danger and continued having the heart of a lion.),** Forgiveness **(he forgave those who wronged him and other forgave him for when he made a mistake, as not even he was perfect. This gave him the strength to learn and move on.) **Faith **(He had faith he could stabilize the Makai and that there was good within most.) and **Hope **(He had hope that future generations could surpass even him and his accomplishments).  
><em>

_After his one thousand year reign, Glacies stepped down from the throne just as he promised before he became king. The second battle for king occurred shortly after and to his chagrin, the next king was Agoria, a hellhound mamodo. Agoria's reign was drastically different from Glacies and his corruption quickly engulfed the Makai. It is widely speculated that Glacies could have opposed and overthrown Agoria despite his old age but decided not to since that would be against everything he established._

_Instead, Glacies split his power into seven parts. He thought of things that made him a strong king and decided to seal said fragments of power with those virtues. He noted that when he realized the value of Love, Friendship, Compassion, Courage, Forgiveness, Faith and Hope, it was like a sudden revelation. Thus, he dubbed them as Revelation Points. After sealing his power inside of the seven stone tablets, he had the tablets locked away and gave knowledge of its whereabouts to Agoria despite his corruption as means to pass down the info to future kings. _

_One thing he did not tell Agoria, was that when the time came for the Revelation Tablets to be unlocked, they not only must come into the contact with the moonlight crystals or even the stone of moonlight but also one of his descendents will have to lead all seven holders. In order for all seven virtues to become one. When all seven became one, it is said that an eighth revelation power will arise and when united, all corruption and evil will be destroyed. _

_For _millennia, the revelation tablets stayed locked away for even though Agoria ad the kings after him, knew of the tablets, there was no way any of them could unlock their power so they were eventually deemed worthless. That all changed during the reign of King Bell II or as any of us like to call him, Zatch the Appeaser. It is documented that he had a premonition in a ream that the Revelation Powers would finally be needed and had them sent to Earth immediately. As his dreams continued, he knew that his very short reign was coming to an end since the chaos and civil wars escalated beyond control. __

__Fast forward to a few months ago. We knew when the Light Society brought the tablets under the crystals of moonlight that the Revelation Powers would finally be unlocked and that if the chosen were in close range of it, their bodies would give off a strange radiation. Quietly observing them, we diligently took down every ounce of information we could and knew we had to get a closer look. We have confirmed Slash and Jyan as Revelation Holders, especially after they wielded them for the first time. The true extent of Revelation Power is currently unknown but my new theory is that it can be artificially corrupted and expanded judging by the sample we seized. We also have a persons of interest list containing various mamodo we have been especially observing to see if they are also potential revelation holders.  
><em>_

__"Persons of Interest list?" Josh questioned, scrolling to find said list__

__The list included Chainz, Hori, Sundance, CJ, Azure, Angie, Gansu Genso, Solaria, Beat and other names he did not recognize. Josh finally realize that Marty was the one responsible for his sister's death because she knew too much. Even then, it only halfway made sense. Why would she willingly go to meet with Marty, knowing what would happen to her? There had to something more to it. Maybe there's something else to the USB Marisa gave him among many other questions, but Josh put his thoughts aside for later.  
><em>_

__"Jyan, it's time to go inform the others on what we found."__

__[End Flashback...]__

* * *

><p>"Thanks for the info...I'm sorry about your sister."<p>

"It's alright and no problem. I still have a few others I need to call."

Amongst their conversation, Hori and Jyan glared at each other. The animosity stemming from their previous encounter were still heavily present.

"Come on Jyan, time to go." Josh called out. Meida, noticing the growing tension between the two mamodo and the look in Hori's eye, stopped Josh from leaving.

"What's up?"

"Let's have a battle. It isn't right for two mamodo to encounter each other and not have a battle since we still are determining who will be king."

Josh looked over at Jyan who clearly didn't forget their last fight. Seeing the determined look on his face, there was no way Josh could say no.

"Sounds good to me."

"I've been wanting to see this Revelation Power in person. That is if you can actually activate it for more than a few seconds this time." Hori sneered

_[Flashback..Chapter 93]_

_"How disappointing and to think trash like you unlocked Revelation Power. Let's be serious here, I KNOW you aren't using it and quite frankly, it's resulting in a losing battle for you." Hori said, mocking him_

_[End Flashback...]_

"I won't need it to beat you. Things have changed since we last fought."

Before heading outside, they retrieved a wheelchair for Meida and brought her out back. This particular hospital was located a few miles outside of the city, causing the "backyard" of the hospital to be a very vast open field covered in green grass and the occasional hill here and there. The sun sat at its peak as the two mamodo faced each other.

"It's time for some payback." Jyan said, cracking his knuckles

"Bring it." Hori said

Hori quickly teleported and reappeared in Jyan's face but the black haired mamodo quickly blocked his punches and pushed him back. Hori screeched to a halt by dragging his feet through the grass. This could finally be the challenge Hori had been waiting for with Jyan.

_**A/N- Toru is running everything into the ground (or is he?) Meida is stuck in the hospital for another three weeks. Josh and Jyan learn not only learn the origin of the revelation powers but Marty and Sly's true antagonism. The Black Corps can only be truly defeated with all of the Revelation Powers. Meida and the others are fighting an uphill battle from here on out. Jyan and Hori undergo the next phase of their rivalry. So much more to come. R&R folks!**_


	133. A lapse of Judgement!

The wind swayed the tall blades of grass as Jyan and Hori stared each other down. No words were needed to be exchanged, their fists and spells did all of the talking.

"_Nekoruku!"_

Purple flames surrounded Hori's body as he released a roar into the sky. The flames roared intensely as he charged into Jyan, knocking him back. Jyan regained his balance, stopping himself from going back any farther. Not letting up, Hori unleashed numerous punches and kicks as Jyan blocked them. Seeing an opening, Jyan returned the favor with punches and kicks of his own.

"Even with you using your Nekoruku spell, I can still stay on par with you!" Jyan exclaimed, as his fist and Hori's collided into each other's, sending a shockwave through the area.

Falling back, the flaming purple aura faded from Hori as he panted heavily. Taking this opportunity, Josh flipped open the blue spell book and pointed directly at Hori.

"You know where to aim Jyan, _Chikelga!"_

Jyan's eyes routinely rolled to the back of his head as the aura beam fired from his mouth making a beeline towards Hori. There was no way Hori was going to be able to dodge it in a timely manner, Meida quickly retreated to another spell.

_"Nekoruga!"_

A purple flame beam was immediately released from Hori's hand, quickly countering the aura beam that came close to hitting them. The indigo spellbook glowed brighter as the purple beam began pushing back the blue aura beam before exploding, sending a thick cloud of smoke into the area. Jyan returned to consciousness as Hori jumped out of the smoke, his hand covered in purple flame.

Jyan back flipped away from Hori as his flame covered hand crashed into the ground, sending chunks of grass and soil everywhere. Hori immediately leaped as Jyan once again and continued his assault as he weaved and dodged his incoming blows. In spite of this, Hori pushed on and finally caught Jyan, slamming his fist into his stomach with tremendous force behind his fist. The black haired mamodo stumbled and coughed up a little blood, unable to stand up straight for a few moments.

"_Ganzu Nekoru!" _Meida chanted, taking advantage of these precious moments

Hori opened his hands as a large barrage of purple fireballs formed and collided into Hori in rapid succession. Small clouds of smoke appeared everywhere as the onslaught of small but powerful fireballs kept coming. Jyan crashed into the ground, motionless. Smoke rose from his body as Hori stood over him triumphantly.

"Is that all you got? I thought that Revelation Power increased your power drastically. Pathetic."

Hori turned to walk away but stopped in his tracks when he heard the grass rustle. Turning around, he saw Jyan not only on his feet but with a grin on his face.

"What the hell are you smiling for?"

"You are powerful and you are one of the Talented Five for a reason...but if you think that's all you have to do to take me down, you're sadly mistaken."

A blue aura began coating Jyan as he got on all fours, glaring at Hori. Josh, held the now glowing blue spell book out as he stood with confidence.

"_Gaou Kloruku!"_

The blue aura fully coated Jyan's entire bordy are aura claws formed on both hands and claws emerged from his shoes. Jyan's eyes glowed red as he released a shattering wolf's howl. Jyan disappeared in a blur and reappeared in Hori's face, slamming down a heavy aura claw but Hori miraculously caught it with his bare hands.

The white haired mamodo boy knew he could not hold onto it for too long as Jyan's strength in this form was becoming overwhelming. He teleported from under Jyan's grasp to back in front of him.

"Meida, use Nekoruku again. That's the only way I can keep him at bay!"

_"The only problem with that, is Jyan was able to keep up with Hori when we used Nekoruku earlier and that was without him using any spells. Of course, we didn't use the full extent of Nekoruku and it most likely won't be enough but there's still a chance."_

"Alright Hori, if you're this confident then I'll take your word for it. _Nekoruku_!"

The flaming purple aura cloaked Hori's body once more as his roar filled the air. Jyan ran towards him, still on all fours but Hori held his hands out, stopping him in place. He grabbed Jyan by the arm and tossed him into the air, Hori then set his feet into the ground took in a deep breath before releasing a large jet of dark flames towards Jyan, who hit the flames almost immediately, setting off another explosion in midair.

Jyan came out of the black smoke, aura claws outstretched and Hori met him in midair. A streak of blue and a streak of purple could be seen in midair, colliding with each other over and over. Neither Josh nor Meida could make out what exactly was going on other than a battle that at the moment could go either way.

Both mamodo boys landed on the ground feet first before panting heavily. "Josh...let's take this up another notch. I'm gonna put Hori down, I want you to set it up."

"Jyan, you really want to use _that_?"

Jyan simply nodded as Josh flipped pages in the spell book. "Alright."

_"Crytalas Chikelga!"_

Jyan's eyes rolled to the back of his head as nine large blue crystals, roughly the size of a four story building as far as height goes, rose from the ground in numerous odd places on the battlefield including one in a considerable distance far behind the others. They did not perform any particular pattern, it was as if they were sprouted up at random. Sensing something surging from underneath him, Hori jumped out of the way as another large crystal emerged from the ground under him. "What is this?" he pondered to himself

Jyan returned to consciousness to see a confused Hori and smiled to his amusement. "Josh, let's give them a little demonstration."

Josh pointed towards to the nearest crystal in front of them. "_Chikelga!"_

Jyan's mouth opened as another aura beam emerged and went through the crystal, the beam's size doubled and blue sparks danced around it as Hori teleported out of the way. The beam destroyed all of the grass and seared the earth in its path, much to Meida and Hori's bewilderment.

"_I see, so those crystals enhance the strength of Jyan's spells. There's no way those crystals are scatted at random, there must be some kind of pattern we can figure out or at the very least, some strategy around them." Meida thought to herself_

Meida looked at Hori who nodded in response, as if he was thinking to same thing as she was.

"_Nekoru!"_

Hori ran towards Jyan before jumping high into the air and a releasing a blast of purple flame from his hand. Jyan however, sidestepped him as he darted to the left side of the battlefield. Coming down from his jump, Hori landed on top of a nearby crystal overlooking the battlefield. Josh pointed at an adjacent crystal, opening the spell book.

_"Chikelga!"_

Jyan opened his mouth and fired another aura blast the crystal glowed as the aura beam doubled in size and made a straight path towards the crystal Hori was perched on top of. Smirking, Hori teleported to the next adjacent crystal as the beam tripled in size. Before the beam fully reached the fourth crystal, Hori teleported once more and continued that process through the eighth crystal. By this point the aura beam was of a massive size and began to dissipate.

"What?!"

Hori smirked as the aura beam continued breaking apart as it's path towards the ninth crystal set up far behind the others grew closer. Jyan, still temporarily unconscious, gave Hori an ideal opening. One that Meida also saw as well.

"Meida now!

_"Rior Nekoru!_"

Hori opened both hands as purple flames built up in front of his palms and were released in the form of stick-like beams, hitting Jyan directly and crashing into the ground. Hori landed feet first and stood on top of the nearest crystal in front of Jyan and Josh.

"Your crystals originally seemed to be set up at random but after watching it the second time, I realized that you set them up to where your spell can hit every crystal adjacent to it if you choose to. I teleported to each crystal knowing that while the aura beam grows stronger and larger, if it grows too large, it will implode within itself and therefore collapse, making it ineffective which is why it's not a good thing for it to chain too many times."

"That all is true but you forgot something." Josh said

Hori's eyes widened as he realized Josh's words and immediately turned around only to see a small, very thin beam coming towards him. Before he could teleport, the beam hit him, knocking him off of the large crystal and exploded in midair. The black smock made the air around their battlefield extremely thick and burned Meida's throat as if she inhaled a chimney. Hori dropped from the air like a lead weight, smoke trailed from his burnt and bruised body. He hit the ground with a loud thud.

"Hori!' Meida exclaimed as she wheeled over to her fallen partner. She could barely see in front of her but that was not going to stop her from getting to him. They made a huge blunder and Hori paid the price. How could they have forgotten about the crystal positioned significantly behind the others? Finally reaching her partner, she reached out and picked him up, cradling him in her lap.

Meida wheeled out of the smoke and met with Josh and Jyan at the least smokiest area. "Is he alright?" Josh asked

"Yeah, Hori will be fine. His body is strong and can take it."

"We use an odd number of crystals as a way to offset the disadvantage of having too big of a chain reaction. Even though the spell begins to implode and collapse once it gets too big and can no longer expend any further, not all of it immediately dissipates. When the remnants of our chikelga spell for example, gets to the last crystal, it is all compressed into a small beam. This beam unleashes not only the chained power but almost has tremendous amounts of pressure behind it. Hori's endurance is amazing as that beam would have literally crushed any non-mamodo and perhaps even some mamodo."

Meida felt Hori move around in her lap and to her shock he took the indigo spell book from her and got to his feet. His tattered clothes hung from his body as he limped towards Jyan and Josh before stopping and tossing his book on the ground in front of them.

"Hori, what are you doing?!" Meida asked him, shocked

"I lost and therefore concede my spell book." Hori said as his hair casted a shadow over his eyes.

In a split second, Hori was falling towards the ground, an enraged Jyan standing over him, his fist shaking.

"Jyan!" Josh exclaimed

"So that's it? You're going to give up your shot at being king?"

Hori said nothing in response to this.

"If a minor setback is all it takes for you to quit, then perhaps I should burn your book."

"Just shut up already, you won. What more do you want from me?"

"That's where you're wrong. I haven't won anything yet, you beat me last time we fought so we're tied one apiece. If you're the elite you supposedly are then obviously you would never accept losing to someone like me. Instead, you'd be out training harder than before."

Hori was still silent.

"Also, isn't your goal to help Meida get her zaibatsu back? How can you do that if you just give up and take the easy way out?"

Before Jyan could say another word, Hori shot up and punched him in the face, returning the favor from earlier. Jyan wiped the small dribble of blood from his mouth and smirked.

"Our next fight won't be here on Earth because this planet isn't a big enough battlefield for us." Hori said as his white flowed in the wind, he tried to take another step but collapsed. "Hori!" Meida exclaimed as she rolled her wheelchair over and reached down to pick him up.

"Meida...I promise...I will get your zaibatsu back and Psycher, Toru...all of them will pay." Hori said weakly, using most of energy just to speak

"No Hori, _we _will get it back **together**."

"Josh, I also want to ask you something else." Meida said

"What's up?"

"Jyan is a revelation holder..have you encountered Solin the Ice Titan?"

"Yes...why do you ask?"

Meida explained her recent chat with Solin in her subconscious and everything he told her. She also explained her original search for Solin regarding the ice on her father's yacht in addition to his missing body during his supposed death.

"Considering Marty's list had Hori as a person of interest and the fact that Solin sought you out on his own. It is pretty likely that Hori is a potential Revelation Holder. If I had to guess, I'd even suggest that your father is still alive."

"I considered the same thing but what makes you so sure?"

_[Flashback...Chapter 108]_

_"I cannot allow anything to happen to any of the Seven Revelation Holders. They are the only hope to defeating Blue, The Black Corps as a whole and ultimately saving both the Makai and Earth."_

_[End Flashback...]_

"Still...what does potentially saving my father have to do with me?" Meida asked, seeing Josh's logic but still skeptical

"Think about Solin's words to you."

_[Flashback...Chapter 130]  
><em>

_"Hori's compassion for others and especially you, has grown little by little each and every day. At one time, he was in a dark place and was very cruel and ruthless but you Meida, you have shown him another path."_

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

"Then why haven't there been any obvious signs like with the spell book or something?"

"It seems that both human and mamodo must embrace the virtue and truly believe in that virtue within their hearts in order for it to be unlocked. At least that's my theory."

"What can be done to strengthen our bond even further?"

"How much do you truly know about Hori?"

"Why do you ask?" Meida asked, not wanting to openly admit that she and Hori did not know each other as well as she liked to believe

"Truly knowing and understanding each other goes a long way. It is something for you two to consider, we'll meet up again when the day comes." Josh said, bowing as he and Jyan left

Returning to the hospital, Hori was given new clothes after Meida fabricated a story about Hori getting stuck in a tree and the branches ripping his clothes. The entire room was filled with silence as Meida laid in the bed and Hori sat by her in silence. Josh's advice took over all of the thoughts in her head. She would have to ask him about it sooner or later.

Meida sighed before getting her partner's attention. "Hori?"

"What?"

"Tell me about your past."

_**A/N- And that's where we'll put the cliffhanger. My bad for not updating in damn near three weeks. I forgot to bring my laptop when I went back to my hometown on Thanksgiving weekend and with finals in addition to me having to add more details on the ending of Hori's arc in addition to planning the transition between this character arc and the next, there wasn't much time for me to put up the new chapter. Things are running a lot more smoothly now and you guys can expect chapters to be back on their regular schedule. (Sundays/Mondays and Wednesdays/Thursdays)**_

_**Hori fought Jyan closely until he made a costly lapse in judgement and a rare moment of discouragement, Jyan knocked a bit of sense into him and Josh put Solin's words together in an effort to point out Hori as a possible Revelation Holder. Will learning Hori's past bring them closer to his Revelation Point? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_


	134. Origin of Hori Part 1

**_A/N- Remember, all flashbacks are in italics and Hori's present words to Meida are in bold. _**

"Tell me about your past."

Hori sighed before returning to silence.

"You can tell me when you're-"

"It's fine, I figured this would come up sooner or later."

**"I had a mother, a father and a sister like most children. Ourselves and the rest of our clan, the Mage Clan to be more specific, lived on an island secluded from the mainland... and most importantly, we were all happy."**

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...7 years before start of battle for king...]<em>

_"Over here!"_

_"No, toss is here!"_

_The dozen or so island children toss a medium sized rubber ball around, some of the children hit the ball and others caught it before tossing it. When the ball came to a then newly turned six-year-old Hori, he hit the ball but it deflated almost immediately, earning a loud groan._

_"Not to worry guys!" he piped as he formed his hands together_

_A small fireball quickly expanded until it was identical in size to their previous ball. When finished, Hori held up the fireball as their replacement. The other children were hesitant to touch it and he quickly picked up on this._

_"Don't worry, the flames are very gentle and while they are warm, they won't burn you." he said reassuringly  
><em>

_Without another word, he tossed it towards the children as a hand reached out and caught it. A girl, much older than the children appeared before them. Even though she towered above the children, she was of average height. Her shoulder-length light brown hair danced in the gentle breeze subtly but if one looked close enough, they could see that the tips were spiked outward, giving it a unique look. Her soft green eyes put Hori at ease and her pale complexion was similar to his own. Like many of the others on the island, she wore black attire. Her black short-sleeved top and black knee-length shorts were covered by a knee-length blue and white-stripped robe and predictably fastened by a black sash and black boots covering her feet.  
><em>

_"It's just as he said, the flames are warm but they are also gentle."_

_The tension amongst the other kids finally relaxed as she hit the ball and another child hit it back and they began tossing it to each other, resuming the game. The children played all through the afternoon until the sun was beginning to set. Hori was surrounded by numerous peers who all gushed and praised him.  
><em>

_"Thank you Hori!"_

_"You not only made your flames gentle but also made a positive use with dark magic!"_

_"It's nothing...it's not anything special really."_

_"Don't be so modest! There aren't too may mamodo who can pull something like that all."_

_"Well, look at the time, we gotta get going. See you guy tomorrow!" The older black haired girl suddenly announced while dragging Hori away_

_"Thank you Sophie for you know...back there."  
><em>

_"Don't mention it. I know you're too kind and gentle to intentionally harm anyone" _

_"I know...mama should have dinner waiting for us. I'll race you back!"_

_"Okay!"_

**"Sophie always knew what to say to me in order to lift my spirits up...even though we weren't related by blood, she was the best sister I could have ever asked for."  
><strong>

_They reached their home within minutes and quickly dashed inside to where their parents were waiting. They washed up in record time and were at the dinner table at a blink of an eye. After the table was set, the family seated and eating, the dinner table conversation finally began.  
><em>

_"How was your day?" Hori's mother asked_

_"It was great! Me and some other kids played all day! I even made a new ball with my flames after our previous one popped."  
><em>

_"And you Sophie?"  
><em>

_"I mostly did some training but I played with Hori and his little friends a bit too."_

_"Speaking of training, Hori have you also reconsidered it?" Hori's father asked, breaking his long silence  
><em>

_"Oh come on Papa. You know that I don't like fighting, it's just not my thing and I don't want to be king anyway." Hori said, frowning a little_

_"Now, I know things have been a little shaky so far in King Bell II's reign, but there will not be another battle for a long time."_

_"Adding on to what your father said, King Bell II is working very hard on abolishing these mamodo battles amongst the other problems in the Makai. Everybody just needs to be patient with him, he's only been on the job for a few years. So there's no need to worry about training, we just want you to grow up happy and healthy."_

_"Yeah, you guys are right." Hori said, now showing his family a toothy grin _

_"Now, that's the Hori we love to see." Sophie remarked_

_"Onto the next topic, how was work dear?" Hori mother asked, wiping her mouth with her napkin_

_"The king has given us more funding for the project. Not only are we to finish repairing it but we also have to conjure up a barrier strong enough to reseal it and keep it out of the wrong hands."_

_"Papa, can I go to work with you and see the project myself?" he asked  
><em>

_"Hmmm..." Hori father wondered, rubbing his chin_

_"Pleeeeeeaaasssee?"_

_"All right, I suppose your old enough now. Plus you need to learn more about our clan and what we do on a daily basis."_

_"YES! Thank you Papa!" Hori exclaimed, bouncing up ad embracing his father_

_"Sophie, do you want to come too?"_

_"No thanks."_

_"Alright then. Now, Hori, go wash up and get to bed. We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."_

_"Okay!"_

_"Well, I better pack a lunch for the both of you." Hori's mother said, as she began picking up the dishes_

_Just as his father ordered, Hori quickly got upstairs and got ready to bed, anticipating the day ahead of him._

* * *

><p><em>Hori's eyes opened almost as quickly as they had closed. Feeling the icy morning air of his pale skin, he quickly got out of bed and slipped some comfortable black cotton pants on and a white t-shirt. He quickly fetched his blue robe and draped it around his body before tying it with a black sash. Going over to his mirror, he saw the same small boy with bright eyes for of wonder and happiness that he saw every other time he looked.<br>_

_Slipping on his black shoes, he darted downstairs to where his similarly dressed father was already waiting for him. Retrieving their lunches, they set off for their destination. Hori and his father walked for miles and miles on end, it seemed that they were heading for the other side of the island! Hori could not imagine how long it would take nor if his legs could carry him that far. Thankfully, his father suddenly stopped upon what appeared to be an open clearing somewhere amongst the island's jungle.  
><em>

_"What are we doing here Papa."_

_"You'll see. Just hold onto me." he said imperatively  
><em>

_Without hesitating, Hori clung onto his father's leg as a ring of purple flames surrounded them. Hori felt a bright flash enter his eye as his body jerked itself upwards as if he was being thrown around or on a blazing (no pun intended) fast roller coaster. The jerking stopped when Hori opened his eyes and saw themselves in a dark room of sorts. "Follow me son."  
><em>

_Hori nodded as they began to walk and he got a better look at the room. Numerous gizmos and other mechanical parts revealed the room's industrial design. Going deeper in, Hori saw numerous magic circles, similar to the ones that were on the spell books according to what they taught in school and from the stories his father told the family about his own experiences long ago. They walked past and around various workers, many of whom were running throughout the place and others, carrying tools or taking notes, reminding Hori of an ant colony.  
><em>

_Continuing further, Hori and his father finally stopped in front of what appeared to be a massive mamodo who was trapped under an iron cage. Looking even closer to it, one could see that it appeared to be disfigured and not what it once had been. _

_"What..what is it?" _

_"This son, is Faudo. It was a terrible beast that was entrusted to the Centaur Clan generations ago, they used underhanded tactics and their representative in the previous battle for king used it illegally in order to help his chances for the kingship. King Bell II destroyed it and it's remnants were sent back to the Makai and the Centaur Clan's ownership of it revoked and severely punished. We received an order from the king a while ago to restore Faudo and then seal him away so it cannot be used once again."_

_"That's a really important job Papa but why were you chosen?"_

_"I...I made some contributions to Faudo's upkeep in the past. I suppose it was felt that our clan could be entrusted with it."_

_"I still don't understand why would he need to be restored just so it can be sealed away."_

_"It'll make more sense when you're older."_

_"Oh...okay Papa. I believe you."_

_"All right then, so who's ready for lunch?"_

**"For the next year, everything went by as it normally did. I played with the other children, Sophie trained and played with me whenever she had time, my father and his group continued their assignment from the king and everybody was happy. Then of course, came my seventh birthday."  
><strong>

_[1 year later...six years before the start of the battle]_

_"Happy Birthday Hori! You're seven years old now." His family said in unison_

_"You're growing up son." His father said with a smile_

_"I know! Is there going to great big cake for me tonight?" Hori squeaked with excitement_

_"Of course!"_

_"And presents?" _

_"You know it."_

_"Happy Birthday little brother." Sophie said, rustling his silver hair_

_"Thank you Sophie. I'm going to go exploring, be back for my special birthday dinner!"_

_"Alright but don't go too far!" his mother called from the kitchen_

_"I won't! I promise!"_

_Hori skipped out of the house and down the path. His father taking him to work a year ago was still fresh in his mind. It made him wonder what else was in the island's jungle. Remembering his promise not to venture too far, he decided to not go more than a few hundred feet away from the house. The lush green jungle was everything it was last time he and his father walked through it and every other time he sees it from the distance of his home. Lush green vines and foliage as far as the eye could see, fruits of various shapes, patterns and colors. Monkeys and their babies remained nestled on the branches._

_Feeling that he saw enough for the day, Hori turned to leave and until that moment, did not realize he strayed away from the to find his way back, Hori quickly zigzagged through the foliage, frantically searching for the path. The silver haired boy searched for hours, the morning sun was soon the afternoon sun. Exhausted, Hori found refuge on a bed of large leaves and quickly laid on them, completely lost in the island wilderness. His afternoon rest quickly came to a halt after he heard the surrounding foliage rustle. _

_"Who's there?" he asked_

_There was no answer but what appeared to be a falcon made of purple flames burst through the vegetation, burning and toppling the trees in its path and causing Hori to run. Without hesitation and with no idea on where he was, he simply ran and ran until he found a cave sitting next to a medium sized ridge. Climbing the ridge took a lot of effort from him. After thirty minutes clawing, scratching, cut fingers and bruised nails, Hori finally made it to the top of the ridge and into the entrance of the cave, panting heavily. He had to figure out the source of the strange falcon covered in purple flames.  
><em>

**"Little did I know at the time, that was the moment the only life I knew, vanished forever."  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Part 2 coming on Thursday. R&R folks!**_


	135. Origin of Hori Part 2

_**A/N- Just like before, Hori's present-day words to Meida are in bold, flashbacks are in italics.  
><strong>_

_Hori's fast breathing finally slowed to a pace. He had been hiding in the small cave for a few hours, the blue afternoon sky transformed into an orange evening sky. Sunset was approaching fast and Hori was not only going to miss his special birthday dinner but also had somebody chasing him. His intent was not necessarily to wait as long as he had, but he also considered the probability that the attacker would have a harder time tracking him in the dark. Which in turn made his decision easier. _

_Finally getting up, Hori stepped out to the front of the cave. He thought about using a signal flare but decided against that due to it possibly attracting unwanted attention. Taking a deep breath, he climbed down the ridge and ventured back into the jungle. He walked as the grass and surrounding vines rustled softly due to his movements. Afraid and on high alert, Hori pushed forward, determined to find his way back home. Other than an occasional monkey yelp or owl hoot, it was relatively quiet. _

_Hori looked around as he traversed another set of foliage, swatting vines and pushing through brushes. He felt his shoe scrape against something smooth but dusty. Looking down in the barely visible light, Hori could see a dirt path. The young mamodo smiled in triumph as he followed the dirt path. He looked up at the sky, which was a navy blue with stars sprinkled everywhere and a full moon. _

_However, he spoke too soon as a purple flame blast grazed his right shoulder which in turn caused him to trip over his feet. Hitting the ground with a thud, Hori turned around to see his attacker face to face. They wore an exceptionally long blue robe that touched the ground, the sleeves long enough to where the covered their arms and hands, a hood obscuring their hair and face as well. Hori immediately recognized them as a Mage Clan member, which of course was everybody on the island._

_"Who are you? Why are you attacking me?" he asked, afraid  
><em>

_The attacker did not respond with words. They simply rolled up their sleeve and fired another blast of dark flames at him. Hori rolled out of the way as the attacker launched numerous fireballs at him. Still backing away, Hori turned and sprinted up the remainder of the dirt path. He had to get help and fast._

_Before he could get very far however, The attacker rolled up their sleeves even further as they moved their hands gracefully and numerous purple flames appeared in a weird pattern of sorts. Said flames quickly formed together to make another falcon out of dark flames. The large spell barreled its way towards Hori as he tried to get out of its path. The silver haired boy managed get mostly out of the way but was still partially caught in the inferno, its impact knocking him into a palm tree. The rest of the spell hit some of the jungle foliage, setting it ablaze. The attacker however, tossed a a large sack of dirt over the fire, quickly putting most of it out. It was too late however for a few of the palm trees as their flaming trunks began to fall. Hori rolled out of the path of both before getting on his feet again._

_Before he could get yet another opportunity to run, the attacker fired blast of flame behind Hori, this time intentionally burning the foliage and setting up a wall of dark flames behind him. Hori was officially stuck and there was nothing he could do about it.  
><em>

_The attacker reached under their robe and revealed an iron dagger. Its blade shined thanks to the moonlight reflecting from it and looked as if it was freshly sharpened. With the flick of the attacker's wrist, the dagger coated itself with dark flame. _

_"Please, don't do this. I don't know what I've done to you but don't kill me! I'm begging you!" Hori screamed, tears flowing from his eyes.  
><em>

_However, his pleas fell on deaf ears. The attacker was nearing him, and was unrelenting in their pursuit, they had every intention of hurting him.  
><em>

_"ENOUGH!"_

_Hori turned around to see both of his parents standing there. _

_"Papa! Mama!" he exclaimed, running over to the only to be shoved to the ground_

_"Unhood yourself." Hori's father ordered_

_The attacker removed their hood and allowed their long brown hair to flow out. Hori's eyes widened when we gazed upon her pale skin and green eyes as the familiar face fully revealed itself._

_"Sophie!? Why?"_

_"Why would you play such a cruel joke on me!?"_

_"This is not a joke." Sophie replied coldly_

_"Why would you attack me? Why?!" Hori screamed, his was not only terrified but also frustratingly confused_

_ "Your gentle nature is making our clan and my reputation suffer, it makes us and by extension, me look weak. I had plans for you boy, but over time, you had proven over and over again that you don't have what it takes. So I had enough and told Sophie to kill you...to be truly honest, I'm slightly impressed and also disappointed that you aren't dead by now." His father spoke harshly  
><em>

_"W-Who does this to their son? Who does this to their brother?!" Hori screamed once again, he couldn't control his trembling nor his crying_

_"You are no brother of mine. You're just some kid who found me in the rain and got his parents to take me in. I needed food and shelter which in return your annoyance and pathetic existence was only a small price to pay."  
><em>

_"So...every...thing...was a lie?" Hori was on his knees, looking at the ground. Why did this all have to come crashing down at once? This clearly is no joke, but what did he ever do to them? He couldn't help it that he wasn't a fighter._

_"I never loved nor cared about you. I worked hard and trained every day, getting better and better while all you did was stay weak and pathetic. What's even worse is that you never picked up that my comments about you being too kind and gentle to do any harm were NEVER compliments! I was mocking and belittling you!"_

_Sophie lunged at Hori, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and slamming him on his back to the ground. She kept a fistful of his shirt and was within inches of his face. Her once warm and friendly green eyes were now cold, bloodshot and hateful, as if she wasn't the same person anymore._

_"You were born into a strong, noble clan and had all of the potential in the world...something many including myself, would give LIMBS for. Instead, your gentle, caring nature is nothing more than a weakness...you have brought nothing but shame to a proud clan."_

Hori had nothing to say to these words. Then again, his eyes being red and puffy in addition to the streams of snot dripping from his nose and his heavily shaky body already said enough about how he felt.

_"Look at yourself, I have you by the shirt and you're a trembling, sobbing wreck. Once again, showing how worthless you are as a mamodo and a Mage clansmen."_

_"I...I am not weak. You saw how I was able to control my flames to keep them from hurting anybody." Hori pushed out, trying to make an effort to defend himself_

_The air grew silent at his rebuttal but was quickly replaced by Sophie, his father and even his mother laughing. Of course this laugh was not warm nor hearty like he loved to hear from over the years. It was cold, malicious and downright mocking.  
><em>

_"You truly think a cheap little parlor trick made YOU strong? Here, I thought you were going to say something useful or relevant for once...you're even more pathetic than I thought." Sophie sneered, still leaning over Hori, who was still pinned down  
><em>

_"Father...then why did you take me to your job last year? Why show me that project?!" Hori exclaimed, looking back towards where his parents were standing_

_"Like I said before, I had little hope that you would pan out but when I saw it wasn't going to be. That's when I finally gave Sophie the order to kill you." his father casually said with no emotion_

_"You aren't worth keeping around. Of course, I have to admit that you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." Sophie said, slightly picking Hori up before slamming him into the dirt path again_

_Sophie tried to press down on Hori's neck, but her forearm was stopped by Hori's trembling hands. _

_"What do you mean!?" Hori snarled_

_"When your parents met me, it quickly became clear that **I was the child his they have always wanted.**"_

_Hori's mental picture of him and his family together suddenly shattered. His soft face of tears and snot quickly turned into one of rage, he instinctively slapped Sophie's forearm away and opened up his right palm. He smiled as a purple flame beam fired from his opened palm and went completely through her chest, killing her. Blood squirted out of Sophie's mouth and onto Hori's shirt and neck as she fell over with a simple plop._

_Hori stood to his feet as he turned towards his parents. He noticed that the look in their eyes have changed completely but he did not care._

_"What's wrong? I thought I was weak and nothing but a pathetic piece of shit? She truly thought I was too pathetic to attack her so she completely left herself open when she leaned over me...she taunted me until the end. The both of you will join Sophie in the afterlife." Hori said darkly as the purple aura radiated from his body and his hands covered themselves in flames. New tears of anger and blind fury streamed from his eyes as he began blasting flames from his hands.  
><em>

_"EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TOLD ME WERE LIES! I WILL ERASE THIS FALSE ILLUSION!" he screamed blasting flames everywhere, setting the entire jungle on fire._

_His parents had already teleported away but Hori did not care to chase after them for now. He glanced at Sophie's corpse one more time before ripping off his clan's blue robe and tossing it in the flames before turning to leave the now heavily burning jungle. Many animals ran as they escape the jungle fire, Hori could hear some of the island's beasts yell out in agony as they perished in his harsh and unforgiving inferno. Casually walking through the flames thanks to years of honing his skill of controlling whether or not they hurt anybody, Hori immediately went to the docks and stole a large boat. _

_Nobody tried to stop him due to their attentions being focused on stopping the widespread fire that consumed the islands jungle and foliage. Almost completely away from the port and out on the sea, Hori looked on as he saw multiple dots rushing to the large fire, desperately trying to extinguish his flames. _

_"Someday, I'll return and finish what I started."_

**"I ended up reaching the mainland within a few days and quickly found myself wondering the various cities and towns. As I went on these travels, I met various fire and dark demons whom I trained my skills with in addition to learning various techniques. I found various books and scrolls on the boat I stole regarding the Mage Clan's special abilities, such as the ability to teleport and my ability to heal. I fought in various tournaments, gaining the attention of noblemen. When King Zatch the Appeaser was almost overthrown again, he finally abdicated the throne and a new tournament was announced and the rest is history."  
><strong>

_[End Flashback...]  
><em>

"Thank you for telling me this...I'm sorry about all that's happened." Meida said softly

"It's something I've mostly detached myself from over time. As the years passed, I began to care less and less about revenge and more and more about fighting stronger opponents...it turns out that I DO like to fight and have the opponent's blood on me. Regarding my parents, I won't hesitate to kill them if I ever come across them again yet I have no plans on ever returning to the island whenever I go back to the Makai."

Meida didn't know what to say to that and Hori seemed to immediately pick up on that.

"Anyway, let's not make a habit out of this. Finish resting up so we can get to Japan and take your Zaibatsu back. I also have a score to settle with Psycher."

Hori got up from his chair and left the hospital room. Meida slightly smiled as she watched him leave.

_"That kind and gentle side of you hasn't completely gone away...you show it more often than you think, even when you don't even know it."_

Meida kept smiling at these thoughts and was fast asleep, knowing that her partner was always looking over her.

Hori meanwhile, was sitting on the hospital roof looking out towards the city. The evening breeze blew on him as he thought about everything he told Meida.

_"Even though my past is what it is...my present and my future are bright...and I owe it all to you Meida. I promise I will get everything back for you...for the both of us."_

**_A/N- Meida learns significantly more about Hori and his past. They are even more than ever determined to get the Tateishi Zaibatsu back and stop Felicity and the remaining Nightmares from doing further damage! Next chapter, for the first time in a few months, we switch over to Ishimaru and Eve for chapter or two to see what they've been up to and how they tie into all of this. _**

**_I'm also trying to keep this story T rated (even though I'm pushing it a bit lol) so if I get a little too graphic with the violence, feel free to let me know. R&R folks!  
><em>**


	136. Friendships, Emotions and Premonitions!

_"Ishimaru, the book! It's burning!"_

_Ishimaru looked down and saw the emerald spell book blanketed with blue fire. He immediately dropped the book as it was consumed by the inferno, looking up he saw Chainz fading away before his eyes. He could only stand there and watch in horror until there was nothing was his partner left._

_"You came up short last time and you lost your eye, you came up short again and not only lost your partner but you lost everything else."_

_Ishimaru immediately felt enough strength within him to turn around and saw Isaac and Ryu standing before him. Looking up, he saw a red sky with black clouds, looking back down is when he saw nothing but rubble and smoke everywhere. Everything was bare and abandoned, one could hardly tell that it used to be a city. _

_Seiku and Daisuke suddenly appeared alongside Ryu and Isaac. Seiku held up a cyan spell book while Daisuke held a scarlet one. All four of them quickly towered above Ishimaru while surrounding by flames and rubble. Ishimaru saw a rectangular shape of ash burned into the ground which was once Chainz's spell book._

_Ishimaru fell to his knees as the heat began to overcome him..._

* * *

><p>Ishimaru sprang out of bed as he looked around. He was back in his bedroom and his sin drenched in cold sweat. The reoccurring nightmares with Ryu, his human partner Isaac in addition to Seiku and Daisuke holding up spell books was getting out of hand. As of recently, he hated going to sleep but it was a necessary evil. He wondered if his dream was more realistic than he wanted to believe. After all, losing his eye in the fight with Ryu induced these nightmares on the first place and Seiku confronting him then revealing that he had a mamodo by showing the cyan spell book did not help things either. Going by that assumption, then it can be ensured that Daisuke having a mamodo was also true despite Ishimaru never once seeing it. It was strange how dream logic worked but he knew it was not best to question that.<p>

Ishimaru snapped out of his thoughts as his cell phone vibrated on his nightstand. Without looking at the called id, he slid his touchscreen as he answered it.

"Hullo..." he muttered

"Ishi, come down to the Ninja Burger at around lunchtime." Seiku said, causing Ishimaru to pause and fully capture his attention

_"I have to get some answers..." _

"Hello? Ishi, are you still there?"

"Huh...yeah sorry, i just woke up. I'll be there."

"Cool beans." Seiku said, hanging up

Ishimaru tossed the phone back on his nightstand, appreciating that it was Saturday. The previous night, East Tokyo had a hard fought 41-38 win over Tokyo Vocational Academy. Ishimaru, Seiku, and Daisuke had two passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns respectively. Ishimaru also kicked and made two field goals. Tokyo Vocational had gotten the ball back with about a minute to go and drove down the field but Sage (pronounced Sah-gay) Minamoto, a cornerback for East, caught the game winning interception. East Tokyo was now 7-0 and on their way to winning the East division of the Tokyo Metro conference. The winner of the East division and the West division played for the City Championship, of which East had never won and their only appearance in the City Championship was more than twenty years ago. Impressed with the team's grit, Coach Yuushi permitted them to take the weekend off and that they will study game film during Gym Class on Monday.

Until recently, East's lack of athletic prowess was blamed on their above average admission standard, which steered many talented junior high athletes to apply for high school with average to below average admissions standards but when Ishimaru's class came to East, the school quickly saw some athletic success and has grown over the years. The new freshman class has encouraged many more talented athletes to apply and get accepted to East, which was shattering perceptions about East being an academic high school that only competed in sports just for the hell of it.

Rubbing his eyes and looking at the clock, Ishimaru jumped out of bed and slipped his casual clothes on. Like always, he wore navy blue his track pants and a black Under Armour shirt before going downstairs. Chainz and Sundance were of course in front of the TV watching Praying Mantis Joe. Ishimaru went into the kitchen and began heating up some coffee before sticking his head back into the living room. The boys' TV program had went onto commercial as they turned and saw him standing there.

"Mornin' Ishi." Sundance greeted

"We heard you tossing and yelling in your sleep again. What's wrong?" Chainz asked

"It's...nothing."

They clearly didn't believe him but unanimously felt it was best not to weasel it out of him for now.

"Where's Eve at?"

"She's on her way to the hospital to visit her brother." Sundance said

"Oh..that's right." Ishimaru said. He remembered that Eve's first encounter with Ryu was even worse than his own.

Slipping on his shoes, Ishimaru walked out of the door and closed it behind him. It took a few minutes to go fro his house to the end of the neighborhood and he then crossed the streets into the East Tokyo shopping district. It was convenient to have everything one could need in East Tokyo, a suburb of Greater Tokyo which in itself was just another part of the entire city. To Ishimaru, it didn't seem like Tokyo was a supercity but moreso a city-state. In the now eighteen years he's been alive _**(A/N- His birthday was off-screen. I thought about doing a filler/r&r chapter over this during the three-week hiatus I was on just to hold y'all over while I re-organized the outlines and scripts but was admittedly too occupied with doing that and the stuff I mentioned a few chapters ago.)**_, Ishimaru hadn't even seen all of Tokyo yet. The place was just that damn big.

While walking past various shops and cafes, Ishimaru thought about visiting Eve and meeting her brother at the hospital but decided against it. He did not want to seem like he was intruding with nothing better to do. Sighing, Ishimaru decided to just go to the Ninja Burger early and wait for everybody else. He walked past the floral shop just as he collided with a shopper. Ishimaru frowned when he saw the small bouquet of flowers on the ground and reached over to pick them up.

"Watch where you're going Cyclops!" the shopper exclaimed, recognizing Ishimaru

"I could say the same to you, Kijo." Ishimaru said, handing her the flowers

"Thanks.."

"Are you heading to the hospital?"

"Sundance must've told you." Eve replied to which Ishimaru nodded

"Yeah, it's just a few blocks up the street." Eve answered as Ishimaru began walking away

"You know you can come if you want to."

"You sure? Don't really wanna intrude on anything."

"It's fine. Come on."

Ishimaru and Eve walked up the sidewalk passing by the remainder of the shopping district. They made crossed the street as they saw a sign indicating the East Tokyo regional hospital being straight ahead. Their trek was in complete silence save for the other dialogue going on from other people walking.

"You must be really close to your brother." Ishimaru said, breaking his silence

"You could say that. I come see him at least two to three times a week...he hasn't come out of his coma yet but he seems to know whenever I'm there." Eve said, responding to his question

They stepped through the hospital's automatic doors and into the elevator. Eve reached over and pressed a button as the elevator car shot them up many floors. Ishimaru had not been to hospital very often but it looks as bland as it did when he injured his ankle in a soccer game back in middle school. Their floor finally arrived as they got off the elevator. They went down the hallway past many doors until Eve stopped at one. Opening the door, Ishimaru saw a young man laying in bed. Ishimaru glanced to see that he had golden brown hair similar to Eve's, speaking of Eve, the resemblance between them was almost laughable. The tattoos on his arm were that of a sleeve and still in progress as a matter of fact! Ishimaru figured that it was being worked prior to him getting hospitalized. Ishimaru looked t the right and saw that he was hooked to an IV and had a heart monitor keeping track of his progress. It was a pretty somber sight if one was to be truly honest.

_"So he must be Sindri..." Ishimaru thought to himself_

"You look like a fish out of water." Eve said, putting and arranging the flowers in a vase

"I'm not really used to hospitals." Ishimaru muttered, finding a chair

"Well, you did say that you have rarely seen the inside of one so I suppose that's normal."

"Has anybody else came to visit your brother?"

"A few friends of his and mutual friends of ours."

"Any family?"

"I've gotten some calls from some extended family and of course a certain _someone_ but that's about it." Eve scoffed

"A certain someone?"

"My dad. You know, the same guy whose too busy and all wrapped up in his own little world to really care about anyone but himself and his favorite son. Which I wish I could say was a surprise."

"What if he came by whenever you weren't here?" Ishimaru asked, trying to give the benefit of the doubt

"Fat chance." Eve said in a somewhat rude tone

"Well, what makes you so sure Sindri is his favorite?"

"I..well...he just is."

"Don't you think you're being a bit unfair to your dad?"

"Unfair? UNFAIR?! You have never met my dad and don't know jackshit about him or anything that went on other than what I've told you or whatever the hell Sundance blabbed about! Ugh!" Eve shouted, jumping up from the chair

"Where do you think you're going?" Ishimaru barked, getting out of his chair and coming within a foot or two of Eve

"For a walk." Eve snapped back

"Look, I was playing Devil's Advocate and was giving my point of view from a neutral standpoint. I wish I could have known or even met my dad but I never got an opportunity to do so and do you know why?"

Eve was silent, she sighed and decided to answer the rhetorical question.

"Why?"

"Because he died a few weeks before I was even born."

Eve was stunned. She knew Ishimaru's father wasn't really around but she figured that he ran off with another woman or something. She had wanted to ask him about that but was never sure how to bring it up since she didn't handle discussing her mother very well. Which in turn, she figured the same could possibly be true about him.

"Ishi..."

"Eve, I know what it feels like to not only lose a parent, but to not have a parent around because they're always working or doing whatever. I haven't seen my mom in months but do you see me getting bent out of shape over it? No, because at the end of the day, she's still my mom and we still love each other. I may not have met your dad nor do I know what went on between you two, but I know that you still care for him and vice versa."

Eve didn't respond to Ishimaru's words immediately. She simply nodded and went outside, closing the door behind her. Perhaps Ishimaru did have a point.

Ishimaru sighed and wet back to his chair. He didn't expect their discussion to get heated that quickly, perhaps never getting to meet his father hurt him much more than he wanted to admit.

"Kamikatsu-san?"

Ishimaru's eyes widened as he looked around. "Who said that?"

"Behind you genius."

Ishimaru looked over to see Sindri sitting up, looking at him.

"Oh my God, you're not in a coma anymore! I better get Eve, I better call the nurs-"

"Wait! The nurses already know I'm not in a coma anymore."

"How long have you been out of it?"

"Almost two weeks.."

"And you haven't told Eve yet?! What gives?!" Ishimaru exclaimed, crossing his arms

"I'm...just waiting for the right moment."

"How about now? Since she's here." Ishimaru said, matter-of-factly

"Well.."

"Why exactly haven't you told her...why are you telling me?" Ishimaru said, he had to admit that despite their earlier outburst, he wasn't amused by this

"I obviously heard the entire exchange between you and felt that I had to say something...it wouldn't be right if I didn't."

"It's not right that you haven't told Eve. Once again, why haven't you told her this?"

Sindri sighed before he came clean. "When I was in my coma, I could hear Eve's voice often and something within me found it comforting, which I believe helped me awaken from my coma over time. The day I got out of my coma happened to be the same day Eve came to visit me again. She couldn't see that I was awake because of the curtains over my bed and before I could say anything, she began talking to me."

"What do you mean by that exactly?"

"The tone she spoke in...it wasn't a toned I've heard from her since our mother passed away. She began talking about her adventures with Sundance, she talked about how she gone back to school, how she began making friends at school and how she missed me and wanted me to recover soon... about how much she missed our mother and how she wished our father would come home more often...she also talked about you."

"About me?" Ishimaru asked, a really small yet subtle blush present on his face

"She spoke about how much you inspired her, to not only go back to school but to also make Sundance's dream about becoming king a reality. She really admires the bond you have with Chainz."

"Wait, so you know about the mamodo battle?"

"Of course. After all, Eve talks my ear off whenever she comes. Before my coma, Eve and I would only talk a few times a week and our conversations were often brief but after the whole thing with Ryu happened...things just changed over time. I love having that and I didn't want to see it end."

"Who said it had to? Just tell Eve the truth and reach out to her."

"Perhaps. Ishi?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

Ishimaru's eyes widened in shock. Why exactly was Sindri thanking him?

"Thank you for being there for my little sister. I know it doesn't seem like it most of the time, but she really appreciates you and your friendship." Sindri said t him, as if he could read Ishimaru's mind

"And I appreciate hers." Ishimaru said, though for some reason it bothered him a little when the word friendship was used

"I'll tell her soon...I promise." Sindri said as Ishimaru turned to walk outside, he figured he could check on Eve

"Ishi?"

"Yeah?"

"Our dad came to visit me last week. He and Eve don't have the best relationship...but he really does care and worry for us. Ever since our mother passed away, he hid himself in his work in order to grieve but I suppose his actions backfired a bit since it had a greater effect than he would have liked."

"Does he know that you're awake now?"

"I tried not to let him know but of course, it didn't take him long to get it out of me. He told me that he wasn't going to tell me since he felt that it was my responsibility, which I do agree with him on."

Before anybody could do anything else, the doctor came in with a few nurses which was a cue for Ishimaru to get out. Walking down the hallway and to the first floor, he saw Eve sitting on a couch in the lobby. He walked over to her as she looked up at him, her eyes were a faint pink to which Ishimaru could tell she had been crying

"Hey." Ishimaru said, sitting next to her

They sat there in silence for the next few minutes. One had to apologize to the other, somebody had to go first.

"I'm sorry." they said in unison

"You first." Ishimaru said

"I shouldn't have yelled at you like that, I know you were only trying to give me a broader perspective. I was complaining about my dad when you don't have one and I was being selfish."

"I shouldn't have yelled at you either...I have always had a vision of my dad being a great hero who was the best at everything when I didn't even know him. I don't know...when I heard you criticizing your dad, I just felt as though it was my dad being criticized. I don't know how to really put it into words...but you know what I mean."

"Yeah."

"Anyway, let's get to the Ninja Burger. We have to meet with Seiku and the guys."

"Fine." Eve sighed, she didn't really care to go but she was hungry

* * *

><p>All throughout the city, there were hangout spots claimed by specific high schools. The Ninja Burger for example, was a East Tokyo stronghold and was one of the most popular choices amongst students. Sakura Terrace, an East Tokyo neighborhood filled with shops, arcades and other things was known for being favored by West Tokyo students with the occasional group of students from East which have lead to notable conflicts. Any place Downtown in the heart of the city belonged to Tokyo High (also referred to casually as Central or Tokyo Central). The more rough parts of the city in the Heights district was of course claimed by students who attended the inner-city Tokyo Heights. There of course were others far and wide, but it would be way too many places to name.<p>

Fortunately for them, the Ninja Burger happened to be an extremely brief walk from the hospital. Eve rolled her eyes at the restaurant sign which was simply a picture of a burger with shuriken protruding from the top of the bun and of course "Ninja Burger" written in Kanji. The restaurant was much larger than most typical burger joints since it was two stories tall and roughly appeared to be the size of a small grocery store.

Going inside the restaurant, one could argue that at least half of the senior class with some juniors and a small handful of sophomores were scattered everywhere. The casual buzz quickly grew silent as hundreds of pair of eyes were on Eve.

"Yo, Ishi, Miroashi! Over here!" Seiku yelled from the other side of the place

Eve could hear the whispers but couldn't make out what some were saying and quite frankly, she didn't even care anymore though they were quite annoying. They sat down at the table with Seiku, Daisuke and Sage Minamoto. Minamoto was roughly Ishimaru's height a but slightly shorter at 5'10 _**(A/N- 179 cm for you non-US folks who use the metric system)**_ His brown hair completely gelled and slick, his build athletic. Most notably however, was his affinity for wearing shades indoors, at school, during class and in the case during football, he uses a shaded visor instead. His explanation was some sort of eye condition but that obviously did not stop the rumors from flying.

"Eve, this is Sage Minamoto. The guy who caught the game winning interception against Tokyo Vocational last night. Thanks to Minamoto stepping up on defense, we're still undefeated heading into the Tokyo Football Classic against West." Ishimaru said

"Hello."

"Greetings to you too."

"So what have you guys been up to?"

"Nothing much." Ishimaru lied, shrugging

"I see. So are you guys gonna order something or what? We are at a restaurant." Seiku replied, smirking

"Ishimaru and Eve placed their orders in the small computer system that was present at every table. Once their orders were taken, they turned their attention back to the conversation.

"You didn't order much Ishi...that only happens when something is on your mind. So I assume you just came here for a little chat." Seiku said, his voice becoming smug

"Don't you start with that smug attitude." Ishimaru warned to which Eve nodded

"It's too crowded in here for my taste." Minamoto remarked, cutting into the conversation

"You're right, perhaps we should take this conversation outside then." Seiku said, getting up

Ishimaru and Eve followed suit and met with them in the parking lot outside of the restaurant. Ishimaru hated this uneasy feeling he had with his friends/teammates but he had to get answers. He knew Eve must have picked up on his uneasiness and knew how delicately they had to handle the situation on hand since it could get out of hand easily.

"Seiku, why are you under the impression that Chainz's book needs to be burned? It's been eating away a me for a couple of months now and I want to know why."

Eve gasped at this. _"Why would he do that? Jealousy? No...there's something more to this." she thought to herself_

"We're in a battle where our partners are fighting to be king aren't we? It's what we're supposed to do."

_"So he does have a mamodo!"_

"I already told you to watch it with the smartass attitude. All I want is a simple answer."

"Some things just aren't that simple." Daisuke said, breaking his long silence

"Daisuke, so you and Minamoto have mamodo too?"

Daisuke smirked as he and Minamoto reached into their bags and revealed a scarlet and dark brown spell book respectively. Ishimaru was taken aback by this revelation.

_"My nightmares...have been accurate so far...are these nightmares really premonitions of what's to come?!"_

**_A/N- It's been a while since I've written a chapter that long but the again, all major chapters are around 4,000+ words give or take. Ishimaru and Eve grow a bit closer to each other, Sindri reveals that he's been out of the coma for a bit! Ishimaru is reluctantly keeping this a secret from Eve!_**

**_Why are Seiku, Daisuke and now Minamoto hostile to Ishimaru and by association, Eve? What does all of this have to do with Ryu and ultimately The Black Corps? Why is Ishimaru having these nightmares aside from the trauma inflicted by Ryu? More to come in the midweek chapter! R&R folks!  
><em>**


	137. Crossing the Horizon!

"Some things just aren't that simple." Daisuke said, breaking his long silence

"Daisuke, so you and Minamoto have mamodo too?"

Daisuke smirked as he and Minamoto reached into their bags and revealed a scarlet and dark brown spell book respectively. Ishimaru was taken aback by this revelation.

_"My nightmares...have been accurate so far...are these nightmares really premonitions of what's to come?!"_

* * *

><p>"Hold on a minute, you're telling Ishimaru that Chainz's book needs to be burned, yet you have mamodo of your own. Logically, you should have gotten rid of your own a long time ago. Pretty hypocritical if you ask me" Eve retorted, their nonsense made her sick<p>

"Well nobody asked you for your irrelevant opinion. Our mamodo are being used for a just cause." Seiku shot back

"And what in the hell would that be?" Ishimaru snapped

"Kamikatsu-kun, Miroashi-san, I have something to ask you." Minamoto said, cutting in

"What?"

"Have you ever wondered what a world where there's no crime, no violence, no suffering. A place where everyone gets along and all of our hearts' desires would be realized?"

"Like a utopia?" Eve asked flatly

"Not my first choice for words but, I suppose that it sounds like such." Minamoto sighed

"But what does that have to do with having a mamodo?" Ishimaru asked

"It's simple. Mamodo are key to making such a world possible." Minamoto announced

"What exactly are you getting at?"

"Human and Mamodo are bound together in this bloodsport for the throne. Things should not be that way nor should there be corruption in either the Human or Mamodo World either. However, things will not continue being that way once we accomplish our goals."

"So you want your mamodo to be king in order to try and do something about that?" Ishimaru asked

"No. We already have someone to fulfill that role and they will be much more than a mere king for they do not possess the power in order to obtain such a goal."

"More than a king?"

"Yes. We will have a mamodo god and he will combine both Earth and the Makai into one world, a world full of ideals and dreams. We are currently and the gathering phase and will soon turn to the cleansing phase."

"Cleansing phase?" Ishimaru asked, confused

"When the time comes, a new Hell will be unleashed upon the Earth and those deem unclean will be wiped out."

"And how will they know who's clean and who isn't?" Eve demanded

Minamoto held up his wrist and on his wrist, was a black band tattooed all the way around it.

"You're...you're in the Black Corps!" Ishimaru exclaimed, in shock

Seiku and Daisuke also held up their wrists and like Minamoto, they were also tattooed.

"Seiku...Daisuke...you guys too...Why are you mixed up with this?!"

"I think I also speak for Daisuke when I say this, but we don't know about this whole perfect world thing. However, if it's as good as they say it will be, we may have to reconsider."

"Snap out of it! Things DON'T have to be this way!"

"You're right, they don't. So join us, and help us bring upon this perfect world." Minamoto asked, holding out his hand

Ishimaru suddenly found himself backing away, shaking his head. "No. No..."

"I had a feeling this may happen. Even after I confronted you about this originally, I had a feeling I was too late. Chainz has already brainwashed you and you can't comprehend rational thinking...I have no choice but to matters into my own hands." Seiku said, opening his now glowing cyan spell book

A blur appeared before them and was quickly revealed to be a white rabbit with cyan eyes, very similar to the spell book. Of course, this rabbit was larger than a normal rabbit, standing at a tad bit over three feet tall. It seemed as docile as its smaller Earth counterparts

"That rabbit must be a mamodo..." Eve said to herself as Ishi stood there in disbelief

"Ishimaru, we don't have Chainz or Sundance with us. We gotta run!"

"You're not going anywhere."

They turned around and saw a teenaged girl standing before them. Her long green hair was tied into a ponytail, her large pale eyes and long, green slits resembled that of a snake. Piercings dangled throughout her ears and eyebrow, the silver complemented her pale, milky skin. A tight black leather skirt covered legs, her black tube top covered her chest and midriff. Most notably, a white cobra logo rested on the back of said tube top.

_"That cobra...is similar to Chainz's!"_ Ishimaru thought to himself

"Ishimaru, we're trapped. There's no way for us to get out!" Eve said as the two mamodo blocked their path from both sides.

The rabbit began to run and lunged at Eve while the girl ran full speed towards Ishimaru, but before they could attack their targets, the rabbit was suddenly slammed into the ground and the girl was knocked back down.

"Sorry, we're late!"

Sundance and Chainz had arrived just in time!

"How did you guys know to come here?" Eve asked

"We sensed them early this morning and when everybody gathered together, it was an obvious call to come." Sundance explained,

"Then how come you guys didn't say anything this morning?" Ishimaru asked

"That's a good question..." Sundance said, trailing off and looking down at the white rabbit he slammed just a few moments ago

"I know you! You're that rabbit we met at the park...erm I forgot your name though." Sundance said casually, much to Itosagi's chagrin

"Chainz...so we finally meet on Earth." The teenage girl hissed

"What the hell are you doing here, Viperia? I thought only Slash and myself were chosen."

"That's for me to know and you to not worry about you smug bastard." she hissed, bearing her fangs at Chainz

"Chainz, is this girl in you clan?" Ishimaru asked

"I'm his sister."

"_Half-_Sister." Chainz corrected

"Just because Iron Maiden Kiyoko isn't my mother, doesn't make me any less worthy than you." Viperia hissed again

"Viperia, the battle for Clan Lord is only between Slash and myself, you are a non-factor. Always have been and always will be." Chainz said coldly

"Damn you." Viperia hissed yet again, her fangs growing out to about two inches (5 cm) and coating itself with a dark green liquid

"Watch out Ishimaru, that is highly potent venom." Chainz warned

"Hold on Viperia! Now's not the time to fight." Daisuke called out to her

"Fine." Viperia said as her fangs shrunk and the venom disappeared. She leaped back to Daisuke's side as he kept the scarlet spell book closed

* * *

><p>Seiku however, wasn't as willing to back off as Daisuke was. "Ever since you and Chainz became partners, you turned your back on us in order to fulfill Chainz's selfish desires. Now, it's to the point where you are a step above a mindless drone, you are no longer the Ishi I once knew..Ryu warned me about all of this."<p>

"How come you never came and talked to me? If we're friends...no _best _friends then something like this should be talked about with ease?" Ishimaru questioned

"Then how come you never told me about Chainz in the first place? Why did you hide and keep secrets from me? Why did you disappear for practically the entire summer without even so much as a word to me bout what's going on?"

Ishimaru was silent, he had no response to Seiku's questions.

"Did you guys expect me or should I say us to think that Miroashi suddenly coming back to school was a mere coincidence? Did you think that you could suddenly walk around and live with a kid nobody has ever saw you with before and never question?"

Ishimaru was still speechless.

"I may be a fool but I'm not stupid. It wasn't until after I met Itosagi during the summer that I was truly able to figure out what was going on. Ryu approached me and told me everything. I didn't trust the guy but everything he was telling was spot-on. So answering your question directly, you never told me about anything going on between you and Chainz, to expect me to do the same is quite unfair."

"I'm sorry that I was so secretive with you and I caused this entire misunderstanding, but listen to yourself. You've joined up with an awful organization hellbent on destroying everything you know and love. You're trusting a guy who's the very definition of shady...the same one who took my eye yet you refuse to listen what your best friend has to say?"

"_Ex-_Vest Friend." Seiku corrected him

**"I didn't know you were so weak."** Ishimaru said with a disapproving look

"Enough! I'll that book into Ashes! _Kurogu-"_

**"SHUT UP! If you truly wanted to fight me, you would have done so long ago, hell you would have done so when you confronted me a few months ago in the locker room at the latest. You wouldn't have been smiling in my face, hanging out in class, playing football with me nor would you have invited me to your house party. You're letting Ryu take advantage of you and your insecurities based upon an assumption that's not even remotely true. The only one here who's selfish and brainwashed is YOU. Let's be honest here, this is not solely about Chainz and you know it."** Ishimaru did not intend to go on a tirade, but the words flowed out of his mouth like an unstoppable waterfall

Seiku was on his knees trembling, looking up at Ishimaru, his eyes were bloodshot and his green irises were filler with hatred, envy and rage. He was taking massive deep breaths as he struggled to stand back up

"Damn you...you...will...pay...**Kamikatsu**...I...will...kill...you...myself."

Before things could be escalated any further, a white serpent dragon emerged from the ground. It looked over at Ishimaru and co with a menacing look but lowered its head so Seiku, Daisuke, Minamoto in addition to Itosagi and Viperia could climb on.

"Mark my words, next time we meet. I will not only burn Chainz's book but I will kill you Kamikatsu and I will make the Black Corps' goals a reality. **So enjoy these days while you still can.**" Seiku declared as the dragon took them back into the underground tunnel it burrowed through earlier

"Ishi..."

"I'm alright Eve. If Seiku decides to remain true on his words, then that will make him the enemy. In which case, if I have to fight him...I won't hold back. Same goes for Daisuke too." Ishimaru said darkly

"School's going to be awkward for you guys now." Sundance remarked

"No...they aren't coming back to school." Eve replied

Ishimaru looked over at Chainz, who was staring out into space.

"Chainz."

"Ishi...am I truly the cause of your and Seiku's friendship ending?"

"No...it's not your fault. I would never blame you for that, what happened was my own fault and his. Contrary to what he said, you had nothing to do with this."

Chainz sighed, it was going to take Ishimaru a while to pull him out of this funk.

"Anyway, so what do we do now?" Eve wondered

"Well there is something I've been wondering about. Chainz?"

"Yeah?"

"I saw Viperia expand her fangs and coat them with venom. Can you do anything like that?"

"All Cobra Clan members have the capacity to learn special techniques and that is one of them."

"Then how come you never used it before?"

"It's because..."

"Because what?"

"Because...I never learned how to fully control my special abilities." Chainz said, looking down again

"Then what are we waiting for? We got some training to do."

"It's not that simple."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't just do it...they are clan techniques, in other words, I need to have my training supervised by Cobra Clan member...and that's just not possible here."  
>Chainz explained<p>

"I think you're forgetting about someone." Ishimaru said

"Who am I forget...no...NO! Not gonna happen, uh-uh, never in a million years!" Chainz shook his head, catching on to what Ishimaru was implying

"What's going on, who are you guys talking about?" Eve asked

"Oh that's right. We never told you about Chainz's brother, Slash." Ishimaru said with a grin

"Wait a minute, so Iron Prince Slash is your brother!?" Sundance exclaimed, shocked

"Then again, he _does_ hail from the Cobra Clan so I suppose it wasn't _that _much of a stretch." Sundance said, rubbing his chin

"So you've heard of him Sundance?" Ishimaru asked

"Who hasn't? Iron Prince Slash was easily one of the best. A member of the Talented Five and one of the favorites to win-"

"Geez, why don't you ask for his autograph while you're at it!" Chainz exclaimed, annoyed

"Anyway, we can simply ask Slash to help you. I'm sure he won't mind, especially since he's helped you before with your Hokeigo spell almost a year ago." _**(A/N-Way back in Chapter 12)**_

"Where is he anyway?" Eve asked

"Slash spends a lot of time on the mountain said near Mt. Fuji so all we gotta do is go there and ask him in person." Ishimaru said

"Road trip!" Sundance exclaimed

* * *

><p>Meida, Hori, Aaron, Angie, Omar Gansu Genso, Gatrion and Roland were scattered about on their private flight back to Japan. Meida managed to find a spare account that was overlooked by Toru and paid for a private jet back to Japan. She was simply happy to finally be out of the hospital after spending the last three weeks there. After passing all of her physical tests and exemplary therapy work, she was completely back on her feet. It was only a few minutes until they landed and Meida wanted to make sure that everything went according to plan.<p>

"Touchdown!" Aaron shouted as the plane landed and glided down the runway until it came to a complete halt

"We have one more piece to the puzzle left." Meida said as they stood at the entrance to the plane

_**A/N- Even though Blue revealed the Black Corps' ultimate goal of ascending him to becoming a Mamodo God a while ago, we learn that another part of Blue's ultimate plan is to combine both the Human and Mamodo worlds. We also learn that the freelancers and Generals are tasked with objectives in order to further that goal. Seiku has almost crossed the Moral Event Horizon. Will he stay true to his word and carry out the Black Corps' (and Ryu's) agenda in addition to killing Ishimaru and snatching Chainz's dream away? Will Slash decide to train Chainz on how to control and sustain his special abilities? Is Viperia a bigger threat than Chainz would like to believe? What did Meida mean by "one more piece of the puzzle left?" Much more to come in Iron revolution!  
><strong>_

_**_**We are finally here. The climax to Hori's character arc starts now! R&R folks! **_**_

_**Also, merry Christmas to all and Happy Holidays to those who don't celebrate it.**_


	138. Gatrion vs Izzo! Part 1

"I've never been out of the country before! This looks amazing!"

Omar took picture after picture as they drove through the countryside towards the mountain. Other than the beginning of Omar's culture shock, it was a solemn quiet in the limo. Their objective was to find Slash and organize an assault on the Tateishi Zaibatsu headquarters since Meida knew that she wasn't getting her company back without a fight. She also did not know how this wold be played in the media against her but she figured she could pull some strings when the time comes.

"I got a lot of sightseeing to do." Omar said, still taking pictures

"We're not here on a vacation." Gansu Genso reminded him

"Yeah, yeah but when will I get another opportunity to come to Japan? I gotta savor in these moments."

Meanwhile, a pair of detached hands were laying on the limo's roof as the ongoing banter continued. On cue, they sprang alive and crawled towards the roof's edge on opposite sides, resembling two large spiders. Both hands gripped their respective edges and stiffened.

Hori, who had been silently napping since the beginning of the flight, sprang awake as he glanced around for a moment. "Everybody, hold hands!"

This of course, interrupted the ongoing argument about Omar's picture taking as they stared at the white haired boy, confused. "What's going on?" Omar asked

"Just grab hands!" Hori shouted, getting impatient

Everybody did as they were told and held hands, forming a nearly complete circle. Hori looked over a Meida, who was sitting near the front of the seats. "Meida, open the screen and grab onto the driver's collar."

Meida nodded as she stretched out her arm and pulled the screen back, reaching out to the driver but her arm was too short. "I can't reach him."

"Try harder! Hurry up!" Hori yelled

Meida leaned her body over while not letting go of Hori's hand. Her arm was still too short but her fingertips reached the driver's collar, Hori closed his eyes once more as the limo exploded, sending car parts and other shrapnel everywhere.

A ring purple flames opened up as everybody dropped to the ground with a thud. Hori panted heavily, as everybody dusted themselves off and got to their feet. "I...never...teleported...that many people...or mamodo...before...I...wasn't...even...sure I could do that." he said, still taking in numerous deep breaths

"Wait, so you weren't even sure that was going to work!?" Roland exclaimed, shocked

_"_Yeah...pretty much."

Before Roland could respond to that, Izzo and his human partner David appeared. "Such a shame you missed out on your _final boom_, but I'm not surprised seeing that's it is members of the Talented Five I'm dealing with." Izzo said, adding in another lame explosion pun

Still panting due to all of the energy he used teleporting so many people and mamodo at once, Hori stepped forward to fight Izzo but was halted by Gatrion. "These guys ruined our sweet ride and I haven't slapped anybody around in a while. This guy is the perfect target."

"Plus, our mission is to find Slash and fully reunite the Talented Five before taking back Meida's company. There is no need for all of us to stay here, you guys go on ahead and we'll catch up later." Roland said, revealing Gatrion's spell book

"Fine then." Hori grunted

Meida walked over to him, squatting down. "What...are you...doing?" Hori asked, still panting

"Let me carry you Hori while you recover your energy. Just being able to teleport already takes up a lot of energy but you had to teleport nine of us at once which is something only an elite mamodo can do. Walking and climbing the mountain will drain even more of your energy, which is better suited for other things...also, you took care of me so I'm returning the favor."

Hori's pride as a mamodo was hurt a little, but he understood what Meida was trying to do for him. "Looks like I have no choice." he said as he climbed on her back

"We're leaving this to the two of you." Aaron said as they turned and made their way down the path to their destination

* * *

><p>Gatrion and Roland both nodded as they turned their attention back to Izzo and David.<p>

"In all honesty, I was _bursting _with excitement to fight Hori...I wasn't expecting to have a bug problem." Izzo said with disdain and taking a swipe at the beetle mamodo while yet again, adding another explosion pun

"Ready Gatrion?" Roland asked

"Always."

"_Rogar!"_

Izzo's right hand detached from his wrist and hit Gatrion, exploding on impact and sending the humanoid beetle mamodo crashing into the ground. He got back up as the smoke flowed off his body. Clearing the dust from his eyes, Gatrion saw that Izzo's detached hand were gripping his arms.

"My self-detonation spells can work as either a one-off attack or I can set off explosion after explosion as long as at least one of my body parts are in contact with the opponent. See for yourself!"

Another explosion set off as a second cloud of smoke and dust kicked up. Gatrion stumbled out of the smoke and before he could catch his breath or see what was going on, Izzo set off a third explosion. Gatrion fell to the ground with a thud as the smoke and burns radiated from his large body.

"Pathetic. Looks like the Talented Five is nothing more than a farce." Izzo spat as his right hand reattached itself to his wrist

Roland stood there in silence as Gatrion's smoking body laid there motionless. He did not say a word nor was thee any emotion on his face, he did not open the spell book either.

"There's nothing honorable about being a distraction or a decoy. That's only what the weak do in order to justify being grouped with the strong." Izzo scoffed, as in his mind, this match was already over

"What's this?"

Gatrion waved away the smoke as he stood up, much to Izzo's annoyance. Other than a burn mark here or there, he was perfectly fine. "You're lucky you aren't on the ground in pieces." Izzo remarked

"Roland, I figured out how this guy works." Gatrion said, ignoring Izzo's previous comments

"We may have noticed the same thing." Roland said, finally opening the spell book

"Doesn't matter, because you're too late! David!"

"_Doublo Rogar!"_

This time, _both _of Izzo's hands detached themselves from his wrists and grabbed onto Gatrion. One hand grabbed his fingers, keeping them bundled tightly and the other detached hand grabbed Gatrion's arm and pinned it behind his shoulder. "You can't move your arms as freely as you like, meaning you can't flick away my hands nor will you be able to withstand the same explosion I used to blow up that limousine." Izzo said haughtily

"Just what I knew you were going to do." Gatrion said smirking

"_Zirosen!"_

A light blue spark that appeared for literally half a second reflected from Gatrion's body. Seeing no visible damage nor any physical power-up from Gatrion fueled Izzo to call his bluff. "That's it? I thought a saw a small shockwave but of course it's a dud because you arms are tied!" Izzo mocked, using another pun but this time did not necessarily have anything to do with explosions

"Now die."

But nothing happened. Izzo hands were still gripping Gatrion's hand and arm but nothing was happening.

"What's this? My hands aren't responding to me!"

"My Zirosen spell sends a small shockwave from my body and disrupts the opponent's nervous system. Your spells heavily rely on your body being able to communicate with your limbs and this was an easy set up."

"So all of those other times I hit you...you were just toying with me. You were learning how I tick..." Izzo said, in shock. Nobody had ever been able to neutralize him before.

"Your hands are now useless." Gatrion said coldly

"It...it...doesn't matter. I can still kill you and your human partner!" Izzo exclaimed

_"Ganzu Rogar!"_

Izzo detached both of his feet, hands, arms, legs , torso and head then scattered his various body parts throughout the air, levitating from the ground, making it difficult to move on the ground nor in the air without triggering an explosion.

"One thing's for sure, even though his hands won't be much use, the rest of his body is still dangerous." Gatrion said, observing Izzo's now hovering limbs

"Yeah and we can't use Zirosen again since he'll try to avoid it now and it won't be much of a surprise." Roland added

"Ganzu Rogar is one of the aces up my sleeve. There's no way you can hit me since my body is detached and there's nothing you can do without setting off an inevitable explosion."

"Gatrion, ready to experiment again?"

"Yeah."

"_Mantiruk!"_

Gatrion's arms formed into mantis-like claws and the wings on his back extended out as he took to the sky. The battle between Gatrion of the elite Talented Five and Izzo of the Black Corps' Six Nightmares just intensified.

_**A/N- Short chapter. Next chapter of Gatrion vs Izzo will be much longer. Hori took a gamble and it paid off (this time). Their search for Slash continues while Gatrion deals with Izzo! More to come and I hope you enjoyed the last chapter for 2013! R&R folks!**_


	139. Gatrion vs Izzo! Part 2

Gatrion hovered a few feet above Roland as he gazed upon Izzo's various detached limbs and body parts scattered throughout the air. Wings extended and mantis scythes raised, Gatrion charged forward. He whizzed through the air as he sliced through Izzo's detached arm, setting off a large explosion and knocking him into the ground, cracking the road. Gatrion however got back up, crouched down on a knee.

"It's just like his other spells, all of his limbs explode. He scattered his body into various parts in order to give himself for coverage." Gatrion noted

"That's not the only thing my Ganzu Rogar spell does." Izzo announced

To Gatrion and Roland's surprise, the arm Gatrion sliced through previously was back in it's original position, unscathed.

"They regenerate?!"

"Correct. No matter how many times my limbs are destroyed, they regenerate!" Izzo cackled

"We'll have to see about that." Gatrion said

"Instead of you coming to me, how about I come to you!" Izzo yelled as all of his scattered body parts sans his head made a beeline towards Gatrion

"_Beshield!" _

A large beetle shell emerged from the ground and covered Roland and Gatrion as Izzo's limbs exploded in rapid succession. Gatrion's spell book glowed with a chartreuse light as the explosions continued one after another. The explosions subsided and Gatrion's spell wore off. Looking up, Izzo's limbs were still scattered throughout the air, almost as if nothing's changed.

"His limbs regenerate almost instantly after we damage them or after they explode after attacking. How are we supposed to damage him?" Roland questioned

"I have a hunch, but I'm going to have to get a closer look in order to be sure." Gatrion said

"Leave that part to me. _Fliusen!" _Roland chanted, the book glowing

Gatrion's wings extended as he floated back into the air. The beetle mamodo's insect wings began to glow white as he disappeared and reappeared in front of the floating limbs. Gatrion zoomed through the limbs as the exploded simultaneously, kicking up clouds of dust in midair, making it hard to see. Gatrion picked up speed and began flying faster. Izzo's detached head floated out of Gatrion's path as his regenerated limbs were sent after him, one exploding after another.

_"I see now, he can only regenerate his limbs if his head isn't damaged. I know how to win!"_

Gatrion stopped mid flight and changed direction back towards Izzo's head.

"Try as you may, you can't get to me!" Izzo shouted as he frantically kept moving and directed his detached limbs to form a wall of sorts in front of him.

Gatrion climbed higher in the air to the point he was above both Izzo and his limbs, wings outstretched. Instinctively, Roland knew Gatrion wanted another spell.

_"Gatrion, I know what you just saw...I saw it too."_ He said to himself

Roland flipped the pages in the spell book as the chartreuse light illuminated his book. Gripping the edges tightly, he poured his strength from within into the book.

_"Giga Weirisen!"_

Gatrion's mouth opened as he flew over Izzo in order to take aim. A small, yet very precise dart was released from his mouth, making a straight path towards Izzo.

"All of that _exploding _bravado for a measly little dart? What a joke." Izzo scoffed as he sent his detached arm to block it.

The dart collided when the detached arm and exploded on impact, kicking up the expected smoke. However, the dart came through the smoke, much to Izzo's shock. He sent his second arm to block the dart and like before it exploded on impact but the dart passed through the clouds of dust and smoke. "What the hell is this?!" Izzo exclaimed bewildered as he sent both detached hands to block the incoming dart

Once again, the dart and detached hands exploded when colliding with each other and like the other times, the dart continued its path. "No! No! My explosions destroy anything!" Izzo shouted, in denial

Soon, his regenerated arms, hands, legs, hands, feet and torso were all sent towards the dart and like before, they all exploded when coming into contact with it, but still the dart continued its path. Seeing no other option, his head tried to float away but before he could get far, the dart landed directly in the middle of his forehead. White sparks cackled around his head as his eyes were wide as donuts.

"NOOOOOOO!" he shouted as he exploded

Gatrion lowered himself to the ground as the thick cloud of smoke due to Izzo's various attempts to stop Gatrion's spell began to clear. Izzo's peach spell book was now covered in green flames, David his human partner stood there, still holding the book despite it burning. The beetle mamodo walked over to a now fully formed Izzo and picked him up by his collar of his shirt.

"Now you know why you shouldn't fuck with The Talented Five." he growled

"Hehehehe." Izzo snickered

"Huh?"

"Hehehehe..hehehehehe...hahahahaha!"

"What's so funny?"

"The fact that you think you're walking away from here alive." Izzo snickered, his body fading away

"What do you mean?"

At that moment, Izzo broke free of Gatrion's grasp and grabbed onto his neck. He then wrapped his legs around Gatrion's chest and began squeezing tightly.

"Get off me!" Gatrion shouted, surprisingly struggling to wrench Izzo off of him

"_Dioga Rogar.." _David chanted quietly as he dropped the burning remains of Izzo's spell book and began walking away.

"Oh, no you don't!" Roland shouted, as he ran and quickly caught up to the much athletic David and tackled him to the ground. Roland sat on David's back as a means of keeping him in place.

Izzo's still fading away body, began glowing a bright peach as Gatrion's eyes widened. On impulse, he shot up to the sky in an attempt to jerk Izzo free.

"Gatrion!" Roland shouted

Gatrion flew higher into the sky, as Izzo glowed bright enough to the point where one couldn't look at him without squinted. Before Gatrion could fly any higher, a massive explosion much larger than any of the others before went off in the air. Smoke and dust filled the air as Roland looked on in silence.

"Gatrion..."

More silence.

Roland looked down at the spell book in his and which was still intact. A moment later, he could see something appearing from the smoke, that something was coming closer and closer to the ground. It was revealed to be none other than Gatrion!

"Gatrion!" Roland yelled out to him

"Sup." he replied back

Gatrion's wings were partially broken, burns and ash marks covered his body but other than that, he was fine. He finally landed feet first on the ground and approached his partner.

"I was able to get him off me at the last second. A moment sooner and my book would have been burnt too." he said, nothing how powerful that last explosion was

"Glad to see you're alright." Roland said, content

Looking over his shoulder, he saw David trying to crawl away. "Just where do you think you're going!?"

Roland grabbed David by the back of his shirt and slammed his against the trunk of a nearby tree. "Tell us everything you know or Gatrion will fly you in the air and drop you off into the middle of the wilderness." he snarled

Before David could speak however, a green whip-like tail struck him across the face and onto the ground. Turning to face the attacker, Roland and Gatrion saw that it was Psycher!

"Fool almost said too much and would have done something he'd have regretted." Psycher said condescendingly

"I remember you from all of those years ago back at Elite Review...you were also the one who attacked Meida!" Gatrion exclaimed

"You five cost me my chance of being named an elite." the lizardman mamodo scowled

"You lost fair and square plus you attacked us first." Gatrion said

"Why you're so hung up on a stupid title is beyond me." Roland said nonchalantly

Psycher hissed at Gatrion and Roland but seemingly calmed down immediately.

"As annoying as that Izzo guy was, I did use a large amount of strength from within on him." Roland said

"Obviously, I'm a bit banged up from that last attack but I still got enough in me to keep going." Gatroon replied

"I have no interest in either of you. There is only one mamodo I'm truly interested in fighting and he's not here." Psycher said, brushing them off

"Roland..." Gatrion began

"I already know. He's talking about Hori." Roland cut him off

"Seeing that we're on the same page here, we can't let him do that." Gatrion said pounding his fist into his hand

Psycher however, was already darting away in the trees. The humanoid lizard may have been repulsive, but he was certainly quick on his feet.

"Dammit, he got away." Gatrion said

"We gotta catch up with the others."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Hori, Angie, Gansu Genso and their respective partners were still on the move. They hadn't stopped moving since they separated from Gatrion and Roland. The road they've been jogging across lead to the small mountain village, which of course, was their original destination before Izzo attacked.<p>

"Kiichiro and Slash's cabin is a the upper foot of the mountain." Meida said, looking ahead

"We'll need to get a vehicle since there's no way we could climb this by foot in a timely manner." Omar added

"I know. We're going into town to rent an off-road vehicle. If that one guy was able to track us down here then surely there are others. Let's keep moving and staying head of them." Meida said as they began to venture into town

"Hey there!"

Turning around, they saw who appeared to be a mountain man sporting a long, busy black beard and a red beanie. His plaid shirt matched the red on his beanie and his dark denim jeans held up by a thick black leather belt. He also happened to be riding into a large off-road vehicle.

"Talk about good timing." Omar said

"You guys need a lift into the mountains?" the man asked, his voice chipper despite his rugged appearance

"How did you know we were here to go into the mountains and rent an off-road vehicle?" Meida asked

"That's easy. Almost every outsider to come though these parts wants to go into the mountains, so I made an educated guess."

"I see."

"So, do you want a ride?"

"Sure." Omar and the others said as they began to follow the mountain man. Meida turned to her now former limo driver to give him specific orders.

"I want you to go into the town and see who you can get a hold of back at HQ. Rally my loyalists and be on stand-by."

"Right away, Tateishi-sama."

The group climbed into the vehicle as the mountain man typed in the coordinates for their destination. This caught Hori's sharp and watchful eye as he crossed his arms and sat back in his seat and started thinking about his observations.

_"All of this is too convenient and too easy. If he's such a rugged mountain man, then why did he type in coordinates in order to get there? I have a feeling we're headed for a trap but then again, what choice do we have? Regardless, they stand in the way of Meida getting her company back and they will be stopped. I'll make sure of that!"_

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- Well that's a wrap. Izzo has been defeated by Gatrion and Roland. Meida and co encounter a random mountain man who generously gives them a ride but neither Hori nor Meida seem to be too trusting of this guy. More to come in the next chapter! R&R folks! First chapter of 2014!_**

**_Oh and as pointed out by DeathySophia, I have reached over 500 reviews. Thank you all for your continuing support (Especially Beloved Princess and DeathySophia who I believe have reviewed literally every single chapter) and thank you all who still read but don't review._**

**_ Iron Revolution would by no means be possible without you guys. You all have created some kickass characters and have left me reviews these past two years that helped me become a better writer.  
><em>**

**_So if you guys want cookies and/or craft beer (not cheap stuff like a certain beer in a blue can that tastes almost like water) ,then by all means, its on me!_**

**_Name- Izzo_**

**_Partner- David Gordon_**

**_Rank- 29th out of 100  
><em>**

**_Element- Self-detonation_**

**_Book burned by- Gatrion and Roland_**

**_Spells-_**

_**Rogar- Detaches fist and explodes on contact with opponent**_

_**Doublo Rogar- Detaches both fists**_

_**DuRogar- Full body charge, explodes on impact**_

_**Ganzu Rogar- Detaches both feet, both hands, both arms, both legs , torso and head then sends all of the detached parts at the opponent, setting off multiple explosions. Can also regenerate for excessive use unless Izzo's head is damaged.**_

_**Dioga Rogar- Entire body creates a massive explosion. This is Izzo's most powerful spell.**_


	140. The Strongest of the Six Nightmares!

The terrain vehicle continued his path up the mountain as Meida was deep in her thoughts. She was trying to figure out how the Black Corps or more specifically the remaining members of the Six Nightmares knew they were headed that way.

_"I suppose they figured that we were inevitably going to try and meet back up with Slash, so they beat us here and are staking out as a means of intercepting us."_

Predictably, as soon as Meida's theory ran across her mind, the vehicle began shaking. It then jerked forward then backwards as the mountain man struggled for control. The floor of the vehicle began to crack, which drew everybody's already divided attention. What appeared to be a thick tree root burst through the cracks and expanded upon the vehicle's interior.

"A tree is growing inside of the vehicle!" Gansu Genso exclaimed

"Thank you Captain Obvious." Omar replied

"The vehicle is going to split apart at any moment!" Angie said, ducking her head and getting out of the path of the roots extending through the vehicle's hood.

Before anybody could really take action, thicker and longer tree roots emerged from the rocky ground, growing to the point where they towered over the vehicle. Wiggling like tentacles, they began thrashing about violently and one of the roots slammed into the vehicle, knocking it forward once again.

"We gotta get out of here before this thing crushes us or rips us apart!" Aaron yelled

"Hori, can you teleport everybody out of here?" Meida asked

Before Hori could answer his partner, the mountain man pressed a button near his dashboard. The roof, albeit damaged by the tree roots, slid off and left the top open. He then casually pressed another button and ejected everybody into the air just as one of the outside roots slammed into the vehicle, crushing it like a soda can.

Hori quickly caught Meida in midair before teleporting to the ground while Gansu Genso caught Omar and hovered his way down. Angie and Aaron ironically had an even smoother landing than their counterparts by taking control of their bodies and somersaulting their way down, landing on their feet thanks to their martial arts training.

Observing the damage inflicted by the tree roots that were surprisingly placid at the moment, they noticed the ground from which they emerged, caused the road to be split in half, making it difficult to get to the opposite side. Interestingly enough, Angie and Aaron were on the left side while Hori, Meida, Gansu Genso, Omar and the mountain man were on the other side. A smaller tree root subtly emerged from the ground a small distance away from Angie and began to grow and slither its way towards her.

"Are you guys alright?" The mountain man called out to them

"We're fine, but the road is damaged and we have no vehicle now." Aaron said

"I can still lead you guys up the mountain." the strange man said

Before anybody could say anything else, the small root from earlier made an attempt to wrap around Angie's leg but she unsheathed her katana in literally half a second, slicing it to pieces before it could even grab her. Aaron immediately opened Angie's spell book while she looked back towards the large split made in the road and returned her katana to its sheath.

More tree roots similar to the ones from before emerged from the ground. A girl with flowing earth brown locks and glowing golden eyes rode on one of them. Her tunic rivaled the green vegetation of the forest surrounding the foot of the mountain while the striped white and green stockings resembled a mint candy cane, her dark tan skin was almost as brown and earthy as her hair. Riding on another tree root coming from the ground, was a woman who appeared to be dressed in the same rural attire as the mountain villagers, so one could assume she was from there. Angie did not care too much to look at her anymore descriptively than that aside from the fact that she possessed a sepia colored spell book.

The roots stopped the growing from the ground and the girl's glowing golden eyes faded and became small black ones. She casually set on the tree branch looking over those below her. "My name is Melodia." she said in a dreamy voice

Angie saw the black band tattooed on her wrist and glared at Melodia. "So you're one of _them_."

"That is correct. You have encountered Psycher, Roku, Elemento, Venom and Izzo, the other five members...I am the Sixth Nightmare of The Black Corps' Six Nightmares and therefore the only one you have never met until now."

"Funny that you've been hiding this entire time while the rest of your allies confronted us." Angie scoffed

"On the contrary, I could have easily came after you myself but didn't bother since I wanted to face the strongest. I wanted to take full advantage of my element so I came and staked out into the forest by ingraining my roots. My original target was the Iron Prince but he hasn't came down my path but you're the next best thing."

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered that you acknowledge my strength or insulted that you're saying I'm inferior to Slash." Angie said unsheathing her katana

"Angie, leader of Nana's Trio and second most powerful of the Talented Five, prepare to die." Melodia said as a tree root shot in her direction

Angie sliced the thick root like a hot knife through butter, causing it to hit and shake the ground with a loud thud. "I hope that's not all you got." Angie said, unimpressed

"Not at all." Melodia said showing a small smirk

"Guys, go on ahead. I'll catch up after I cut her to pieces." Angie called out to them from the other side

"Alright, we're counting on you!" Omar called out as they continued down their path on foot

"How powerful is Angie exactly?" Meida asked as they jogged up the now undamaged path.

"Angie and Slash before he got his Revelation Power were dead even. Sometimes Slash won and sometimes Angie took him down. As much as I hate to admit it, they are stronger than us but not by too much." Gansu Genso lamented

"I see. Now that I think about it, I have never seen her use any spells." Omar remarked

"Angie does not have very many spells and that's because she usually doesn't need any." Gansu Genso informed the two humans

"A mamodo who doesn't use very many spells, I haven't really heard of that before." Meida said

* * *

><p>"Just so you know, I only let your allies go ahead just so I can have less of a distraction while I'm crushing you." Melodia said<p>

Angie did not say anything, she leaped into action and made a dash towards Melodia, who in response to this, sent multiple tree roots after her. Angie sliced the first incoming root in half then she jumped over the second one. The third and fourth tree roots simultaneously came at her from opposite directions, but Angie easily cut through both of them.

Angie jumped into the air and took full aim at Melodia, aiming to behead her. "You're finished!" she shouted

"_Juron!"_

To Angie surprise however, a root sprouted from Melodia's hand and wrapped around the blade before it could fully reach her. This root was thicker than the others and could actually pass for a small tree trunk. "Damn it." Angie growled as she had a hard time cutting her katana free from the root's grasp.

Melodia raised her arm up as the root extended from her hand, pushing Angie back even further before slamming her into the ground, cracking it and sending rocks everywhere.

"Angie!" Aaron yelled

Angie opened her eyes as the rocky debris cleared and saw that the roots were beginning to fully cover her katana's blade. "My katana can't cut through this!" she growled as she continuously tried cutting through it.

"_Shuranu!"_

Angie's katana glowed a bright red and blasted the ensnaring root to bits with its red beam. Standing up, she looked over at her surroundings before looking back up at Melodia.

"Aaron." she said without looking at him

"What's up?"

"I have been wondering how she is able to manipulate and summon so many tree roots, especially ones of this stature. I remember she mentioned earlier about ingraining her roots and laying within this forest, waiting for an opportunity to attack Slash."

"What are you getting at exactly?"

"I think the forest surrounding the mountain is the source of her power."

"So what's your plan?"

"We're going into the place where her element is at its best."

Thanks to her sitting on top of one of the giant roots she summoned earlier, Melodia could not make out what neither Angie nor Aaron were saying and it made her grow impatient. "If you're not going to attack, then I will!"

More tree roots emerged from the ground where Aaron and Angie were located and began whipping at them. "Aaron, let's go!"

Angie took the lead as she began slicing the newly emerging roots, cutting a path down the mountain and into the forest. "Fools, they are going into the forest, where my power is even greater. Mori, we're going to take a detour." Melodia said to her partner

* * *

><p>A few miles away, Roland and Gatrion were walking along the road, tired and battered from their win over Izzo. "Before we head up the mountain to meet with the others, we should stop by the village and get patched up." Gatrion suggested<p>

"Yes because, a large beetle mamodo clearly won't draw any funny looks." Roland scoffed

"Oh come on, I always got funny looks back in America, I expect the same here."

Roland opened his mouth to argue but saw a man slumped up against the tree. Taking alert, they ran over to him in order to investigate. Looking at him, Roland immediately knew he was a mountain man. Which of course, wasn't hard to figure out considering his bushy black beard and a red beanie, his matching plaid shirt and dark denim jeans.

"Are you alright?" Roland asked holding the man up

"W-Where am I?" the man asked groggily

"It looks like the side of a road outside a small mountain village." Gatrion said matter-of-factly which earned him a glare from Roland

"Do you remember anything?" Roland asked

"I was escorting some passengers up a mountain when I suddenly blacked out and woke up here." he said

"Passengers?"

"We get a lot of tourists here and often escort them up the mountains so they can do sightseeing and whatnot."

"Do you remember what they looked like?"

"Yeah, one of them was an Eastern European man and the other guy looked like a lizard man. He told me it was an extremely rare skin disease but that tail he had made think otherwise."

Gatrion and Roland looked at each other with mutual stormy looks.

"Let's get you to the village." Roland said as he helped the large man up and with assistance from Gatrion, helped walk the man into the village

* * *

><p>"It's been awhile...since I ran like that." Aaron said, trying to catch his breath<p>

Aaron and Angie had managed to cut and dodge all of Melodia's tree roots and were soon in the middle of the mountain forest. Other than the faint noises of the animal wildlife, the forest was quiet.

"Angie, can you sense her anywhere?" Aaron asked

"It's virtually impossible to accurately sense her. Remember her tree roots are ingrained within this entire forest so her essence is everywhere."

A few yards behind them, Melodia and her human partner Mori, halfway emerged from a nearby tree's trunk from their heads until the beginning of their waists. Mori had the sepia spell book opened and glowing.

"_Raaja Juron!"_

Melodia's hands began to flow in a particular motion as numerous tree branches began to grow into whip-like appendages. Angie and Aaron immediately turned around to confront this. The various whip branches grew to numerous feet in length and began to thrash about. Melodia fully emerged from the tree trunk and rode another branch to where she was standing in front of Angie and Aaron.

"Your decision to come where my element is at its strongest is commendable but still a foolhardy mistake even for one of the Talented Five. Your katana could only cut through the very weakest of my roots. You'll have to use your spells if you want a shot at winning this."

"Looks like we'll have to prove you wrong." Aaron said

"No, she's right. As sharp as my katana is, it cannot cut through everything on its own. Otherwise I wouldn't need a spell book." Angie said

"I suppose."

"Aaron...we have to win not only for our allies, but also so I can claim my rightful place as Mamodo Queen. "

Angie unsheathed her katana as she stood face to face with the most powerful of the Six Nightmares.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Melodia, the most powerful of the Six Nightmares appears and attacks the T5! Angie and Aaron stay behind in order to confront her! Roland and Gatrion found the real mountain man who face was stolen by Psycher and his human partner Joergen and are now escorting him back to the village. **_****

**_Angie vs Melodia has officially begun! Will she win? Only one way to find out! R&R folks!_**


	141. Momentum Shift! Angie v 30 Tree Warriors

A few crows squawked over the mountain forest's canopy as Angie and Melodia stood face to face. Neither mamodo moved an inch, they just stood in anticipation. Angie's foot moved slightly as they stayed locked in eye contact. Somebody was going to have to make a move and soon.

Angie gripped her katana tightly as she disappeared instantly, she suddenly reappeared in Melodia's face, who already moved a tree branch in front of her to block Angie's blade. Angie disappeared again and reappeared behind Melodia, who quickly moved another tree branch to block her. Using her blinding speed, Angie disappeared and reappeared in various positions yet Melodia kept up with her.

"You're fast." Angie said, surprisingly complementing Melodia's speed

"So are you, but don't think that'll save you for long!" Melodia responded

Melodia's hands began to move in various motions like earlier as the extended tree branches began slithering their rope-like appendages towards Angie. "I won't let those things touch me!" Angie shouted, slicing through the incoming branches, which fell to the forest floor like harmless twigs, much to Melodia's shock._  
><em>

"Looks like I'll have to go back to using my stronger roots and branches." Melodia said as she began flowing her hands in various directions, making a different pattern than before

Angie looked around her as roots began to grow out of the trees, similar to thicker ones that ripped their vehicle apart. Two cam directly in her path as she jumped over them, landing on the one to her right. She ran along the path as more thick roots slammed down in her direction, but she jumped over those too. Angie picked up speed as she continued running along the root. "Dodge this!" Melodia shouted as thick tree branches fell from the upper tier of the forest hitting the forest's middle tier with a thud.

Angie dodged each incoming branch but did not initially notice a root sprouting from a fallen branch. The root wrapped itself around Angie's foot and brought her down.

"Angie!" Aaron shouted, standing on another large tree branch a few yards away from her

"Stay where you are Aaron, I'll get myself out." Angie said, grabbing her katana

"I don't think so!" Melodia shouted as multiple roots sprouted from the tree trunk next to Angie, knocking the katana from her grasp

The thick roots grew and extended until they were as big as the roots from earlier. The tentacle-like roots cracked like whips as they began slamming down on Angie, whipping her body mercilessly

Angie screamed out in agony as the onslaught continued. Her clothes were torn and shredded in various places, but she did not give in. Angie stretched out her hand to grab ahold of her katana. Gripping her blade, she felt the power surge in her hand.

"_Shuranu!"_

Angie katana glowed a bright red as she sliced through the extremely thick roots like butter, cutting herself free. Getting back to her feet, she charged at Melodia head-on, katana still glowing.

Melodia dropped another large tree branch, this one thicker than most tree trunks and taller than many trees, from the forest's canopy directly above Angie. Clearly intending to crush her under the massive weight, but Angie had other plans. As the massive branch neared her, she swung her glowing blade upwards, sending out a large red beam and slicing it completely in half as it hit the forest floor, shaking the entire area for a few seconds.

"Nice work Angie!" Aaron shouted

Angie leaped in the air and reached a steep height. Being a bit above Melodia, Angie swung her still glowing blade, sending out a similar red beam like before. Melodia, sent four thick roots to block the beam but to no avail, it cut through them like butter and nearly hit Melodia! The forest mamodo quickly got out of its path as it sliced numerous branches below her.

_"If I didn't move from that sword beam, it would have sliced me in half!"_ Melodia thought to herself

Both Aaron and Angie both felt the momentum shift their way, but their job was not finished yet. "_She said she ingrained her roots here, meaning she can manipulate every tree and root in this entire forest. However that also means there is a weak spot...the main source of her control...the tree that started everything...the main source...the source tree!"_

_"However, which tree is it?"_

"It isn't a good idea to stare out into space like that in the middle of a fight!" Melodia sneered

_"Barjuron!"  
><em>

Melodia smiled as she sat down on the branch as the small trees sprouted out of the various branches. These small trees were short and stocky, forming ghastly faces, resembling green flames on their trunks. Their branches moved like hair made of snakes and their roots sprouted out, resembling spider legs and began crawling towards Angie, who counted thirty miniature trees.

"Tree warriors! Destroy her!" Melodia ordered

The thirty tree warriors surrounded Angie and Aaron in a large misshapen circle. Some in the same area as them and some of them on upper branches. Angie stood back to back with her human partner, katana drawn and readied.

"You think Shuranu can take them all out in one swing?" Aaron asked

"I doubt it, plus I can't accurately gauge their power levels." Angie replied

"Looks like we gotta take it up a notch then." Aaron said

"Right."

_"Sekururu!"_

Angie's katana began glowing red as she tossed it into the air and watched it compress itself into a small sphere of red light. A four tree warriors took this as an opportunity to attack and leaped at Angie. However, the red sphere formed into a staff, roughly ten or eleven feet (3-3.3m). On end of the much longer staff was an axe blade and on the other, a spikeball. A flash of red turned the four tree warriors into a pile of firewood.

Angie looked around at the twenty-six remaining tree warriors and took t the air with a powerful leap. Another tree warrior tried to jump on Angie's back from behind but she quickly turned around and sliced it half. Two more tree warriors attempted to grab onto Angie's legs in an effort to drag her into the ground, but she sliced through them lick clockwork.

"Seven down, Twenty-three to go."

Angie landed on a branch where a tree warrior was sitting. It's spider-like roots began crawling towards Angie, but she turned her staff around and had the spike ball facing towards the tree warrior. She immediately fired the spike ball connected to a chain from the staff and into the tree warrior's mouth. She yanked on the chain as the tree warrior gagged for a few moments before exploding, sending leaves and branches everywhere.

"That's eight of them down."

Angie ran forward and leaped from the branch as she sliced an unsuspecting tree warrior from behind. Looking up, she saw a tree warrior land on her back as it's roots crawled on her skin, having a feel similar to a hairy spider. As a result, it was rewarded with a furious slash from a grossed out Angie and fell to the forest floor. Angie took control of her freefalling body and made a landing on a nearby branch.

"Ten of them down, twenty more to go."

Angie looked up and saw eight tree warriors on the branches above her, four on her left and four on her right. "So now they finally gang up on me." she said, pacing her foot on the tree bark and pressed off of it, freefalling in midair once again.

On cue, the eight tree warriors jumped from their upper branches and began freefalling with Angie. Being heavier than her, they were falling at a faster rate and even caught up to Angie's level. She then took the opportunity to regain control of her freefalling body once more and used the tree warriors as stepping stones in order to retreat to a nearby branch. After doing so, she looked above her and saw one of the roots from an earlier part of her battle with Melodia. Slicing the root in half, she sent it crashing towards the ground and into the falling tree warriors, crushing them.

"That's eighteen down, twelve more to go." Angie said, rather please she was taking them out with relative ease

* * *

><p>Seeing Angie decimate more than half of her tree warriors sent a trail of worry down Melodia's spine. She did not expect Angie to do this much damage this quickly, she had to level the playing field and fast. She looked around the battlefield and saw Aaron cheering Angie on, which brought an idea to her. She began flowing her hands as the tree branches came to life once more...<p>

* * *

><p>Angie looked at the remaining tree warriors as she jumped up a few branches before going to the edge. Three of the tree warriors jumped towards Angie as she sliced all three of them in half, sending them to the forest floor.<p>

"Twenty-one down, nine more left."

Angie looked forward and saw five tree warriors huddled together. Their spider-like roots began to intertwine with one another, creating one weapon.

"They're trying to adapt to finding a better way to defeat me. Their tactic is good...but not good enough."

Angie jumped from the branch, swing the axe side of her staff downwards. The newly formed root weapon, shot forward and clashed with her blade, surprisingly sending sparks everywhere. Angie pressed harder and triumphed in the end, slicing through the root and simultaneously all five tree warriors.

Angie then turned to the remaining four tree warriors who were scattered amongst the other large tree branches.

"So these are the last four..."

Angie brought her blade down on one one of them, easily slicing it in half, leaving three of them left. She quickly hunted down the second one left and chopped it to pieces, leaving only one. She jumped down a few branches and saw the final tree warrior. "piece of cake." Angie said, slashing down at it but the ninja/samurai girl quickly realized that it was only an afterimage

Turning around, she saw the tree warrior swing it's branches at her, but she quickly dodged the incoming blows. Angie swung at the tree once again, but like before, only hit afterimages. Angie the saw the tree warrior leap over her as she shot the spikeball and chain from the other side of the staff. The ball missed the tree by a long shot and bounced off of a tree trunk, flying back into Angie, who ducked out of the way and over the tree warrior's "head".

Angie fell back on her butt as the tree warrior neared her. It opened it's ghastly mouth as it's roots began to extend and grip onto Angie. It suddenly stopped mid-movement and froze. Angie smirked as she pulled the chain on the back of her staff, causing the tree warrior to burst into leaves and twigs. Angie's staff reverted back to a red sphere of life and reformed into her katana.

"I did it...I defeated all thirty tree warriors."

Angie's celebration did not last very long, especially after not hearing Aaron's cheering. "Aaron? Aaron? Why aren't you answering me?" Angie called out

Her eyes widened as she focused on what was in front of her. Numerous branches were wrapped around Aaron's body and a thick root covered his mouth, forming a straightjacket of sorts. The blonde boy hung directly above Melodia as she sat on that same tree branch since the battle started.

"Aaron!"

"Now, I got you right where I want you." Melodia laughed

"You coward..." Angie snarled

"You call it cowardly and I call it using unorthodox tactics!" Melodia cackled as multiple roots sprouted from the ground

Angie was too focused on the now trapped Aaron to turn around and cut the roots down. The roots took advantage of this and whipped Angie's body, sending her crashing onto a branch. The roots whipped Angie again as she yelled out in pain.

"Your defeat is imminent. You may have defeated my tree warriors but I found your weak spot, your katana cannot cut through my thickest roots and tree branches without a spell. So I decided to get rid of that problem by capturing your book owner and keeping his mouth shut, making your blade virtually useless."

Aaron squirmed into the thick branches but could not move nor could anything coherent be heard due to the thick root on his mouth.

"And to think...I...was...so close to ...winning this." Angie said, panting heavily

"Just as we thought, The Talented Five...Nana's Trio..were nothing more than a farce! Perhaps I should have waited for the Iron Prince after all!" Melodia cackled, mocking Angie

Melodia quickly turned the tables on Aaron and Angie despite all of the momentum going against her. Melodia had the battle in her palm, all she had to do was finish them off.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Melodia pulls an underhanded move by ambushing Aaron as a means of getting to Angie! Is Angie finished? Is being a member of the Talented Five and the leader of Nana's Trio nothing more than a title? Has Angie finally met her match? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	142. Seeing what's in front of you!

Angie laid on the massive tree branch, her clothes ripped in numerous areas, bleeding slightly due to the numerous lashes from Melodia's giant roots. Her katana stood on the branch a few feet away from her. Panting heavily and vision fading, she was in a tough spot.

"_My blade...can't slice through without a spell. Aaron's mouth is covered and stuck in her grasp...it was an underhanded tactic but I was caught off-guard."_

Angie inched towards her katana, she had to stand up, she could not go down like this. Grabbing onto it with both hands, she stood up on a knee.

_"She has been able to counter everything I've thrown at her because of her ability. As long as the source tree remains intact, her power is virtually limitless. Of course that raises the question, where exactly IS the source tree?"_

"You can't stare out into space forever, if that's your way of avoiding me then it looks like I'll have to put an end to this." Melodia said closing her fist, causing the branches wrapped around Aaron's body to constrict even tighter than before. Aaron's eyes widened as his screams were muffled thanks to the root's thickness. Blood slowly dripped down the root over Aaron's mouth as he continued to squirm in a futile attempt to break free.

"Aaron!" Angie shouted. She had to do something or Melodia would kill him.

"_Damn it! Why can't I find the source tree? Then again, I haven't even been able to touch her this entire battle. Ever since this fight started, she never moved from that branch...wait a minute, that's it! Why didn't I see it before?"_

Gripping her katana's handle to the point it made her hands bleed, Angie stood up fully. She pulled her katana out of the tree branch and held it upright, her image reflected in the blade.

_"CJ...Beat...Gansu Genso...Gatrion...Hori...Slash...Meida...Roland...Omar...Aaron...Nana...everybody...forgive me! For a moment, I almost gave up and conceded defeat, how could I ever call myself one of the Talented Five or one of Nana's Trio if I were to do that?"_

One could not tell, but a smiled formed on Angie's face. Katana readied, she ran forward and jumped. She jumped from branch to branch, heading straight for Melodia. "This again, you should have learned from the first time!" Melodia shouted, sending various roots at Angie

Angie dodged each root coming towards her, gaining momentum. She jumped into the air once more, becoming airborne. She placed her katana in front of her, getting closer to Melodia. The forest mamodo's eyes widened as Angie swung downwards, surprisingly slicing off a piece of the branch Melodia was sitting on.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Melodia shrieked out in pain as the branches that constricted Aaron began to loosen and fall off. The root covering his mouth began to wilt and taking this opportunity, Angie jumped up and cut the root to pieces, freeing her partner. Aaron fell to his knees and spat up blood before wiping his mouth.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Now let's end this." Aaron said, opening the spell book

Katana readied, Angie ran full speed at a now defenseless Melodia. Angie jumped into the air, waiting for Aaron's voice.

"Put everything into this Angie. _SHURANU!"_

Angie's katana glowed a red that was even brighter than before. Swinging down, a large red beam emerged as it completely sliced through not only the branch but the entire source tree, causing the massive plant to fall. Melodia, who was linked to this tree, screamed in agony as the sepia book in her partner's hands was blanketed in blue flames. Melodia's body fell from the tree like a lead weight, but faded away before it could hit the ground. Angie sheathed her katana as she was by Aaron's side once again.

As the remains of Melodia's book burned, the path leading up the mountain that was damaged by Melodia's roots, reverted back to normal in addition to all of the damage done to the forest thanks to her spells. This of course, pleased the duo who returned to the forest floor and sat against a large tree.

"She was a worthy opponent and even undid the damage she caused." Angie said

"After we rest up, we gotta get moving." Aaron said, already focused on their next objective

"Right."

* * *

><p>"I see it up ahead!"<p>

Gansu Genso, Hori, the mountain man along with Omar and Meida saw Slash's cabin up ahead. Getting within a few yards of the wooden shelter, a door flew open and out came the Iron Prince along with his partner, Kiichiro.

"Slash, it is an honor as always." Gansu Genso said, giving a slight bow

"It's been a long time...Gansu Genso." Slash said

"We have trouble-" Meida began before being cut off by Slash

"I already know. I have been sensing them for weeks." Slash interrupted

"Then why didn't you take care of them yourself? Why let them run wild?" Omar demanded

"I figured you guys would be here shortly and I didn't want to get my hands dirty." Slash said coolly

"Why you..." Omar began before being restrained by Gansu Genso

"Slash, will you join us in reclaiming my zaibatsu back?" Meida asked, cutting to the chase

"Why should I? It has nothing to do with me." Slash vetoed

"Fight alongside the Talented Five once more." Gansu Genso offered

"Elite Review was years ago...aside from the occasional spar, you all should move on." Slash answered flatly

"We have, but Hori and Meida gave us a spark on why we should fight together once again." Gansu Genso said, earning a look of contempt from Hori and a small grin from Meida

"What exactly did you see for them to make you feel that way?" Slash asked

"Despite the front he puts on, Hori's compassion and resolve are like none I've ever seen before. Back when I fought a Black Corps member by the name of Roku, I felt Hori's resolve rub off on me and in turn, helped me overcome my foe. " Gansu Genso answered, brimming with confidence

Slash's eyebrow raised in response to Gansu Genso's answer. Before he could say anything else, the roof of his cabin was blown off. Turning around, he saw a humanoid lizard standing atop the cabin's edge.

"Psycher!" Hori snarled

"Iron Prince Slash, I finally meet you in the flesh." Psycher said, ignoring Hori

"What do you want?" Slash asked, flatly

'I'm here to serve your head on a platter." Psycher said, his tongue extending from his mouth

"If you want my head, you're going to have to take it." Slash said, tugging on his glove

"Don't get involved Slash! This guy and I have some unfinished business." Hori said, jumping off of Meida's back

"The Iron Prince is who I'm after, not some insignificant white-haired brat." Psycher hissed, intentionally trying to get a rise out of Hori

"Damn you Psycher." Hori snarled, feeling his anger rising

"Hehehe...heheheheh!"

The laughs came from the supposed mountain man, the one who relentlessly escorted them up the mountain. "What's so funny?" Omar asked

Not answering him, he pulled his face off like it was cheap latex, revealing a young Eastern European man with pale blonde hair and ordinary blue eyes. "What the hell..." Omar began to say, astonished

The man was none other than Jöergen, Psycher's human partner! "Not only can I transform into anybody whose identity I steal but I can also transform my human partner into various people." Psycher explained, now on the ground facing them.

Jöergen, now by Psycher's side, opened his mauve spell book. Psycher hissed as he got on all fours and whipped his tail around. "You've given me no choice but to rip you to shreds."

Meida nodded as she and Hori stepped forward to face Psycher and Jöergen, ready to settle this once and for all.

"I won't lose to someone like you again!" Hori said, cracking his knuckles

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Angie defeats Melodia by realizing what's in front of her! Short chapter, but that's the way things are sometimes. Next chapter will be pretty long, Hori vs Psycher begins on Wednesday! R&R Folks! **_

Stats-

Name- Melodia

Partner- Mori Tsubasa

Rank- 28th out of 100th

Element- Trees

Book burned By- Aaron and Angie

Spells-

Juron- Summons roots to attack the opponent

Barjuron- Summons tree warriors to attack the opponent

Dioga Juron- Melodia plants roots into the ground that can infect forests, one of the seeds grows into a tree that is the base of Melodia's power. When this spell is used, Melodia gains full control over any trees within her roots' raidus.


	143. Mind over Matter!

The sun sat in the middle of the sky over the mountain as Hori and Psycher faced each other. Their inevitable match-up was finally here! Joergen already had the mauve spell book open and Psycher crouched down in position, ready to strike.

"_Gorusen!"_

Psycher immediately slung his tail at Hori, only for him to catch it and seemingly knock it way effortlessly.

"This is a sight for sore eyes...for once you're not in a hospital bed nor an emotional wreck." Psycher hissed at Meida after seeing his attack blocked

"I'll give you sore eyes!" Hori shouted in his partner's defense, teleporting and reappearing in Psycher's face, throwing a punch

Psycher did not try to dodge Hori's punch and instead took the full brunt of it to the face. Blood flung itself in the air but it was not the lizardman mamodo's, it was Hori's. "Damn it!" Hori yelped in pain, covering his bloody fist

"My scales feel like a hybrid between sand paper and barbed wire if I choose it to be. None of your physical attacks will cause me any harm." Psycher gloated

"Looks like I'll have to turn up the heat then!" Hori said, fists clenched

"_Nekoruku!"_

Hori roared into the sky as his canines grew out a bit and a flaming purple aura covered his body. The deadly dark flames roared loudly as Hori charged forward, he began landing punch after punch on Psycher, his body bouncing around like a pinball. Hori uppercut Psycher, making him airborne and not letting up one bit, he planted his feet into the ground and drew a large breath in. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he unleashed a large stream of dark flames from his mouth, the flamethrower making a direct hit on Psycher, setting off a midair explosion.

"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU, YOU BASTARD!" Hori screamed, propelling himself off of the ground with his flames.

After propelling off of the ground, Hori quickly teleported and reappeared above Psycher, slamming down both of his fists, using what was called a "Double Axe Handle". Psycher free fell through the air and Hori unleashed another stream of dark flames from his mouth, consuming Psycher into the inferno.

"Hori's dominating this battle!" Omar exclaimed

"And he's not letting up at all." Gansu Genso commented

Slash however, stood there in silence, his stoic face never changing.

Psycher laid on the ground burnt and seemingly defeated. Hori teleported on the ground as he walked over towards Psycher, still powered up by Nekoruku. He grabbed Psycher by the collar and slammed him into the ground, sending chunks of rock everywhere.

"Hori did it!" Omar exclaimed with excitement

Slash still stood there in a stoic manner. Kiichiro, who sat on her mamodo partner's shoulders looked down at him in confusion.

* * *

><p>As if on cue, Psycher got back to his feet. His scales were blackened with ash but otherwise appeared to be uninjured. "Heheheh...hehehehehe...HAHAHAHA!" Psycher's laughs filled the air, the cold and psychotic laughter was unbearable to listen to.<p>

"Is that it? I already told you my scales can't be penetrated by your physical attacks." he said, finally subsiding his laughter

"It can't be..." Meida trailed off. They had thrown Psycher around like a rag doll and unleashed Hori's flames on him. How could his scales be that strong?

"I don't think you all understand the predicament you're in." Psycher said, pacing back and forth

"Predicament? Just what the hell are you talking about?" Meida demanded

"Think back to the first move I made in this fight. The moment Hori caught my tail was the moment I trapped all of you into my illusion."

"What?!" Meida exclaimed, bewildered

"My Gorusen spell allows me to trap any mamodo and their human partner within a certain radius into my illusion. I think it would be easier to understand if I show you by taking it to the next level." Psycher said looking in Joergen's direction

"_Goreida!"_

Psycher's hands began moving slowly into various directions as the entire area around them warped into what appeared to be a white room surrounded by a purple elliptical design. Multiple wooden torture racks emerged from the ground, surrounding the area. The racks' chains extended from the device, wrapping around Gansu Genso, Slash, Omar and Kiichiro.

"What is this? Can't...move." Omar said, struggling to break free

"It's useless to resist, anything made in this warped dimension can be made tangible by a mere thought thanks to my Goreida spell. Even though Gorusen can trap multiple mamodo into an illusion, I cannot fully manipulate things as freely as I can with Goreida." Psycher said as they were all chained to the torture racks.

Meida looked back at their allies who were all restricted to Psycher's torture rack before turning back around. "Not only are you monsters, but you're also a bunch of cowards." she snarled, glaring at Psycher and Jöergen

"You think we're monsters, how unfortunate." Psycher said, sarcastically

Before Meida could utter a response, Hori grabbed her arm and pulled her back as Psycher's tail almost impaled her chest. He whipped his tail back, ready to try and strike once more. Whipping his tail forward once more, Hori darted forward and caught it in his bare hands. Blood could be seen slowly oozing from his hands as Psycher's abrasive scales cut the skin on Hori's palms to ribbons. Despite the pain, the dark fire mamodo was not going to yield. He had to stop Psycher by any means necessary.

* * *

><p>"Looks like we're ready to set off!"<p>

Ishimaru and Eve along with Chainz and Sundance were all at the train station en route to the mountains. It was going to be hard to get Chainz to swallow his pride and ask for Slash's help but it had to be done.

"Hey!"

Just as they were preparing to board their train, Ishimaru and co turn around to see CJ, Vincent, Rachel and Beat standing there, all of whom with their luggage.

"What's up?" Ishimaru asked

After boarding the train, they all came together in one cart as Rachel filled them in on the recent news of the Talented Five's fight against The Black Corps' Six Nightmares. "I see. So your brother and his mamodo are also amongst them fighting in the mountains right now." Ishimaru said, sipping his tea

"Correct. Beat couldn't stand being on the sidelines any longer and wanted to get in on the action. We saw you guys about to board the train and that's when we called out to you guys." she said

"Ah ok. Oh and by the way, this Miroashi Eve, I met her a few months ago after Chainz and Jyan had that little fallout back at the beach house. Don't worry, she has all her shots and is _**mostly**_ housebroken." Ishimaru said, snickering

This of course, earned him a swift kick in the crotch from Eve, whom happened to be sitting across from him, much to Vincent's amusement. "Nice to meet you Rachel." Eve said, cheerfully while Ishimaru whimpered in pain

Ignoring the humans' ongoing banter, Chainz, Beat, Sundance and CJ were in a conversation of their own. "So Sundance, what kind of spells do you use?" CJ asked curiously

"Paint."

CJ couldn't help but laugh. "What's so powerful about THAT?"

"Be cool, CJ." Beat warned his brother

"No, it's fine, I get that a lot. You'll just have to wait and see." Sundance said, even though he didn't find CJ's remark amusing at all, he admittedly liked it when people thought he spat out ordinary paint

"Anyway, CJ, have you gotten stronger?" Chainz asked

"Of course. Though, I should be asking you the same thing." he replied

"Looks like we need to duke it out and let our fists do the talking." Chainz said

"Why wait? We could go right now." CJ said, getting fired up

"Hey now, why not make this a three way?" Sundance interjected

Beat sighed as he watch the three of them began to roughhouse. This was going to be a long train ride.

* * *

><p>Hori panted heavily, body battered and hands bloodied, he went toe to toe with Psycher and inflicted a considerable amount of damage, but the lizardman's scales reduced the impact of his blows.<p>

"Something's...gotta...give." he said

"I already told you, nobody escapes from my illusions! Nobody!" Psycher gloated

Hori grimaced at this, he didn't want to believe it but his inability to inflict significant damage on Psycher in spite of his efforts was proving his point.

"_He's wrong...there is no such thing as a foolproof spell. i have to think critically here, not only for my sake but also for theirs."_

Hori looked over at the others who were chained up, while Omar and Gansu Genso were struggling and trying to break free, Kiichiro and Slash were completely still, rivaling statues. Hori was initially concerned about this because he could not tell whether or not they were still alive. Psycher looked annoyed at the struggling Omar and Gansu Genso. He motioned to Joergen and pointed to them. On cure, Joergen revealed a dagger similar to the one Psycher used on Meida that put her in the hospital but unlike the previous one, this dagger was coated with a purple liquid. The Eastern European man approached Omar and Gansu Genso then effortlessly sank the blade into their legs.

Meida was horrified by Joergen's actions. He clearly showed no remorse nor any shred of moral decency, he was easily as rotten as his mamodo.

"I don't think you should be concerned about them right now." Psycher said, noticing Hori and Meida's reactions

"Who said I was concerned about them?" Hori asked, clearly lying

"It doesn't matter whether you are or not. You have bigger problems on hand right now." Psycher said casually

Multiple chains sprouted from the ground as they wrapped themselves around Meida's arms and legs. "Meida!" Hori exclaimed

The chains slammed Meida's body to the ground as a large black board emerged, effectively strapping her on. The chains tightened themselves around Meida's limbs to the point that they almost cut off her circulation. "I...can...barely move." Meida said, squirming

"Who would have thought taking the mighty CEO of the Tateishi Zaibatsu down would be so easy? Then again, I am the one who did put you in the hospital for a few weeks." Psycher hissed

"Damn you Psycher." Hori snarled, on the verge of pouncing at Psycher. However, he figured it was best to try and break Meida free. Just as he tried to touch the black board she was chained to, an excruciating shock ran through his body, sending him crashing into the ground

"Shut up, there's nothing you can do to stop me. Meida can't read your book while she's chained down and without your flames, any remote chance you have of beating me is gone. You can't teleport because your special abilities have been nullified and you've already seen what happens when you attempt hand to hand combat. You're powerless."

Psycher was now face to face with Meida. He whipped his tail forward and lashed Meida in the stomach. "Ahhhhh!" Meida screamed in agony

Psycher brought his tail back before whipping her again with it, Psycher mercilessly continued with his assault as he lashed Meida over and over, making tears into her clothes. Blood dripped from her lashes and coated the tip of Psycher's tail. The awful humanoid lizard enjoyed every minute of torture he induced on Meida, her agonizing screams would have made any human being's skin crawl but of course, Psycher wasn't human.

* * *

><p>"I can't...watch this...anymore." Hori panted, struggling to get up. How could an illusion be this powerful?<p>

Psycher did not hear Hori's comment thanks to being too wrapped up in antagonizing Meida. Hori however continued to think of a way to turn the tables, there was no way he could physically attack Psycher in his current state given the circumstances. This was a type of battle he was not used to, he had to win almost completely using his brains instead of his brawn. He looked over back at the torture racks where Gansu Genso and Omar were now as still as Slash and Kiichiro were. There was no way for Hori to check whether or not they were still alive either.

_"This isn't happening...there's no way Psycher is powerful enough to pick us off on by one."_ Hori thought to himself

_"Psycher's strength comes in with being to manipulate anything within the illusion he warps...so why would he chain us up like this? Unless...wait a minute! That's it!"_

Hori got to his feet as he began walking towards Psycher who was still whipping a chained up Meida. Hori's bloody wounds closed and faded away, his tattered clothes mended every footstep he took until eventually catching Psycher's attention but without him turning around. "I see that you're anxious to get your book burned. Though I understand that you've taken enough of a beating already."

"ME, get beaten down by someone as weak as YOU, yeah right." Hori said, brushing off Psycher

"Even in defeat, you're still arrogant. Haven't you forgotten that I've taken away every source of strength you have!" Psycher exclaimed, finally turning around

Hori did not respond, instead he teleported and reappeared in midair and slammed his fist into Psycher's face, sending him skidding across the now rocky ground. He raised his hands as Meida's body was unchained and her wounds immediately disappeared, her tattered clothes mended.

Meida landed safely on the ground as her eyes opened. "Hori...but how?"

"I figured out Psycher's game. Like he said before, it's all an illusion. He tricked us into thinking that we were powerless and by thinking we are powerless, that makes us vulnerable. Psycher wins by deceiving his opponents into thinking that his illusions are unbreakable and therefore allows him to torture them to his content. Thanks to him running his big mouth, I started putting two and two together and figured out the major weakness to his spells. Remember when he said that a mere thought within his illusion and it becomes a reality? Well, the massive disadvantage to that, is the opponent's thoughts can also become a reality, making it a double-edged sword."

"I see...then what about Omar and the others?" Meida asked

"They figured out the weakness to Psycher's illusion not too long after he casted it. I'm a little upset that they saw it long before we did, but like I said earlier, Psycher's illusions are strong because he is physically and mentally weak. A strong king must have a strong body, a strong mind and must see through deception and if I were to fail at any of those things, then I would have no right to lay claim to the throne."

Meida smiled at this. Was this really the same Hori she knew?

The elliptical room surrounding them in addition to the torture racks shattered, returning to the mountainous terrain. Gansu Genso and Omar were lying on the ground while Slash and Kiichiro who were tending to them, looked up at Hori and Meida, nodding in acknowledgement.

"Psycher's scales are not special, he uses an illusion for that because his body is soft!" Hori shouted

_"Nekoruku!"_

Hori roared to the sky even louder than before as his canines extended, resembling dragon fangs and the purple flames coated his body. He charged at Psycher, slamming his flaming fists across his jaw numerous times.

"Psycher hides under various faces because he's too much of a coward to use his own!" Hori roared, grabbing Psycher's tail as the dark flames began spreading on to the lizardman mamodo

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Psycher screeched as the dark flames scorched his normal scales

"This, is for being a coward and always running away from me!" Hori yanked Psycher's tail, jerking his body forward and punching him in the face.

"You ran from the rest stop. _**(**__**A/N- Chapter 122)**_

Hori yanked Psycher forward again and punched him.

"You ran from the train station. _**(A/N- Chapter 129)**_"

Hori punched Psycher again.

"You ran at the hospital. **(**_**A/N- Chapter 131)**_"

Hori punched Psycher once more.

"You will never whip anybody with this tail ever again!" Hori yelled as he began to swing Psycher in a circle before letting him go and sending him airborne

Hori teleported in reappeared in midair, he did a flaming "double axe handle" into Psycher's spine, sending him crashing back into the ground but Hori quickly reappeared under him and uppercut him back into the air.

"This...is for hurting Meida!"

Hori drew in a deep breath and unleashed a powerful stream of purple flames, ensnaring Psycher into the inferno before exploding in midair. Smoke rained down as Psycher was sent flying off the mountain and crashing into some trees. Joergen turned to flee the battle, but Hori simply teleported in front of him slapping the book out of his hand. The flames from Nekoruku spread to the mauve spell book, setting it ablaze.

"This fight is over." Hori said as Nekoruku wore off

Hori and Meida didn't even get a chance to celebrate, they immediately went over to Slash and Kiichiro, who were still tending to both Omar and Gansu Genso. "What's up with them?" Meida asked

"Psycher's human partner poisoned them." Slash said

"But how? Wasn't that an illusion?"

"While most of the things Psycher did were an illusion, the daggers that Joergen guy used were real and not a part of the illusion. He cut them before they were able to break free." Slash explained

"So what do we do?"

"Fortunately, those daggers were coated in cobra venom, so I used some of my own in order to make an antidote so they should be fine." Slash said

"That's a relief. Shouldn't we go find the others? They should have caught up by now." Meida said, looking down the trail

"They'll catch up sooner or later." Hori said

* * *

><p>Somewhere off in the distance, Psycher's burnt and heavily bruised body, which was also fading away thanks to Hori burning his book, was sprawled out on the forest floor. Two figures approached the lizardman mamodo, getting closer, it was clear as day that it was none other than Marty and Sly.<p>

"Other than your transformation ability, you have always been pretty pathetic." Sly sighed

Psycher didn't say anything, he only looked at the raccoon mamodo.

Marty like Psycher, did not say anything. He simply removed a syringe from his lab coat and pierced Psycher's shoulder, drawing some blood before putting it into a container. He then revealed another container and a scalpel, removing a few of Psycher's scales as well."

"One thing Hori was wrong about, is that Psycher's scales _are _special. It's just that the foolish lizard does not know how to correctly use their abilities outside of an illusion." Sly said, sighing

"You know, repeating that was completely unnecessary considering that I also saw the fight." Marty replied

The two turned and left with their samples as Psycher's body completely faded away.

* * *

><p>Slash and Hori stared at each other and gave a respectful nod to each other. "We set out for the Tateishi estate when the others arrive." Slash said<p>

"Wait, so Slash is coming with us?" Meida asked

"Slash changed his mind?"

They turned around and saw Gansu Genso levitating again and Omar now sitting up

"You guys recover fast." Meida lampshaded

"Thanks to Slash of course." Gansu Genso said

"I don't get it though, how can Hori and Slash communicate by just looking with each other." Omar said, confused

"The thing with Hori and Slash, is that they are guys who with their actions. Slash was never caught in Psycher's illusion and was able to watch Hori's resolve first hand which in turn, caused him to earn Slash's respect. He acknowledges Hori's strength and vice versa."

"Ok, I get it now." Omar said

The Talented Five was reunited once again!

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Almost 4000 words. Been a while since I've written a chapter that long. The thing with Psycher is that he's obviously not weak as a mamodo (he went to Elite Review of course!) but he is weak in the traditional sense as far as hand to hand combat and overall defense goes, it's also as Hori said, Psycher is mentally weak which is why he is a mamodo who had so much wasted potential.  
><strong>_

_**If Psycher would have learned how to actually use his scales outside of his illusions (which he obviously relied way too much on) and worked on using his tail to make up for his lack of defense instead of only using it to whip people as opposed to focusing on stealing people's faces with his transformation spell, then he would have been able to make a legitimate case for king.**_

_**Another big chapter coming on Wednesday. R&R folks!  
><strong>_

_**Stats-**_

Name- Psycher

Partner- Joergen Vanderschultz

Book Color- Mauve

Rank- 27th out of 100th

Element- Illusions and Transformations

Book burned By- Hori and Meida

Spells-

Gorusen- Psycher warps the entire area, putting everything under an illusion.

Goreida- Psycher manipulates the objects under the illusion and uses them to attack the opponent

Dioga Gorusen- Psycher puts either the mamodo or mamodo's book keeper under an illusion similar to Gorusen but individually. Psycher can traumatize the victim with this spell, doing massive damage physically, mentally or emotionally.

Goruk- Psycher's hand glows ad he can touch the opponent with it to not only steal his opponent's identity but it can also be used to warp their mind and manipulate their recent memory


	144. Swallowing your pride!

Felicity sat in the Tateishi Zaibatsu throne room, rattling her fingers on the armrest. The look on her face was anything but pleased. "Elemento, Roku, Izzo, Melodia and Psycher. All of them defeated, The Six Nightmares of the Black Corps are no more."

"Not true."

Felicity looked up and saw Venom walking down the red carpet before stopping in front of the tiny witch mamodo. The humanoid spider knelt before continuing. "I am the last surviving member of the Black Corps."

"Thank you Captain Obvious. The Six Nightmares were among the most elite of the Black Corps' Freelancers and they were dispatched by a ragtag bunch of wannabe elite mamodo. Everything is falling apart thanks to them and now it looks like I'm going to have to get my own hands dirty."

"That won't be necessary, I figured this would happen."

Alam took his turn to appear. Felicity's newly appointed assistant came into the throne room and took his place, kneeling before Felicity.

"What do you mean?" she asked

"Well, I didn't want things to come to this, but I'll have to take care of them myself." he said grimly

"So you think you can take care of them yourself?" Venom scoffed

"I already told you before that I hate fighting and that when I am pressed to do so...well it does not end well for my target. Blue asked me to assist you in getting rid of the Talented Five and anyone else who opposes Black Corps interests, I have to do what I must." Alam said, completely ignoring Venom's remark

"I'm sure they will be here soon, so let me go roll out the welcome mat." Venom said, getting up and leaving the throne room

"Shall we inform Toru on our incoming company?" Alam asked

"For what? We already control everything within the Tateishi Zaibatsu, that human is only a mere figurehead now. He is of no significant use to us now." Felicity said, reminding Alam

"Very well then. I'll explain some of my strategy to you." Alam began

Seemingly unbeknownst to them, Toru was eavesdropping outside of the door, hearing everything that was just conversed. Clinching his fists, the man got to his feet and began to storm off to "his" office.

"There is one downside to my fighting..."

Toru stopped his trek as he heard Alam's words. Creeping back up to the door, Toru listened carefully to Alam's next words...

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Slash had just finished tending to Omar and Gansu Genso. Even though they were recovering quickly from the poison thanks to Slash's anti venom, they were still weakened and in no condition to fight. Hori was laying on Slash's sofa while Meida glanced around, clearly feeling out of place.<p>

"Slash!"

Slash's head perked up as he looked towards the door. Multiple familiar scents reached his nose as he quickly opened the door. Chainz, Sundance, Beat and CJ with their respective human partners had Angie and Gatrion in addition to their human partners in tow! Hori raised an eyebrow to the incoming crowd while Meida's eyes lit up because she was receiving a new wave of company with a handful of new faces, rescuing her from the awkward, uncomfortable boredom.

Sundance ran over to Slash and began eying him up in down, a gesture Slash was used to yet found a bit strange. "I'm seeing the Iron Prince up close and personal." he said, excitedly

"Wow, he looks like a cooler, more competent and actually intelligent version of Chainz." Eve said casually, earning an intense glare from both Chainz and Ishimaru

"Chainz, what the hell are you doing here?" Slash demanded

"I have business with you." Chainz shot back

"Oh this should be good." Slash said sarcastically

"I ran across Viperia. I don't know how she got here but she's here."

"THAT's the 'business' you have with me!? I knew she was going to be here before the battle even started. Galeno rigged a tournament just to get her a bid out of sheer spite towards me. At the end of the day, she is a nonfactor because Iron Maiden Kiyoko was not her mother nor was she one of Galeno's heirs." Slash said, his normally stoic voice was surprisingly sharp

"What Chainz also means to mention is that Viperia talked about being able to use "special abilities". Do you know anything about this?" Ishimaru piped in

"Viperia has always been a fast learner and to answer your question, yes I know of these special abilities. All Cobra Clan members are capable of learning them though some have a lot more prowess than others." Slash replied

"I see." Ishimaru said before turning back to look at Chainz

Much to Ishimaru's disappointment, Chainz was not looking Slash in the eye. Ishimaru's thoughts brought him back to the conversation he had with Chainz on the train ride to the mountains.

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback, a few hours ago...]<em>

_"I already told you, I ain't excepting no help from a guy like him!"_

_"Come on Chainz, why are you being like that?"_

_"Because asking him for help is basically admitting defeat. It would be acknowledging that Slash is stronger than me." Chainz huffed_

_"Whether you want to admit it or not, Slash IS stronger than you. You and anybody with a eyes and a brain knows that, you should put your personal feelings aside and ask for Slash's help because this is to make YOU better. I won't ask for you." Ishimaru said truthfully_

_Chainz was silent for a few minutes, as if he was contemplating Ishimaru's words. "Fine...I'll swallow my pride and ask him."_

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>Chainz sighed as he made eye contact with his older brother. "What the hell do you want? Either you tell me now or you let me get back to other things." Slash said impatiently<p>

"Let me ask him this before I change my mind." Chainz muttered before clearing his throat

"I want you to train me so I can learn how to use our clan's special abilities." Chainz managed to force out

The entire room went completely silent. Any random conversations were completely and instantly cut short as they all gazed upon the two brothers. Slash eyebrows were raised in a bit of a surprise although his usual frown was still present. He blinked twice before looking at Chainz and then unexpectedly at Sundance before looking back at Chainz again. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Fine then, I didn't really want your help anyw...wait what?"

"I said, I'll help you and as a matter of fact, I'll help your goofy little friend too." he said pointing at Sundance

"M-Me?!" Sundance exclaimed

Ishimaru and Eve were completely speechless. This was a completely unexpected turn of events, not only did they expected Slash to say no but they didn't think he even knew Sundance existed.

"BUT only on one condition." he said

"And what's that?"

"The two of you have to defeat me in battle."

"What!?" Angie exclaimed

"There's no way they could win, even with their strength combined." Omar said

"This isn't even worth it." Gansu Genso added

"Those two aren't anywhere in the same league as Slash." Gatrion said, obviously having seen the Iron Prince in action before

Ishimaru and Eve both looked at each other with a bit of uncertainty. Neither of them could have predicted something like this occurring.

"I accept...I have been wanting KO you for years now anyway. I can't guarantee that I'll spare your book after I win." Chainz said cracking his knuckles

"I also accept. I got Chainz's back on this one." Sundance said confidently

"Good to hear. I knew you two wouldn't back down, we will have our fight about a week from now so I suggest you two take that time and prepare." Slash said, seemingly pleased with their answers.

It took a few minutes for everything to sink in for everybody who watched this all unfold. Before anybody could really comment on the situation, a rope ladder dropped down above the cabin since the roof was blown away by Psycher. Meida got up, knowing that it was their cue to head over to the Tateishi Estate. Slash and Kiichiro nodded as they followed their lead, they were stopped in their tracks by a voice.

"Wait!"

They turned around and saw Chainz, Sundance, Beat and CJ standing there. "We're coming with you." he said

"What he said. We're going to help you storm the Tateishi Estate." CJ said

Slash once again raised an eyebrow of amusement at this. Before he could say anything, Angie immediately stepped in. "CJ, Beat, this is Talented Five matters only. You guys are strong and you know I respect that but The Black Corps is no match for you guys."

This was the wrong thing to say since it only solidified their resolve. "Well, it looks like we're gonna have to prove you wrong." CJ said as he and Vincent began making their way up the ladder

Beat turned to look at Angie, "If they're as powerful as you say they are then there's no way you can keep fighting in your condition. You may not be severely injured but you're definitely not 100 percent which may be very crucial to whether or not you survive."

"Slash, aren't you going to say anything?" Angie protested, obviously looking for some backup

"They're right. Gatrion is a bit banged up from his earlier fight while Omar and Gansu Genso are still recovering from the poison. It looks like I'm going to have to make some substitutions." Slash said, shrugging

"But..."

"They're not going to take no for an answer. I personally don't care if they come or not, just as long as they don't get in my way." Hori said, now on board the helicopter

"Fine." Angie said reluctantly

"Thanks Angie." CJ said

"Just...be safe and come back in one piece or I won't forgive you." she said

"We will." Beat said, as they got on board as well

"I now you guys can do it." Aaron said, looking at Vincent and Rachel

After the substitutions boarded the chopper, they were immediately en route to the Tateishi Estate which only took an approximate thirty minutes. During this time, Meida filled the substitutes in on everything she could from the Talented Five's history, their previous run-ins with the Black Corps, her family situation among other informative things. The mansion was located deep in the Japanese countryside completely undisturbed. The chopper could not get a good landing thanks to various defense post located around the estate. If the pilot was not careful, then the chopper could be easily shot down.

'I'm going to have to land about a half mile away from the where the defense posts start. Is that okay?" the pilot asked

Meida knew Hori could teleport them onto the property but did not want to drain his energy. "That'll be fine." she said, selecting the longer but wiser option

The chopper landed outside of the path leading to the estate. Meida and the others bowed to the pilot before heading down the path. Chainz and Sundance walked with a swagger never seen before amongst those two, the look in their eye different.

_"That look...I haven't seen it in their eyes since that disastrous fight against Ryu."_ Eve said to herself

"They both have something to prove. Chainz does not want to be shown up by Slash and that Sundance wants to show what he brings to the table." Ishimaru said, as if he read Eve's mind

"We can go down this path and dodge all of the guard posts." Meida said, leading them along a hidden path

After numerous twists and turns, they managed to avoid every guard tower and found themselves past the Tateishi Estate's front gates. Before them stood a lavish house that had to be at least four stories tall. Numerous windows indicated numerous rooms. A dragon fountain made of pure marble sat in the massive front yard and marble columns stood tall as well. A small koi pond sat off in the distance as did the terrace filled with flora of numerous types. One had to admit that Meida's house resembled a small palace.

The ogling of her home did not last long as numerous Tateishi Zaibatsu troops suddenly appeared, pointing their assault rifles at the group from every angle, forming a large circle. "Get your spell books ready." Meida said

"But Meida, can't you just call them off?" Ishimaru asked

"They don't follow my commands anymore. They follow Toru's, ex-boss or not, they were ordered to take us out and that's what they are going to do." Meida said

Outnumbered and seemingly outgunned, it looked like the substitutes already ran into some problems.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- So, you all thought the Talented Five were going to all fight together reunited after everything they went through? Well, you all have been trolled! Seriously though, maybe they'll fight together some other time. Chainz, Sundance, Hori, CJ, Beat and Slash are storming the Tateishi Estate and have already ran into foot soldiers. Will they even make it to their objective or was bringing those four along a mistake? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_


	145. The last of the Six Nightmares!

The Tateishi Zaibatsu soldiers cocked their guns as they kept them pointed at the group of intruders. Fingers on the triggers, eyes in the crosshairs, it was evident that they could fire at any moment. "It looks like we truly have no choice." Ishimaru lamented, fingertips slowly pushing open the green spell book

"_Hokaisho!"_

Just as the troops began to open fire, the concentrated white laser beam shot out of Chainz's mouth, sending a path of them flying. Everybody began to run through the makeshift path, thankful that the Tateishi Zaibatsu soldiers were terrible shots as the bullets grazed and flat out missed them. Seeing their once clear path close in, Meida and Hori quickly sprang into action.

"_Nekoruga!"_

Hori's palm opened as a purple flame beam was released, sending even more soldiers flying than Chainz's Hokaisho. However, it seemed that there were infinite quantities as more soldiers simply filled in where the others previously were.

"How many soldiers did you hire!?" Rachel yelled

"I didn't hire all of these guys, there were already this many when I took over!" Meida yelled back

"Watch out everybody, let us take care of this one!" Eve yelled, opening Sundance's sand colored spell book

"The seventh spell, _Baine Lote_!"

Sundance leapt into the air and spat out a large wave of orange paint, the orange sludge quickly covered the front lawn, causing all of the Tateishi Zaibatsu soldiers to slip and fall.

"Nice work!" Meida complimented

"That was amazing!" Rachel said

"It was alright." CJ shrugged

"Get ready to slide!" Eve said as the orange paint took away any sense of traction they had.

Staying on their feet, every slid across the remainder of the lawn as if they were surfing. The more speed they picked up, the more fun it turned out to be. Reaching the front door, they launched themselves off of the slippery lawn and through the entrance, breaking the door off of its hinges. The orange paint faded away, returning their traction.

"So how were we able to stay on our feet when those guys firing at us couldn't?" Beat asked

"I can control the secondary effects of my paint." Sundance briefly answered

Focusing their attention up ahead, the front hallway resembled a hotel lobby as far as size and atmosphere goes. Meida clapped her hands as the chandeliers hanging on top of the tall ceiling flickered on. The light illuminated the numerous cobwebs that covered all of the furniture and united the top corners of the room with the floor and bottom corner of the room. Thanks to the cobwebs, it looked as though the mansion had been deserted for decades. Hori growled at the sight of this and clenched his fist.

"What are all of these webs doing here?" Eve asked looking around, trying to wade through.

"It's like we're in a giant spider web." Sundance said

"Well, that's because you are." An unfamiliar voice said

Looking up, they could see Venom and his human partner Lucy near the top of the spider web, which of course we connected to the ceiling. The humanoid spider mamodo used a string of web to lower himself down from the ceiling while staying connected. "Well, what do we have here?" he said in a mocking tone

"Venom!" Hori snarled

"Now don't you raise your voice at me! If anything, I should be raising my voice to you, especially since all of the Six Nightmares, save for myself have been wiped out by the likes of you." He said, pointing an accusing finger at the group.

"Despite the headache, this guy gave us some trouble the last time we saw him." Meida explained to the somewhat confused crowd accompanying her.

"And such a shame you got away from me too but I won't make that mistake again." Venom said as his eyes revealed a bloodthirsty look

Hori and Meida gave each other a quick nod as she opened the indigo spell book. _"Nekoruga!"_

Hori blasted a large hole into the web, revealing the rest of the hallway. "We need you guys to find Toru, he should be a Japanese guy with thick black glasses and most likely wearing a suit, you can't miss him. Leave this arachnoid freak to us, we'll catch up later." Hori ordered

Without so much as an argument, the others complied as they ran through the now closing hole. The web continued to close and repair itself until it seemed like the hole never existed. "I didn't think a guy like you was so soft. Letting your little friends pass through, you're so considerate and thoughtful for putting them first." Venom taunted

"I wanted them to leave so they wouldn't get in my way and if I were you, I'd be much more worried about possibly being burned alive." Hori said grimly

"There's no need for me to worry about that!" Venom shouted as Lucy, his human partner, lowered herself down using the web strand she was sitting on.

"Ready Meida?"

"Always."

Meida opened the indigo spell book as Hori glared daggers at Venom. Lucy simultaneously opened Venom's red spell book, both mamodo readied their stances as they both immediately disappeared and reappeared trading punches with one fist and blocking incoming blows with the other. Hori jumped back as Venom began crawling on the web despite his humanoid form appearing to not be suited to do so. "You will fall before me no matter what fancy title is given to you!" he shouted

"_Arachno Ru!"_

The small spider on Venom's chest built up red particles and unleashed a red beam on a direct path towards Hori. The silver haired mamodo jumped back and put his right hand in front of him.

"_Nekoruga!"_

Hori unleashed a purple flame beam from his hand and countered the red beam Venom sent at him. The two beams collided and exploded, canceling each other out. Hori slid back a few feet as the pressure from the explosion pushed him.

"Looks like your title has at least some meaning behind it after all." Venom said

"YOU TALK TOO MUCH!" Hori shouted, taking advantage of Venom's easy opening by teleporting and sending him flying with an uppercut

Venom quickly regained his footing by sticking his feet to his web. The humanoid spider mamodo got down on all fours and began crawling back down his web. "I left myself open, that won't happen again! In fact, I'll destroy you from the inside out!"

"_Ven Gorgo!"_

The spider on Venom's chest fired multiple green blasts of poison from its head at Hori, but he and Meida were ready for it. "_Nekoru!"_

Hori's hand covered itself in purple flame and he spun and flung the small blasts at the incoming poison, burning it completely to ashes. "No matter how much poison you send my way, I'll burn all of it up!" Hori shouted, still airborne

"_Ven Gorgo! Ven Gorgo! Ven Gorgo! Ven Gorgo!"_

Wave after wave of green poison made Hori their target. "Damn it, there's no way Nekoru or Nekoruga would stop all of that poison at once. " Meida said, looking up at her partner

"Hori, you're going to have to improvise now. _Nekoruku_!"

The poison hit Hori before the spell activated, the silver haired mamodo fell from the air and into the web. He landed on the sticky thread as the poison seeped into his body, not letting that hinder him, he got to his feet as the purple flames covered his body. "I…don't…give a damn how much you poison me. I…will not…lose."

Hori burned himself free from the web's grasp as he shot up into the air, using the purple flames coating his body. He then slammed his flaming foot down towards Venom's head, but he had other plans.

"_Lon Rigno!"_

Multiple sticky threads shot out of the spider's head as they wrapped around Hori's leg, slamming him into the web. Hori quickly grabbed the threads as the flames slowly began to trail up to Venom's mouth. "Nice try, but that won't work. These threads are even stronger than the ones I used to make the web!" Venom exclaimed, before swinging Hori all the way to the other side of the web.

Hori could not break free from Venom's constriction. His body felt as though it was made of lead, his brain practically begged for his body to move but his body was unresponsive. _"I can barely move…the poison is starting really take over now."_ Hori thought to himself

"You're finished." Venom said, amused at his work

"Not quite." Hori managed to say, beginning to draw in a deep breath

Meida saw what Hori was doing and smiled in agreement. "_Hurry up Hori, before Nekoruku goes out…"_

"Time to finish this." Venom said, suddenly jerking Hori forward using the strings stilled tied around his leg.

"_Just what I wanted you to do…"_

Hori's chest was noticeably inflated as the air he sucked in were converted to flames thanks to his Nekoruku spell allowing him to manipulate fire while said spell was activated. Over the oncoming seconds, Hori body began to resume movement. Nearing closer and closer to his tormenter, Hori kept still.

"What's this, looks like tossing you around is going to make you lose your lunch!" Venom shrieked and laughed hysterically as he yanked the thread even harder, forcing Hori to pick up even more speed.

"_Looks like it's now or never."_

Hori opened his mouth as a massive stream of purple and seemingly black flames were unleashed from his mouth. The dark flamethrower completely engulfed Venom and half of his web. Hori's flamethrower continued for roughly another eight seconds before dying off. Not only was he free from Venom's grasp, but half of the web was destroyed, revealing even more what the front part of Meida's mansion looks like. Venom crashed into the bottom of the remaining web, his body charred while Hori landed near Meida, his body able to move although very noticeably weakened.

"Thanks…to….Nekoruku…I was able to use all of the air I drew in to burn up most of the poison in my body. Then with this idiot pulling me forward, it allowed me to blow the flames in his face at close range." Hori said

"That's pretty much what I saw and figured out on my own. What now?" Meida responded

"That guy's not defeated yet." Hori said looking at the fallen Venom in front of them, who had smoke coming off of his body.

The web Hori had destroyed was already repairing itself, sticky threads reconnected and tightened. Multiple threads were released from the spider on Venom's chest pulling his body back to the top of the web where Lucy was sitting and waiting for him. Venom was silent and despite his appearance, was fully conscious. Lucy held open the red spell book and flipped through the pages before stopping on a spell.

"_Le Disugu!"_

Eight long, black and hairy spider legs sprouted from Venom's back. The nauseating sound of ripping and tearing could be heard throughout the room. Venom's eyes opened, revealing a ghastly yellow glow.

"Now, it's time for the real battle to begin!"

_**A/N- Ah yes, the dreaded cliffhanger! The second part of Hori vs Venom among other things comes on Wednesday! R&R folks!**_


	146. Bringing out the flames from within!

The eight spider legs sprouting out of Venom's back, clung to the spider web as the mamodo glared at Hori. "You can't be too tired just yet. We've only just begun."

The spider legs crept down the web, its hairs swayed back and forth, making Hori feel sick to his stomach. Ignoring the nauseating feeling his opponent gave him, Hori regained focused on the battle. "Meida, I'm not sure what he's capable of doing with those spider legs out of his back, but we have to be prepared for anything."

"Gotcha." Meida said, the indigo book still opened

"I'll burn that web to ashes!" Hori shouted, standing up

"_Nekoruga!"_

Hori opened his hands as the purple flame beam fired from his hands, aiming it at the web. Lucy and Venom were immediately ready for a counter. "_Arachno Ru!"_

Venom's red beam and Hori's purple beam met and canceled each other out. Taking advantage of the smoke, Hori teleported within it before teleporting out, hitting Venom in the face. Hori then spun around and attempted a roundhouse kick but Venom blocked his boot. Hori wrenched his boot free before turning around and punching Venom once more, causing the humanoid spider to block his fist.

Venom quickly spun around himself, the hairy spider legs now facing Hori. The eight arms began punching Hori in every cardinal direction. They kept her their hairy assault by speeding up, hitting Hori even faster. Hori crashed into the bottom of the web before slowly getting back to his feet.

"Dammit…I can't keep up with his those legs." Hori panted

Meida nodded in response to Hori's comment. It was pretty clear that their typical attacks weren't going to work against Venom in this state. "We have to think of something else." She said

"I don't know what you're mumbling over there, but it's going to be the death of you!" Venom shouted

"_Ven Gorgo!"_

The small spider on Venom's chest, fired another few shots of green poison at Hori and Meida. "_Nekoru!"_

Hori flung a small blast of dark flames immediately, quickly burning the poison to ashes. He couldn't let the poison come into contact with him again. It was too potent to gain a quick immunity and he wouldn't be so fortunate to rid himself of it a second time. Moderately weakened thanks to poison and the ongoing fight, Hori knew he had to tap into his remaining energy if he wanted to avoid losing, it admittedly hurt his pride to admit to himself he could realistically be defeated if he didn't go all out, but whether he liked it or not, it was the truth. He had to do what he could in order to avoid Meida using her remaining Heart Energy on his upper tier spells.

"Meida, use Nekoruku ." Hori said imperatively

Meida quickly nodded in response as the indigo light glowed from the book. Unbeknownst to her at the time, the light was glowing somewhat brighter than it normally did.

"_Nekoruku!_"

Hori felt the rich, flaming aura of purple flames coat his body yet again. He set his feet and roared as the purple flames grew even harsher. The roaring grew louder and quickly intensified as the once lavender flames darkened to a deep purple with occasional specs of black flames. Hori's canines grew even sharper than before, somewhat resembling dragon fangs. The silver haired mamodo roared to the sky as the dark purple and black flames continued to roar harshly. Meida was astonished by the sight in front her; she had never seen Hori's flames like this before.

"Hori…"

"_**Meida, conserve your Heart Energy. I'll take care of everything from here." Hori said, his voice sounding feral and kind of like a dragon's growl**_

Meida simply nodded as Hori walked on the web, the purple and black flames quickly spread amongst the threads. "What….what is this?!" Venom exclaimed

Hori said nothing as he continued walking on the web, igniting every thread that touched his flames. "L…Lucy! Crush this pest!" Venom shouted

"_Gigano Hedun!"_

Venom's spider legs retreated into his back as his body was covered in a menacing red and black armor. The humanoid spider barreled his way towards Hori at full speed but it didn't faze the fire mamodo one bit. He continued his steady walking and Venom quickly collided into him in hopes of flattening his foe. Venom quickly realized that his momentum stopped completely as Hori's palm stopped him completely in his track. A small force with surprisingly massive pressure sent Venom flying to the other side of his large web, however, his threads (Hori's flames have not reached the other side) caught him in midair. His armor however, shattered in dissipated, returning him to his previous form.

Venom was at a loss for words. How could someone he was beginning to wipe the floor with have such a major turnaround so quickly? "Your flames…..they….they….they won't stop this!"

"Gigano Barbe-'!" Lucy began to chant

"No! Not that one! Use the Dioga one!" Venom shrieked

"_Dioga Arachno!"_

Venom's hands began glowing red as a large black spider with a blood red hourglass mark appeared on the web. It bared its poison and saliva dripped fangs then quickly lunged for Hori, but like before, he was not fazed. Hori simply drew in the air around him and unleashed a stream of dark purple and black flames into the spider's opened mouth. The spider screeched in agony as it immediately dissipated, leaving Venom cornered.

"That…that….that was my most powerful spell…no…I can't lose! I've never lost! Not to someone like you!"

The flames spread out even further than before, now covering almost the entire web. Hori then took to the air, slamming his fist into Venom's face. He grabbed the humanoid arachnid by his blond hair and brought his flaming knee to his throat. He then tossed Venom into the air before teleporting above him. Hori slammed a flaming boot into his back, teleported under him and punched him in the stomach. He teleported again and floated above him, slamming Venom with a double axe handle before once again teleporting to the ground. He drew in a deep breath before spewing purple and black flames at the sider mamodo, blowing him up in midair. The force knocked Lucy off of the thread she was sitting on, causing her to drop the red book, which landed on the still flaming web, burning the book quickly.

The blonde girl was caught by a teleporting Hori he reappeared by his partner. "_**It's finally **_over." He said, reverting back to normal midsentence

"What…what was THAT?" Meida asked, once again stating that she had never seen anything like that from here before

"I'm not entirely sure, but when I thought about how to keep you from wearing yourself out, I just released most of my power in order to win…but it also felt that something else also came out too."

"Wait, you don't think it was—"

"Doubt it." Hori said, quickly dismissing Meida's implied suggestion

The once flaming web completely disappeared along with Venom's body. The front entrance area was completely cleared and free for anyone to pass. Not taking time to ret or even acknowledge their victory, Meida was quickly storming down the corridors with Hori not too far behind. They didn't worry about Lucy for the blonde haired girl showed herself out the door.

The raven haired girl and the silver haired boy quickly dashed through the complex hallways, not stopping for anything in the universe. They soon came across an elevator and jumped inside; she quickly pressed the Top Floor button and was shot all the way up. They quickly got off the elevator and saw the CEO labeled door ahead of them. Meida pressed a few buttons on the keypad in an attempt to lock the door.

"Access Denied." Called a female voice

Meida then pressed a button for a retina scan. "Access Denied.'

"Allow me. I have a master key." Hori said

The door flew off its hinges as Hori and Meida walked into the CEO penthouse and saw a large leather chair with its back turned behind a pine desk. "Give it up Toru." Meida said sharply, standing in front of the desk

Toru did not turn around and simply chuckled at her words. "That's exactly what your problem is Meida. You think you can go around punching and kicking your way out of your problems when in reality things don't really work that way. I mean you truly think that just because you demand something that it's just going to happen. I thought you would have learned by now that everything just doesn't fall out of the fucking sky at the snap of your finger. Then again, I can't same I'm surprised that Daddy's spoiled little princess is still so clueless—"

"That's enough out of you!" Meida shouted, flinging the leather chair around only to find out that it was only a small recorder in the chair. Ripping the device out of the seat, she examined it in her hand. It was a simple electronic, with record, play, pause, rewind and fast forward buttons respectively. Narrowing her eyes, Meida flung the device out of the window, hearing a loud boom towards the ground.

Before Meida could voice her displeasure, footsteps could be heard darting down the hallway towards the elevator. She and her mamodo partner quickly responded by going after the fleeing person of interest. Just as they got to the door, they saw the shadowy figure dart down the hallway abd quickly gave chase. The person was surprisingly fast but they managed to keep pace as they streaked around the corner. Feeling like this was futile, Hori teleported and tackled the person to the carpeted floor.

"We should've done that in the first place." Meida said, walking up to Hori and the person who was fleeing on foot

"That would have been too easy." Hori said, getting up as she came closer

Meida looked down to see that the person fleeing was none other than Toru himself! Common Sense and reasoning Meida had, momentarily flew out of the window as the look in her eye quickly went from calm to enraged. She opened the indigo spell book and pointed at him.

"What do you think you're—"Toru began to protest

"Shut the fuck up, I'm the only one asking questions here!" Meida yelled, cutting him off. Toru winced at her words, in the many years he's known the girl, this was the first time he could ever recall hearing her raise her voice or even curse. So if it wasn't clear she meant business before (no pun intended), it was more than clear now.

"_Nekoru."_

Hori shot a small blast of purple flame at Toru, setting the bottom cuff of his dress pants on fire. The purple flame slowly spread on the bottom of his pants leg. Meida then made eye contact with the frightened Toru and spoke once again. "I want you to tell me everything you know and if you try to do or say anything unwise on your part, I promise you that this fire one your leg will never go out." She said darkly

Clearly having no choice, Toru sighed before he began. "I orchestrated everything."

* * *

><p>On the other side of the mansion, Chainz, Sundance, beat, CJ and Slash along with their human partners scoured the entire first floor but to no avail. Toru was clearly nowhere to be found. "The only place we haven't checked on the first floor was this place." Sundance said, pointing to a large double door.<p>

"Tateishi Zaibatsu throne room…why exactly does Meida have a room like this?" Ishimaru asked rhetorically

Pushing the doors in, they walked down the carpet and saw Alam standing in front of the throne, ready to greet them. "We don't take very kindly to intruders." The blonde mamodo said, his demon horns looking menacingly sharp.

**A/N- Hori defeats Venom, but is clearly burned out (again, no pun intended) due to not only being poisoned, but also for fighting back to back battles in only a span of not even a few hours. (Remember how much energy he had to use against Psycher). **

**How did Toru set Meida's dad up? Why did he do it? Will Meida have Hori burn him to ashes? Chainz and co encounter Alam, what have they gotten themselves into? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!**

* * *

><p><strong>Stats-<strong>

**Name- Venom**

**Partner- Lucy**

**Element- Spiders **

**Rank- 26****th**** out of 100**

**Book Burned by- Hori and Meida**

**Spells-**

**Arachno Ru- Venom shoots red beam out of spider head**

**Lon Rigno- Shoots touch sticky string out of spider head**

**Ven Gorgo- Shoots green blasts of poison from spider head's mouth. Makes body go numb**

**Le Disugu- Eight spider legs come out of his back, making it easier to dodge opponents**

**Gigano Barberous Arachno- Summons medium spider with red hourglass mark at the opponent**

**Rigno Spread- creates giant spider web**

**Gigano Hedun- Body gets covered with red n black armor boosting power and stamina**

**Dioga Arachno- sends forth giant spider with red aura**


	147. The flames of compassion begin to burn!

"What do you mean you orchestrated everything?" Meida snarled, the small flame burning on Toru's pants leg grew slightly and spread onto the other cuff. Due to her fury, the spell book in her hand was glowing subtly, which more or less controlled the flame's intensity, so it was key for her to keep her anger under wraps.

"I…I…I didn't think would turn out like this." He managed to croak out

"Cut to the chase." Meida said hotly, the little patience she currently had with Toru was withering away

"As you already know, I was next in line to inherit the zaibatsu since you told your father you did not want any part of it and since your brother isn't around anymore, I was the best candidate. I began to undergo the grooming needed to be a proper CEO and begin looking into my own company ventures…

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback…a few months ago]<em>

_Toru got off of the elevator at the top floor of the Tateishi Estate. Shougou Tateishi, his boss and the current CEO wanted to have a meeting with him. After a short trot to his office, the man sighed before knocking on the door. "You may enter." Called a deep and powerful voice_

_Toru slowly turned the door as he was welcomed in by the older man. "You wanted to see me Tateishi-sama." He asked, bowing out of respect_

"_No need for the formal stuff Toru. Have a seat."_

_Toru nodded and complied. After taking his chair, Shougo took a deep breath before speaking. "Toru, I have been having some concerns about your questionable business tactics especially as of lately. Without going into detail since you already know I have seen various documents of your proposals that conflict with current interests. Until you understand how to do so, you will no longer be my successor."_

_Toru's eyes behind his glasses were widened due to this revelation. "Very well then." He said, before getting up, fist clenched_

"_**Working hard as I did for many years, only to see it all taken from me in one fell swoop made me angry. It was then I decided that if I couldn't earn it, then I would take it by force. Figuring that overthrowing him internally wouldn't work thanks to the entire Executive Board being filled with a lot of guys he's known for decades and any attempt at causing an uprise amongst Tateishi Zaibatsu soldiers would have been put down before it had gotten started, I decided to seek outside help."**_

_[End Flashback…]_

* * *

><p>"Outside help?" Meida asked<p>

"I went onto the Black Market and saw a mercenary group called the Black Corps."

"And you had them assassinate my father?"

"No, I never intended on getting your father killed, I didn't even _ask _them to do it. I simply wanted him ousted from the company...when I head that his yacht blew up, I was quickly getting to the bottom of this."

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback...a few months ago]<em>

_"What the hell? I said I wanted him ousted NOT killed!" Toru exclaimed over the video phone_

_"We did as you said and ousted him." Felicity replied back, the small witch mamodo said in an annoyed tone_

_"When I said ousted, I meant as in a scandal or something."_

_"Having Izzo blow him up is far less messy than a scandal that could potentially be traced back to you." Felicity said, sounding surprisingly reasonable_

_Toru, noticing Felicity's logical rebuttal, still felt unsure which she picked up on. _

_"Look, all you gotta do is go along with what happened and assume control of the company. You already said that he was the only thing standing in your way, so just chalk it up as some outside work and tell everybody that it won't go lightly, fabricate a story so the media won't get suspicious and call it a day. It's that simple." Felicity said_

_Toru sighed. He didn't really like Felicity's idea, but what choice did he have? "Fine. I'll go tell the others and call for a press conference."_

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>"What I did not anticipate however, was him changing his will so suddenly. It was as if he knew something was going to happen to him."<p>

"If what you're saying is true, then why did you let me take the job?" Meida asked

"I thought that if you saw the job and all of the stress that goes with it, you would get overwhelmed and just hand it to me, which would make it even easier to call off the contract I have with the Black Corps or more specifically, Felicity."

"What do you mean, call everything off?"

"In addition to making a cash payment, Felicity also stated that herself, a mamodo named Alam and the one you guys defeated earlier who went by the name of Venom in addition to the humans who read their books, would come into the company as "advisors". I was to appoint them to the executive board so that none of your father's friends were able to do anything about it. So after you went to the US for a while, I was able to use threats to force the previous board members to resign and allow me to put Felicty and her stooges on, then they used their power to usurp you and place me as CEO. My hostile takeover succeeded...but at what cost?"

Toru sighed as he looked up at the ceiling before continuing. "By that point it was only a hollow victory that I had to be egged on in order to achieve. Meida, I didn't want things to get this out of hand and I'm sorry...for everything."

Meida raised an eyebrow at this, Toru hadn't called her by her first name in quite some time. The bespectacled man closed his eyes, bracing himself for the flames on his pants leg to eventually consume him. To his shock however, the flames disappeared. Meida had closed the indigo spell book and got to her feet, holding her hand out to Toru.

"Wh...Why are you forgiving me so easily, especially after all I've done?" Toru asked, astonished

"I'm not and I probably never will, but my father, whether he is still alive or not, wouldn't have wanted me to kill you."

"But-"

"All this time, I thought I wanted revenge because I thought that's what he would have wanted. I truly believed that I was extracting justice but in the end, it was what I thought I wanted. Plus, it wouldn't make me any better than the Black Corps."

Toru was silent, it was clear that she had grown significantly ever since she had taken the CEO job, but there was something else that burned in her eye. "_I see now. Meida's not only doing this out of mercy, but also because she has compassion for my struggle even though it brought her a lot of pain. She deserves this company more than I do." _

Toru reached out and took her hand, getting to his feet. "From this moment on, you are once again CEO of the Tateishi Zaibatsu." He said, bowing

"Thank you." Meida said, bowing in return

"There is something I overheard earlier that I think you should know..."

* * *

><p>"The only intruder here, is you." Chainz said, pointing an accusing finger at Alam.<p>

The five mamodo had reached the Tateishi Zaibatsu throne room where Alam was waiting. The blonde mamodo had already accused them of breaking and entering eve though it wasn't his place to begin with. Alam did not respond to Chainz's comment, instead he glanced to a large, blank screen on the wall. After a few seconds, Felicity appeared on screen, causing the other mamodo to look at her cautiously while Kiichiro cringed when seeing her appearance, retreating to the safety of Slash's bag for a few moments.

"So these are the ones who have been giving my freelancers (A/N- Remember, all non General and Scientist members of the Black Corps are referred to as freelancers. Even if they have a title, like The Six Nightmares for example.) such a hard time."

"Hewy Hwoooon Wooke Wike Mughch." The elderly woman muttered to Felicity.

"Mrs. Figg, nobody can understand you without your teeth in your mouth." Felicity said shoving the dentures into her partner's mouth.

"I said, they don't look like much."

"Looks like, we're gonna have to prove you wrong." Chainz said, cracking his knuckles

"Actually Felicity, none of these guys here, not even The Iron Prince, had a hand in the Six Nightmares' demise. It seems that there was a substitution of a few mamodo plus our other guests haven't joined us yet." Alam informed her

"I see. Well take care of them then." Felicity ordered

"Hold on, how about you come down here and fight too?" CJ called out to her, breaking his surprisingly long silence

"Fighting you low-class fools is beneath me." Felicity said dismissively

They turned their attention back to Alam. His human partner was nowhere to be found at the moment and one had to wonder where he or she could be hiding. "If my partner is the one you're looking for, they are in this room and that's all I'm going to say." Alam said

"Doesn't matter, where they're at, they will show themselves eventually." Slash said, tugging on his leather gloves.

"Big words there Iron Prince." Alam said coldly

The two mamodo stared each other down, waiting for their opponent to make the first move.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Flashback heavy chapter. Meida spares Toru and gives him a bit of a speech. Meida is CEO again and is wondering what Toru is about to tell her. Slash, Chainz, Sundance, Beat and CJ vs Alam starts now! Everything in Hori's character arc has tied in together and I can't wait to hit a home run (lol baseball joke when football season just ended. Love watching the seahawks kick ass, but anyway...) on the midweek chapter. You already know the drill, R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	148. 5 vs 1! The untouchable Alam!

Alam and Slash stared each other down as the tension thickened to the point of it almost being tangible. The blonde mamodo did not remove the white overcoat that covered most of his body. Gray pants however, could be seen at the bottom of his legs. Slash noted that Alam's horns reminded him of Demos, whom he fought in the mountains to a draw quite some time ago (_A/N- Way back in Chapters 46 and 47)_, albeit much smaller. The thick, dark blue lines running down his face showed that his mamodo heritage was very strong and his same dark green eyes were cold and practically soulless.

"Do you know of a mamodo by the name of Demos?" Slash suddenly asked

"Yes...he's my twin brother...I'm not surprised that you associate with trash." Alam said harshly

Slash smirked at Alam's tone, knowing he struck a chord within the mamodo. Alam seemed to read this and quickly went on the offensive. "If The Iron Prince can only manage a draw with my brother, then he's more pathetic than I thought. Contrary to what you may think, I'm not Demos anymore than you aren't Chainz."

This time, it was Slash's turn to not appreciate the remark. "Don't you ever compare to that inept weakling!" he snarled, tugging on his black leather glove once again before punching the ground, sending a huge crevice towards Alam, who sidestepped the wave.

"Why are they badmouthing me?! I don't have anything to do with this!" Chainz exclaimed, comical tears running from his eyes

"Kiichiro, use my go-to spell at the right moment." Slash ordered

"You got it!" the little girl exclaimed, opening Slash's cerulean spell book

Slash darted forward and hopped into the air, slamming his heavy boot down with tremendous force. Alam blocked Slash's kick with his forearms, sending off a shock wave. Slash back flipped as he threw punch after punch, Alam dodged and parried each of Slash incoming blows. Slash dropped down and attempted a leg sweep but Alam jumped over the Iron Prince's leg. Slash jumped back, sliding as he landed on his feet, giving himself a bit of a distance from Alam.

"Slash's hand to hand combat style is similar to Chainz's." Sundance said observing

Slash jumped his feet, running forward once more. The teenaged mamodo picked up speed as his gloved hand began to slide on the ground, curing his young partner. "_Gazurogaruga!"_

White sparks jumped from Slash's hand as he continued sliding it across the ground, picking up an iron lance measuring at nine feet long. (About 2.74 meters for those who use the metric system.) Iron lance fully summoned, Slash gripped the weapon with both hands, fully intending to gore Alam. Slash left his feet as he sailed through the air, bringing down the iron lance with unforgiving force. Alam put his right hand directly in Slash's path before curling all of his finger save for his index. Light particles built up just slightly above his fingertip before erupting into a thin beam. The beam quickly shot through Slash's shoulders, sending him crashing into the ground. The iron lance dissipated before it could damage the floor anymore than it already was.

"Slash!" Kiichiro shouted

"Dammit." Slash growled, holding his now bloody right shoulder

"He used his spell without his partner being around!" CJ shouted

"Nobody has ever been able to counter Slash's iron lance save for the Ice Titan Solin." Kiichiro said, astonished

Chainz said nothing and just watched on silently

"Your Gazurogaruga spell alone would've taken out just about any mamodo. Just about any mamodo with me being one of the few exceptions." Alam taunted

"Damn...you."

"Show me what you got Iron Prince!" Alam yelled

"Gladly!"

"_Ganzu Go Hokeiron!"_

Slash got to his feet and held out his hands as turrets extended from his palms. Hundreds of rounds of bullets fired at Alam as the blonde mamodo swiftly dodged all of them, his movements as fluid as water. Slash's turrets dissipated as Alam suddenly stopped moving, opening his hands and dropping all of the bullets he ended up catching with his bare hands.

"I thought you were stronger than this Iron Prince." he said

"Kiichiro, our typical attacks aren't going to work on this guy. At least not this easily."

The little girl had a look of concern on her face, as if what's going on was Deja Vu to say the least. _"I don't get it, we unlocked Revelation Power, defeated The Light Titan and have won every battle with the exception of one...the one with Solin. Could it be that this guy is stronger than us? But how is that possible? He's not a Revelation Holder? There's gotta be something more to this."_

Alam stuck his left index finger out this time as light particles traveled to his fingertip, forming into a small ball. The ball of light left his finger and gently rose in the air, floating around the forged battlefield. Alam said nothing as the sphere simply floated above them harmlessly.

"I'm not sure what that thing does, but we gotta keep an eye on it." Slash said to his partner who nodded in response

The other four mamodo stood there and solemnly observed Slash. Their silence was finally broken by Chainz, who began walking towards Alam. "What the hell are you doing?" Slash demanded

"Who said that only you could fight this guy?" Chainz responded, stopping and turning towards his brother

"If this guy is able to keep me at bay, then he'll obviously blow you a way with only one spell." Slash shot back

Chainz said nothing and simply charged at Slash head on. Ishimaru opened the green spell book and focused his Heart Energy. "_Hokaisho!"_

Chainz opened his mouth and fired the concentrated white laser at Slash. The Iron Prince jumped out of the way as the laser scorched a line into the ground.  
>Looking up, he saw a deadly glare within Chainz's eye.<p>

Soon enough, Vincent, Rachel and Eve also had their partners' spell books opened and glowing as well. "We all fight together." Chainz said, before looking back at Alam

"Looks like things have gotten a bit interesting now." the blonde mamodo said

"I don't need you guys getting in my way. I have Revelation Power, I can handle this guy on my own." Slash said, annoyed

"This guy is on another level. Revelation Power doesn't just flip on like a switch, you've eve said so yourself. Even though you're powerful, you are nowhere near unbeatable, contrary to what you seem to think. I would have thought you'd learn that from what happened with The Ice Titan." Chainz said

Slash said nothing but looked down. "Fine. Let's all do this together."

"What are you waiting for? Get on with it!" Alam exclaimed

* * *

><p>"Looks like we're starting things off!" Rchel exclaimed as Beat's book illuminated a navy colored light.<p>

"_Bijururu!" _

A circle formed around Alam as a massive sonicboom erupted around Alam, causing the mamodo to roar in pain. The powerful sound waves could actually be seen as Alam's body took a beating. "It's almost impossible to dodge sound!" Beat said proudly

"Let's go CJ!" Vincent said

"Right!"

Vincent gripped the book tightly as CJ's book began to glow with a brown light. "_Fokai!" _

CJ's body glowed as sleek, royal blue armor snapped onto his body. Sparks of lightning crackled and danced around the guinea pig mamodo who was in his human form. He disappeared in a blue flash of lightning before reappearing near Alam. He released multiple streaks of lightning from his body at his target. The lightning bolts struck Alam's body numerous times, as the force from the explosions sent him into the air.

Sundance's sand-colored book was now glowing as he and Eve took aim at Alam. _"Upra!"_

Sundance spat out a stream of red paint, hitting Alam directly and dousing his body into flames. The blonde mamodo fell from the air, nearing the ground but Chainz and Slash were already anticipating this opportunity.

"_Hokekeruga!" _

Ishimaru and Kiichiro chanted their spells in unison as both Chainz and Slash placed their hands on the floor, sending dozens of chains connected to hooks up from the ground and forming a pit under Alam's falling body. The violent iron chains (no pun intended) whipping and slashing (again, no pun intended) Alam before flinging him into the throne room's brick wall, making a massive hole to the point where you can see the outside garden.

"Think that was enough?" Chainz asked

* * *

><p>Before anybody who could agree or disagree with him, Alam rose to his feet and climbed out of the newly made hole. His face emotionless and hard to read, he silently walked towards the five mamodo opposing him. Coming to a halt once he was within a reasonable distance, his overcoat flowing slightly sue to the gentle breeze now flowing into the room.<p>

"We can't let him attack!" Ishimaru shouted, the green spell book glowing

_"Hokaisho!"_

Chainz opened his mouth as the powerful white laser sprang from it, making a direct path towards Alam. The blonde mamodo simply sidestepped the beam, causing it to explode behind him.

"He..he dodged it!" Ishimaru exclaimed

Alam's stoic face did not change one bit. The blonde mamodo's cold gaze was fixated upon his enemies, waiting for their next attacks. Rachel and Vincent nodded towards each other as CJ and Beat charged at Alam from opposite directions. "_Bijurono!"_

Two pistol-like weapons appeared in Beat's hands as he jumped back, leaving the ground and fired multiple blasts of concentrated sound waves at Alam. Once again, Alam simply stood there as the sound waves began pushing him backwards. The blonde mamodo stomped his right foot, making a crater into the floor just large enough to stick his foot in and simultaneously did the same thing with his left foot.

"_Foku!"_

CJ's body glowed as his blue lightning armor was exchanged for dark brown rock armor. He leaped into the air before slamming his fist into the ground, sending a fissure at Alam, exploding on impact. When the thick clouds of dirt disappeared, the blonde mamodo stood there unscathed.

"It's like it didn't even hit him!" Vincent said, shocked

Alam turned his head around to see Sundance coming down on him from the sky. _"Lereg Sapo!"_

Sundance opened his mouth as he spat out a wave of green paint on Alam. The blonde mamodo vanished under the colorful stream and reappeared a few feet away. Sundance fell into his own paint but quickly canceled out the secondary effects. "Damn it. Taking advantage of CJ's spell, I was able to sneak up on him and he still dodged it."

Slash, being the only one who did not attack Alam stood there and watched the blonde mamodo's movements. "You idiots! You're not going to be able to hit him, the only reason we got him last time was because he was only gauging our powers. He's only toying with you guys right now!" he shouted

"You catch on pretty quickly Iron Prince. However, without your Revelation Power, there is nothing you can do to stop me. It's just like your brother said, even you have a limit." Alam said, finally speaking

"Damn...you." Slash snarled

"Now that you've had your fun, I suppose it's time that I have some of my own!"

Alam pointed his right index finger upwards as light particles gathered towards his fingertips. The light formed into a small disk before various rays erupted into multiple directions, forming an ellipse pattern. The light bounced off in multiple directions, breaking off chunks of the wall and ceiling. Ishimaru remembered the sphere Alam had sent up earlier and looked up at it. He saw multiple ellipse lights being drawn into the sphere and redirected.

"Everybody watch-AHHHHH!"

The numerous ellipse beam struck down everybody, knocking all of them to the ground. The ellipse light subsided as the bloodied and battered allies struggled to stand. Ishimaru opened his eyes and looked around, aside from being a bit scraped, all of the human partners seemed to be fine. As far mamodo go, Chainz, Beat, Sundance and CJ were all covered in slight burns and were slightly bleeding. Slash however, was another story. The Iron Prince had small holes through his arms, neck, hands , legs and torso, he had taken the brunt of Alam's attack!

"Slash!" Kiichiro yelled to her partner

Despite his injuries, Slash was already on his hand and knees, breathing heavily. "I'm...I'm...fine...Kiichiro."

Alam shook his head at the carnage. His stoic pokerface was not a slight frown, not of sadness or remorse, but of disappointment and annoyance. "I only used one spell and you guys are already half-dead."

"We need to find this guy's human partner and a way to slow him down." Rachel said, of which everybody agreed

"But where would they be hiding?" Vincent asked

"We don't have time for that!" Chainz yelled

"How else are we going to burn his book then?" Rachel questioned him

"When you kill a mamodo, their book automatically burns. So I say we simply kill this guy and not worry about it, or at least that's what my plan is." Chainz said

"And how exactly are you going to do THAT?" Beat asked

"I have an ace in the hole." Chainz said darkly

"An Ace in the hole?" Ishimaru asked, Chainz's revelation being completely new to him

"That's what I said." Chainz replied, looking at Alam

"Don't do it! You'll get us all killed!" Slash suddenly yelled before vomiting blood

"What exactly are you trying to do Chainz?" Ishimaru asked his partner

Chainz did not answer him. He simply reached for the earring on his left ear and before he could take it off, Slash immediately grabbed his arm. Even when severely injured, he could still move fairly quick. "Don't...do it...you...can't control it." he managed to get out before spitting up more blood

Chainz simply jerked his arm away from the weakened Slash as he took his left earring off and let it hit the ground with a loud ping. Chainz backed away from everybody as his eyes went blank for a moment before shifting from large onyx orbs into white ones with narrow green slits...

* * *

><p>Meida, Toru and Hori were now outside the mansion's entrance in the front yard. "Now that you have everything back, what are you going to do now?" Toru asked<p>

"I'm going to fix the company's PR mess and rebuild everything. Hori will-" Meida cut herself off as she looked over to her silver haired partner who staring at the mansion

"What's wrong?"

"The others are fighting right now...they're fighting an extremely powerful mamodo. If I had to make an exact estimate though, I'd say he's somewhere around the level of Light Titan Treachor, who was by far the Weakest of The Four Titan according to what Ice Titan Solin said, is still far stronger than myself or even Slash and Jyan without their Revelation Powers."

"That's...that's impossible." Meida said

Hori shook his head. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but this guy...is beyond elite. I can sense his demonic presence and it's nauseating."

"If that's the case, then there's no way you can fight him and win." Toru said

"I never said I was going to fight him. I only said that we were here to get Meida's company back. All of the papers have been signed back over, Felicity and her goons have been formally removed from power. We got what we wanted, saving the others was never in the job description." Hori said in a matter-of-factly tone

"...and besides, even though they're idiots. They're not weak idiots, they could handle this guy as a group."

Hori said nothing more as he walked over the koi pond near the mansion's front garden. Looking into the pond, Hori saw his reflection change into a young silver haired boy with a blue and white mage robe on. His big eyes were filled with joy and a large grin on his face. Taken aback by this, Hori looked away from the pond. After a few moments, he hesitantly looked into the pond again and saw his normal reflection and sighed, sitting down in front of the pond. He could see the koi swimming up to him. He saw a small bag of fish food near his face, looking up he saw that it was Meida holding it out to him. Taking it, he began to scatter some of it into the pond as the fish quickly devoured it.

"When I was a little girl, my parents, brother and I would always come out here and feed the koi."

"I see."

"Meida?"

"Yeah?"

"I' have a decision to make"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm thinking about whether or not I want to help the others."

* * *

><p><strong>AN- Even though I confirmed this a while ago, I'm re-confirming that Revelation Power can only be activated in completely dire circumstance and both the human partner and mamodo have embraced that they are fighting for that very virtue. (I.e. When Slash activated his against Treachor and finally accepting that he loves Grace and Kiichiro, realizing that he needs to rule with love should he become king.) or whenever said mamodo first has their Revelation Point (whenever they fully understand and embrace their virtue).**

** In other words, even when a mamodo becomes a Revelation Holder, it does not mean they have free access to its power. Slash has to learn this the hard way because he has not gotten much stronger since his fight against Treachor way back in Chapter 80. I'm not trolling you guys at all, he is almost the exact same strength level as he was back then. (Which of course isn't saying too much since he was already pretty powerful to begin with.)  
><strong>

** This is exactly why he isn't destroying Alam right now and the gap is far narrower between him, Chainz and the others than it was before. Without being too spoilerish, I will say that this of course, will be addressed during the secondary plot of the next character arc. (Bonus points for those who figured out who's going to be next.) **

**Alam is also confirmed to be the strongest character who isn't a Black Corps General or a Titan so far. Once Hori's character arc ends, I will be updating the tier list, which will be classified by S+ at the highest and D- at the lowest instead of using Titan to Below Average like I did last time. **

**This is the first time I've done a 5vs1 so it's going to be challenging trying to divide time and make it all flow without it sounding "crowded".**

**Chainz removes his earring and is about to reveal his "ace". Slash, knowing what happens when their earring are removed tries to stop him but is swatted away. Hori is having conflicted thoughts about whether or not he should join the fray. So much more to come! R&R folks!**


	149. Losing control and making a decision!

Hori sat on the grass in front of the koi pond, watching the fish swim and go about their activity. He constantly thought about the others and their ongoing fight with Alam. What was this feeling? Why did he feel so drawn to helping him?

_"Could...could everything I've gone through recently be the cause of this?" _he thought to himself

* * *

><p><em>[Chapter 109...]<br>_

_"They're retreating." Meida said, looking up_

_"This isn't the last we'll see of them, I'll make sure I bring him down." Hori said, clinching his fist_

_"T-Thank you for saving me." The now freed Celandor said timidly_

_"I wasn't trying to save you, I wanted to fight a strong opponent." Hori scoffed as he and Meida teleported away_

* * *

><p><em>[Chapter 114...]<br>_

_"Thank you for saving me." Kiichiro said sweetly_

_"I simply wanted to fight a strong opponent. I only saved you so I can get my shot at Slash." Hori scoffed_

_"I don't think you mean that." she said_

_Hori paused and for a moment, he felt nostalgic looking into Kiichiro's bright eyes full of wonder. "Naive little girl." he said dismissively before turning to Slash_

* * *

><p><em>[Chapter 123...]<em>

_"Thank you so much Hori. There's no way I would have caught them all without you."_

_"Why are you thanking me when I didn't help you do anything. You outsmarted those kids, I just stood there and watched."_

_Danny was taken aback by this for a moment but then smiled instead. "To be honest with you, I almost didn't come to the center today because I was tired of the kids picking on me but thanks to you, I see that I have a gift that I shouldn't waste."_

_Hori simply grunted in response and crossed his arms. Why did he reach out to such a weak, hopeless kid?_

* * *

><p><em>[Chapter 124...]<br>_

_But Danny felt his body instinctively open his eyes. He saw a familiar white-haired boy standing over him!_

_"Huh?" Danny asked groggily shooting up_

_"About time you wake up, you mumbling some bullshit about being dead." Hori grunted, not really looking at Danny_

_"Thank you!" Danny exclaimed, running and hugging Hori tightly_

_In response Hori gently pushed the boy away and began walking away_

_"H-how did you know I was in there?" Danny asked, his voice soft and timid_

_Hori stopped in his tracks but did not answer immediately._

_"It doesn't matter..." Hori said, still looking at the burning building_

_Before Danny could say anything to respond to Hori, a police car came on the scene. A woman in her mid to late 30s got out of the back of the police car, running over to Danny. Embracing him tightly as the tears rolled down her cheeks._

_"Thank goodness you're alright." she said, continuing her tight embrace_

_"Mom..."_

_"When you didn't come home from the center, and I saw reports of it catching on fire...I...I didn't know what to think."_

_"That boy over there saved me. Otherwise, I would have been a goner." Danny said pointing to Hori as his mother finally let go of him_

_The woman approached Hori, eyes still full of tears and hugged him as well to which Hori did not hug back but the shocked look on his face said it all._

_"Thank you for saving my son. There aren't too many people especially kids, who have such compassion to do what you did. Danny has often came home crying because of the others mistreating and bullying him at the center but for the first time today, I can tell that he was happy. He is happy to have met you today Hori and I know he won't forget it. Your parents have been raising you well, I wish I knew how to thank you since we don't have very much..."_

_"Don't worry about it." Hori said gruffly_

_"No, really I-"_

_"I said it was fine!"_

_Danny's mother smiled as she stood back up and took Danny by the hand. "Bye Hori! Thank you for saving me! I want to play with you again really soon!"_

_Hori did not say anything back to Danny as he and his mother were escorted away by the officer, who had called the fire department, but saw Meida standing nearby. "You did well." she said with a small smile, ruffling his hair_

* * *

><p>"Meida..."<p>

* * *

><p><em>[Chapter 126...]<em>

_"I never wanted to become a CEO and only did so because of Hori's suggestion of trying it...I...I...I understand why my father loved it so much. I have come to love my job and my zaibatsu as much as he did and to see what I love and everything he worked for go away like that...damn it!" She slammed her disk on the desk again and again. Tears flowed out of her eyes as her grief overtook her._

_Hori actually felt his face soften after watching Meida's grief. He felt himself wanting to reach out to his partner and do something for her._

_"What is this feeling? Why do I want to reach out to Meida? I feel her grief too...it's as though when she suffers, I suffer. Is the connection between humans and mamodo truly this strong?"_

_Hori clenched his fist and his indifference towards Toru quickly became hatred. He wanted revenge and to retake the Tateishi Zaibatsu, giving to its rightful owner. He heard the door slam, he looked up and saw that Meida was nowhere to be find and head set off into the streets. Not wanting to waste any time, Hori quickly set off after her, knowing she was too emotional and might do something rash. Realizing that he was about to make a rash decision himself, he stopped for a moment._

* * *

><p>"I didn't want to see her in pain...I hated it more than anything."<p>

_[Chapter 130...]_

_Hori was standing over a now heavily bleeding Meida as he worked desperately to close up her wound. He ripped off his own shirt and tied it around her torso, blood stained his hands and wrists but he did not care. Meida's breathing was much faster than normal, Hori's face darkened as he picked her up and put her over his back. In fear of damaging her further if he teleported, Hori walked down the long and twisting corridors as Meida's short and rapid breaths continued. Looking closely, tears were falling from his eyes in small drips. His steps staggered a little when he felt blood run down his arms, Hori's temporary crude treatment on Meida's wound was not effective enough. _

_"I can't use my own healing ability on her...she'll die by the time I get even halfway finished. She's lost a lot of blood at this point...I'll retie it and keep going."_

_Hori's hands became even bloodier as he fixed the crude mend made from his shirt. Quickly fixing it, he picked her back up and continued through the station not stopping even once. After reaching the crowded part of the train station, he immediately placed Meida on the ground as numerous people including the other allies rushed over to him. Within minutes, paramedics arrived and Meida was placed on a stretcher. _

_The bloodied Hori got into the ambulance with the paramedics as they rushed her to the hospital. "You did a fine job holding off the wound until we could get here young man. You should be proud of yourself." one of the paramedics said to Hori who didn't reply back_

* * *

><p><em>[Also Chapter 130...]<em>

_"Psycher!"_

_"The one and only."_

_The imposter assistant, not taking off his surgical mask or scrubs, revealed a mauve spell book._

_"This is Jöergen, my human partner."_

_"I don't give a damn who your partner is. You die here."_

_"How will that happen? Your book owner is in a coma and you haven't had any sleep in days."_

_"I will protect Meida, even if it means my life."_

* * *

><p><em>[Chapter 133...]<em>

_"Meida...I promise...I will get your zaibatsu back and Psycher, Toru...all of them will pay." Hori said weakly, using most of energy just to speak_

_"No Hori, we will get it back **together**."_

* * *

><p>Hori stood to his feet, fists clenched. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as the gentle breeze danced through his silver hair...<p>

* * *

><p>"Chainz? Chainz, what's going on ?!"<p>

Chainz's blank stare was creeping out the others as his large onyx orbs became pale white with green slits. Chainz said nothing as his once tan skin became a very milky white. The boy's skin continued to fade as the milky color overtook his entire body, with his color drained, his skin began to constrict and harden. Everybody with the exceptions of Slash and Kiichiro, looked on in confusion and horror as Chainz continued changing.

"What kind of ability is this?" Ishimaru questioned, looking at Slash

"That idiot..." Slash panted, trying his best not to cough up anymore blood and not answering Ishimaru

Chainz's hardened skin became white scales, and his body began to grow in bulk. The once lean and shredded preteen mamodo quickly became bulky with muscles and a few inches taller. His massive torso ripped his leather jacket and t-shirt to shreds, his black jeans stretched thanks to his thighs and calves becoming almost too large for the denim to hold in. His fingerless gloves stayed on his hands but his once small yet noticeable fangs grew tenfold, to the point where they protruded from his mouth. His once grey faux hawk was now a green similar to his spell book. Sticking out of his pants, was a long whip-like, scaly white tail. Chainz unleashed an ear-shattering hiss before looking back at the others.

The now transformed Chainz disappeared before reappearing before Alam. He swung his fist at the blonde mamodo who caught it with his palm but felt the tremendous force legitimately push him back, much to his surprise.

"He knocked him back!"

"Our other spells couldn't even touch him but all Chainz does is take off one of his earrings and he transforms...what is this?" Sundance asked, shocked

"Our...earrings are not normal jewelry. They're suppressors made from a special iron and silver alloy...they keep us from transforming into THAT!" Slash managed to get out, pointing towards the now transformed Chainz.

Chainz began swinging at Alam repeatedly, the devilish blonde blocking all of his punches but having to make a noticeable effort in order to do so. Chainz whipped his tail from below, causing Alam to instinctively to jump over it. This however, left an opening for Chainz as his fist connected with the bottom of Alam's jaw, effectively uppercutting him.

Everybody sans Kiichiro and Slash, would have had their eyeballs out of their sockets if they weren't attached. Nobody, not even Slash was able to land a hit but this newly transformed Chainz was able to do so. Alam quickly regained his composure, his eyes gleamed with rage. It was clear that not even he expected to actually get hit. The blonde's fists tightened as he unleashed a fury of punches into Chainz's stomach, albeit with the damage was reduced by half thanks to Chainz's scales.

Regardless, it was clear that he felt the massive pain considering the subtle traces of blood dripping from his mouth. Chainz got to his feet and began to woblle around in a daze. Slash shook his head in sight of this. "Put your earring back on you damn fool! Hurry before its too late!" he shouted

"Why does he need to put his earring back on?" Ishimaru asked

"Because if he doesn't, he'll fully lose control." Slash surprisingly replied

"Lose control?"

"Thanks to Galeno mixing with members from the former Iron Clan, especially their "princess" Iron Maiden Kiyoko, our once extremely pure genes were mixed for the first time in thousands of years, causing a sudden mutation. As a result, our "true forms" cannot be controlled for very long. Galeno's children by the concubines from the Cobra Clan tend to have more control over it than say Chainz and I for example since the Iron Maiden was our mother. "

"How many more children did she have?"

"Only Chainz and myself. All of our other siblings either come from the former Iron Clan's concubines or the Cobra Clan's concubines."

"I see."

Chainz ignored Slash's warnings as he began to prepare for a second attack on Alam, he grabbed at his right earring, yanking it off.

"You're going to get us all killed!" Slash growled

"I...need...more...power...**power is everything!**" Chainz managed to get out before whatever sentient part left of him vanished.

Chainz's white scales grew thicker as his body began to grow. His arms and legs quickly shrunk into his body before disappearing all together. He continued growing as his pants were ripped to shreds and he felt a hood growing out of his neck. The growth continued until he became well over fifty feet long, seven feet wide and thirty feet tall. The massive white cobra flared out his hood, revealing green markings that appeared to be that of a goblin's face. The cobra unleashed a loud hiss as it towered over the battlefield. To Ishimaru and the others, Chainz looked like the cobra from Chainz's Lei Hokaisho spell and the white cobra on the back of his leather jacket.

"Oh my..."

"So...this is Chainz's true form." Ishimaru said in awe

Slash however was not as amused as the others for he knew very well of the danger they were all in. The snake in front of them was not Chainz but of a merciless, unforgiving monster. Slash removed his right leather glove, revealing five silver and iron alloy rings on each finger.

"Slash, what are you going to do? Eve asked

"I'm going to stop Chainz at any cost!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- Cliffhanger alert! Hori thought back about everything he's been through until this point and seems to have realized something about himself. Chainz halfway transformed and was able to land a hit on Alam, something nobody until him had accomplished. He has now fully transformed into a cobra by removing both of his earrings. However good intentioned yet very rash Chainz's move may have been, he is making Alam's job much easier. Can Slash snap Chainz back into his senses or will he put Chainz down for the count? Find in the next chapter R&R folks!_**

**_Now, Chainz and Slash have both said "power is everything" at one point or another in the story. They're much more like their father Galeno (especially Chainz, who has his dad's personality from when he was a kid) than they would like to admit.  
><em>**

**_Also, I counted the remaining eligible mamodo last night and I fudged the number a little bit. Instead of there being 25 left, there are actually 31 eligible mamodo left on Earth. So when the next book is burned and you see the rank "go up", you know why. lol  
><em>**


	150. Turning Point!

The massive white cobra before them released another screech as it continued its rampage. Chainz reared his head back before striking at Alam, who subsequently sidestepped him. Chainz continued darting after him, as the blonde mamodo barely continued to evade the cobra. Even for him, Chainz in this form was a handful.

"Ishimaru, Chainz is still in there somewhere!" Eve yelled over the noise

"CHAINZ! CHAINZ! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE SOMEWHERE!" Ishimaru yelled but to seemingly no avail, the cobra continued trying to strike at Alam.

Just as when they accepted that the cobra did not acknowledge him, Chainz suddenly turned his head and their direction looking directly at Ishimaru. "I think he really did hear us!" Ishimaru exclaimed

Ishimaru of course, spoke too soon as the cobra revealed his large venomous fangs. Chainz's fangs began to glow a sickly green color, of which alarmed Slash considerably. "Everybody get back! That venom is extremely potent and if you humans get into contact with it, you will die!" he said, as he ignored his wounds and charged directly into Chainz's path. The white cobra saw this and forgot about his previous targets and focused on his brother. He slammed his fangs downwards, only for Slash to dodge them. If the throne room's carpet floor wasn't already destroyed, it most certainly was now. Slash jumped onto Chainz's scaly hand as the silver and iron alloyed rings began to glow a whitish color. Before he could slam his palm down and neutralize Chainz, his scaly white tail swung forward, knocking Slash into a wall behind the others.

"Slash!" Kiichiro exclaimed, the little girl ran over to her mamodo partner

Chainz retracted his fangs, freeing himself from the ground and turning his attention back to the others. "Looks like we have no choice but to try and take him down ourselves." Vincent said, the brown book glowing

"It's a rare moment, but Vincent is right. We cant afford to risk Chainz killing us." Rachel said

Ishimaru sighed as he look at them. He saw that Eve had a frown present on her face as well. It was clear that she didn't want to hurt Chainz either and also sympathized with Ishimaru. He couldn't get a good look at the other mamodo but knew that their sentiments were identical to their partners' especially Sundance.

"Go ahead...Chainz needs to be stopped." Ishimaru said with reluctance present in his voice

"The sixth spell, _Fureuken_!" Vincent chanted

CJ's body glowed as his armor was once again replaced. Unlike his sleek fire, ice and earth armors, this one was clearly thicker and heavier than the others combined. It's spike exterior could easily intimidate many mamodo and two swords were mounted on his back. Ishimaru imediatly recognized that this armor was made of iron.

"The fifth spell, _Gigano Bijurono!"_

Beat's pistols glowed and reformed itself into a sphere of light before stretching and expanding into a bazooka. He got on a knee and held the large gun over his shoulder, placing his finger on the trigger and aiming it directly at Chainz.

"Forgive us Chainz." Eve said as the sand yellow spell book glowed

"The fifth spell, _Raine Laine!"_

Sundance was the first to run forward as he jumped into the air, high enough to become eye-level with Chainz. He opened his palms and released a rainbow paint that directly hit the giant cobra's eyes, temporarily blinding him. Chainz hissed in agony as he began to trash about, his body gyrated and flailed, doing substantial damaged to the mansion's foundation. CJ took this as an opportunity to run forward as he unsheathed both swords, he looked at Chainz's tail which at this point, was the biggest threat to their well-being, and aimed both swords at it. The tail instinctively moved out of CJ's path and whipped him in the back.

The blow would have normally severed his spine, but thanks to CJ's thick armor, his body only received a moderately strong vibration. He turned back around and went for the tail again. This time however, he was successful landing on it. CJ focused all of his strength into the blades as he penetrated Chainz's scales, stabbing through his tail and pinning him into the ground. The giant cobra screeched once more as it continued violently thrashing about and CJ returned to Vincent's side.

Beat aimed his bazooka at Chainz as he unleashed massive sonicbooms. The heavy soundwaves battered Chainz's body, of course the damamge was reduced to half thanks to his scales but it was clear that the damage was still evident.

"I'll take it from here." Slash said, now out of the wall he was knocked into earlier. It couldn't be estimated how much blood Slash had lost nor how he was even standing for that matter thanks to not only the blood loss but the multiple holes in his body, but he was. If Ishimaru had to guess, he would say it was some odd combination of Slash's sheer willpower and his elite endurance. The rings on the Iron Prince's fingers glowed its whitish color once more as he simply walked over to his brother. Even though Slash was still standing, not even he could run or jump after all of the damamge he's taken from both Chainz and Alam.

Finally reaching the still subdued and blinded snake, Slash quickly slammed his fist into his head. After a few moments, waves of steam could be seen as the massive cobra began to shrink and reshape back into a familiar mamodo. Over the next few minuted, the tail dissipated, the green hairs became gray again and the white scales faded and reformed back into tanned skin. A naked and barely conscious Chainz now lay before Slash who shook his head and threw his leather vest over his waist in order to give him a shred of decency.

"I have seen more than enough of this sideshow. It's time for me to move onto other ventures." Alam said in resignation.

He removed his overcoat, revealing a blue tank top that he wore underneath and a physique not nearly as muscular as Slash's, moreso in the direction of being leaned. A short girl was clinging onto his back before hopping off. Getting a better look at her, one could see that her dark purple hair was tied up into a single braid, her thick sweater hid her physique and her skirt nearly reached the floor but stopped short of her ugly, leather shoes. Which Ishimaru assumed were orthopedic. Her glasses reflected the remaining light and Ishimaru assumed she was fairly nerdy judging by her appearance. In her hands held a spell book but Ishimaru could not see the color from the distance where he was standing.

"So Alam's partner was hiding in his overcoat this whole time? That doesn't make any sense!" Eve exclaimed

"And I suppose kids from another world with various magical abilities that can be read with a book makes sense to you?" Ishimaru lampshaded to her

"Amelia, I want you to get a front row seat to this." Alam said to the girl

"You...you want me to cast a big spell?" she asked

"I wouldn't have brought you out if I didn't want you to." Alam replied back

Amelia flipped through a few pages before stopping. "_Gigano Ginirusen_!"

Alam extended his right index and middle fingers as light particles began to gather themselves together. Unlike his other spells, more light was being drawn in than any of the other ones combined. It was more than clear that he was going for a one-shot kill. The light had built up to the point of the sphere being roughly the size of a basketball and sparks of electricity began to crackle around it. The opposing mamodo could feel the sheer level of power from Alam and the spell charging up.

"That's no ordinary Gigano class spell...I know it varies from mamodo to mamodo for example, my Gigano Hokeiron is on par with an average Dioga level spell. This however, is fare beyond that...if I had to guess, Alam's spell may be classified as Gigano but it's current power is that of an upper Dioga spell. That...that blast will wipe us all out...I'm too injured to counter it." Slash said, on the verge of collapsing

"Sundance, you think we can try to use Gigano Sabo to counter it or at least drastically weaken it?" Eve asked

"Normally, if it was just us and perhaps one other mamodo team but in this case, there's no way we can stretch it to cover five teams at once. The defense will be too spread out and heavily weakened, it'll rip like paper."

"Damn it."

CJ and Beat also came to same conclusion as Sundance. With Chainz and Slash down for the count, Sundance's shield spells, both Gigano Sabo and Plino Leez unable to properly defend everybody, there wasn't anything they could do to stop Alam. The menacing blonde mamodo realized this and his expression read that of one who had just squashed a mosquito.

"Goodbye and good riddance." Alam said coldly, releasing the massive beam of light and electricity at them.

Ishimaru and Eve looked at each other sadly as they prepared to meet their fate. Vincent, Rachel, CJ and Beat all looked away as the wave of destructive light neared them. Slash held Kiichiro tightly in his arms while Chainz laid next to him, unable to speak and unable to move as he was lucky enough to even be barely conscious.

Ishimaru braced himself for the light to overtake him and soon felt a rush of darkness around him. "_So this is how I meet my end..."_

Bracing himself for a few more seconds, Ishimaru slowly opened his remaining eye and saw nothing but almost pitch black. The air around him was war and moist, almost as if something was breathing on his back. Getting a closer look, he saw something that appeared to be jagged, almost like a closed mouth. Touching the "walls" he quickly realized that those "walls" weren't walls but were a closed set of fangs! Turning around, he saw the others sitting there in equal shock but had their eyes focused elsewhere. Following their line of sight, he saw an indigo light that illuminated like none before. Getting a closer look at the source of the light, he saw a familiar silver haired mamodo and his black haired bookkeeper standing near the very front. A deep indigo mixed with purple and black aura danced around his body, reminiscent to the blue one Slash had when fighting Treachor and what he had heard about Jyan's when he had fought Jaylin.

"Hori!"

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- Not going to say anything! R&R folks!_**


	151. Atonement

The fangs began to fade away as the dragon's jaw that protected them faded away in addition to the purple aura surrounding him. "You guys are a mess." Hori said, now looking at the others

"Alam...is extremely power and has kept all of us at bay." Slash said, forcing himself to speak

"You're almost dead." Hori noted in a somewhat harsh tone

"I'm better than I look...regardless, I took the brunt of many of his attacks. Not only because he's mainly targeting me but I'm the only one who could take it without getting blown away...it's up to you now Hori...you have to defeat Alam." Slash said before vomiting some blood

"Sounds like I got a helluva challenge on my hands if he's been able to handle all of you." Hori said, turning his attention back to Alam

"I'm not surprised you managed to block my attack, especially seeing that half of the Nightmares were taken out by you." Alam said accusingly

The blonde mamodo looked at Toru before shaking his head. "You made a very foolish mistake." he said, immediately noticing Toru's heel-face-turn

"I'm atoning for my wrongdoings." Toru shot back

"Pathetic." Alam grumbled

"Anyway, we're not here to talk!" Hori yelled, before teleporting and reappearing in Alam's face, throwing a punch. Alam however, immediately blocked the incoming blow and tossed Hori backwards. The silver haired mamodo managed to land and slide backwards on his feet.

"Amelia, I want this clown vaporized." Alam ordered

"But what about the others?" she asked

"Forget about them."

_"Giniru!"_

Alam extended his right index finger as light particles gathered slightly in front of it. He released the thin beam of light at Hori who teleported out of the way, fully dodging it, to Alam's surprise.

"Amelia, more Ginirus!" Alam demanded

_'Giniru! Giniru! Giniru! Giniru!"_

Alam released beam after beam at Hori who continuously teleported out of the path of all of them, steadily increasing Alam's aggravation. The bond mamodo however, did not let it show on his face. The blonde mamodo took deep breath and almost imediately noticed a glaring weakness.

"_He's using all of his remaining energy dodging me as opposed to attacking. It makes sense he doesn't have a whole lot of strength left since he fought Venom not too long ago and despite winning, it took a lot out of him and the spell he used to shield his allies from my attack didn't do wonders for him either. Time to end this."_

"Amelia, use one of my middle tier spells."

"_Ginirusen!"_

Alam's index and middle fingers began to spark with yellow electricity as the sparks grew longer and thicker. Hori and the other mamodo could feel the power being drawn by Alam. The mansion's already damaged and shaky foundation began to rumble softly as Alam continued building up power. "If this is one of his middle tier spells, I hate to see what one of his powerful spells would do!" Meida said

"Meida, there's no way I can teleport everybody to safety and if I try to teleport directly in from of him in attempt to stop his attack, not only would I take a hit worse than what Slash has taken, but it would also leave everybody else unguarded and in turn burn all of our books. We have no choice but to try and counter it."

"Hori...if we do that then you won't have anymore strength left to fight."

"We have no choice...and besides, I know what I'm fighting for now."

_[Flashback...between Chapters 149 and 150 and towards the end of Chapter 150]_

_"Meida..."_

_"What is it Hori?"_

_"For many years, I thought that kindness only made you weak and that no capable warrior would even so much consider such a thought. I initially wanted to get your company back just out of the sake of keeping resources but it's so much more than that now. **Not only do I want the company and the estate back because it's our home...but I also don't want to leave the others behind. I said before that I wanted to end your suffering..because when you're hurt, I'm hurt too."**  
><em>

_Before Meida could say anything, she saw the indigo spell book glowing. "A new spell! Raaja-"  
><em>

_"Don't use that spell just yet! Something tells me we're going to be needing immediately!" Hori said_

_"I'm going with you!" Toru declared  
><em>

_"There's no need for you to do that." Meida said_

_"It's my fault this mess happened in the first place. I have to find a way to atone for what I have done..."_

_Meida realized that arguing wasn't going to changed his mind and sighed. "Okay, but don't come crying to me if he tries to blast you." Meida said jokingly_

_"Heh." Toru replied, smirking_

_Toru and Meida nodded before holding hands. Hori latched onto Meida and Toru's hands before teleporting them inside the heavily damaged throne room. Immediately, they saw the golden light beginning the envelop the others. Meida instinctively used the new spell.  
><em>

_"Raaja Aagasu Nekoru!"_

_Hori immediately shielded everybody within the massive dragon's jaw. "I see, so it's just like Aagasu Nekoru but instead of a fang that just shields me, this one is an entire jaw that shields myself, Hori and any allies within range!"_

_[End Flashback...]_

"DIE!" Alam yelled, sending the large beam of electricity forward

"Alright then Hori...the tenth spell..._TEONEKORU!" _Meida shouted at the top of her lungs

Hori's hands gracefully motioned forward as a massive purple flame covered his hands, he pushed his remaining energy into it while Meida emptied out her power from within. The flames grew larger and taller as Hori released the equally large flame beam from his hands. The purple flame beam and the yellow electricity beam collided at about a halfway point. The electricity beam pressed back and began to gain ground but Hori and Meida stood tall. With one last heave of heart energy from Meida, Hori's flame beam prevailed and pushed Alam's beam backwards. The dark flames completely overcame the electricity and slammed into Alam, knocking him and Amelia back. Thanks to Alam's protection, his book remained intact though his body suffered noticeable burns on his forearms.

Hori and Meida both fell to their knees, panting heavily. It took everything they had to not only defeat Alam's spell but to significantly damage him in the process. Alam took advantage of this and had Amelia immediately called for another attack.

_"Giniru!"_

Alam released the thin light beam from his right index finger. The beam was too quick for Hori to dodge and Meida didn't have anymore energy to call forth another spell. The black haired girl noticed that a figure was running into the path and as she got a closer look, she saw that figure was none other than Toru!

"Toru don't!" Meida yelled but it was too late. The beam struck him in the chest before piercing a large hole, killing him instantly. Blood gushed out of his mouth and chest as he fell to the ground. His glasses bounced off his face and in seemingly slow motion, they floated to the ground before shattering completely. A silent horror filled the room as Toru lay dead in front of Meida.

Tears mixed with horror, fury, sorrow and complete distress filled Meida's eyes as he fell to her knees in front of Toru and her trembling hands covered her mouth. "T-Toru..." she said, her voice squeaky

"What an idiot, any human with at least half a brain knows that they'll be killed if they try to directly take on a spell like that. I was going to eventually kill him anyway." Alam said, shrugging it off

Meida said nothing in response to Alam's blatant disrespect of Toru. Her once sorrowful eyes were now blank of any emotion, her tears quickly dried away. An aura of silent fury was quite evident in spite of her now blank expression. She stood to her feet, clutching the indigo spell book as it subtly began to glow. Hori saw his partner's blank expression and a wave of dread washed over him.

_"I have never seen that blank look in Meida's eyes before. I said many times recently that I would end her suffering and I failed to do so yet again...no, I don't fail. It's all still a work in progress! All this time I was wrong, I thought we were done. I thought we had gained everything back but we didn't. Our work is not done!" _

Hori blinked twice and saw a vision of his younger self before like he did in his reflection. The small silver haired boy reached his hand out to him and Hori responded by following suit. The two touched fingertips as something began to surge within Hori. Looking around once again, he saw that his younger self disappeared and that everything else remained unchanged.

"Saving that Celandor kid, Danny, Kiichiro, my desire to end Meida's suffering and my desire to protect the others from Alam...**this is what they call compassion**."

Hori chuckled to himself, genuinely smiling for the first time in years as he closed his eyes. Meida looked at Hori then back at the indigo spell book in her hand that was now glowing even brighter than before.

"N-no way..." she said

The stoic Alam's eyes widened at the sight of the extremely bright spell book. "This...this is one of the **Seven Revelation Powers**!"

Everybody looked on in astonishment save for a smirking Slash and Kiichiro. An aura consisting of a strange mix of a metallic purple-indigo color radiated around Hori's body. He finally opened his eyes to reveal intense purple slits and grinned, exposing sharp dragon-like fangs. Hori took a deep breath and released an intense stream of dark purple and black flames.

"You made Meida cry and you increased her suffering. I'll make you pay for that!" he declared

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- That aura he had at the beginning of the chapter and towards the end of the previous chapter was a sort of pseudo-revelation power. It's what a Revelation Holder gets right before its fully unlocked like Jyan and Slash did before Hori. You will see this occur again when the next four Revelation Holders are revealed in their own specific character arcs.**_

_**So far we have had Love (Slash), Friendship (Jyan) and now Compassion (Hori) fully revealed. This leaves Courage, Forgiveness, Faith and Hope left. I wonder who they will be? Only time will tell.**_

_**Another thing I'm trying to do is keep the story T rated but overlooking my notes for the next character arc and considering the potential with their spells and for the remaining plot of the story, it's going to be difficult to do so. So I MIGHT, keyword MIGHT end up bumping this up to M. Though it could be argued that Iron Revolution crossed M rated territory back in the Light Society Arc starting with the Slash and Solin fight. If you guys think I should bump the rating up to M let me know though I'll try to keep the violence and dark elements within reasonable limits.  
><strong>_

_**A poll is up on my profile. Go ahead and vote on whether or not I should up the rating!**_

_** Even though you guys already knew this, nobody is safe and anybody will get their book burned at any given time, even though none of the protagonist mamodo were eliminated in this character arc. Since all seven character arcs are and will continue to be unique amongst each other, one of the differences with Hori's as opposed to Slash's and Jyan's is that a prominent human gets killed off. **_

_**There are only a handful of chapters left in Hori's character arc!** **R&R Folks!**_


	152. Heroic Second Wind

Hori and Alam stared each other down, each waiting for the other to make their next move. After another minute of staring, Hori was happy to oblige. The silver haired mamodo felt the new, darker flame burn within him and it seems that Meida did too.

"The third spell, _Rior Nekoru!"_

Hori opened his palms and released two massive blasts of dark purple and black flames. Seeing it closing in on him fast, Alam quickly retaliated with a spell of his own to counter it.

"_Giniru!"_

The familiar beam of light released itself from Alam's fingertip and countered Hori's Rior Nekoru, exploding on impact and shaking the entire place. Somehow, someway in spite of the heavy damage the mansion's foundation had taken, it did not cave in yet.

"Hori, continuing to counter his spells isn't going to continue working. We can't forget the valuable information Toru gave us." Meida said to him as she remembered what he told her

_[Flashback between Chapters 147 and 148...]_

_"Meida, there's something I need to tell you."_

_"What is it?"_

"_Earlier, I overheard Alam talking to Felicity about his "strategy", which was to defeat everybody as quickly and efficiently as possible."_

_"What are you getting at exactly?"_

_"He has one major flaw. His partner does not have a deep quantity of what he called "heart energy" and therefore if he's forced to use his middle to upper tier spells on a consistent basis, his partner will be depleted quickly. "_

_"I see what you're saying now, so if we either counter if not defeat his upper tier spells, we can beat him or just draw out the battle for as long as we can and let the duration of the battle take its toll."_

_"Mhm."_

_[End Flashback...]_

"Hori, it's been a while since we used this spell." Meida began as the light from the indigo spell book shined in her face

"The seventh spell, _Jauro Nekoruga!"_

A flaming purple circle formed above Hori as twelve fireballs appeared around the smaller flaming circle, resembling a flower. The purple flames quickly became a dark metallic purple similar to aura around Hori. Specs of black flickered from the flames from time to time as the fire grew intenser by the second.  
>Alam's stoic face was virtually impossible to read, so one couldn't tell whether or not he was rattled.<p>

"Amelia...use _that _spell." his voice was grim and noticeably different than before

"But Alam-"

"JUST DO IT!" he barked

"Okay..._Ganreizu Uru Ginirusen!"_

A small golden sun symbol suddenly appeared above Alam. The sun's "rays" released a streak of light from each point, a ring formed around the ends of each streak, making a wheel that somewhat resembled a spider web. The light began to glow brighter and brighter to the point where it was almost blinding. With one more flash, it solidified into a large wheel made of solid gold. The same sun symbol in the middle like before, alchemical symbols which in Meida's opinion resembled the unreadable texts in mamodo's spell books.

The flower-shaped flames released themselves and made a direct path for Alam. The golden wheel above Alam released multiple light beams, countering the dark flame beams. Multiple clouds of smoke erupted as the flame and light beams continued colliding into each other. After another minute or so, the smoke subsided and to Hori's surprise and horror, he saw Alam suddenly leap out of the smoke arm raised high into the air.

_"Amu Gini-Sorudon!"_

A ring of light wrapped itself around Alam's forearm before extending, forming a small blade. The blonde mamodo focused on Hori before slamming the blade down in his direction.

If one were to squint through the smoke however, Amelia could be seen holding a glowing spell book. There was no way Meida could chant a spell in time, so Hori did the next best thing and teleported, just barely missing Alam's blade.

Hori teleported above Alam and dropped his boot onto the blonde mamodo's face, sending him flying. Alam however, regained control of himself and with a backflip, landed on his feet.

"Let make this a fair fight Hori, _Sorudo Nekoruga!"_

A dark purple and black fireball appeared in Hori's hand before straightening and spreading out, forming a sword. The purple blade shined as Hori pointed it towards Alam. The flame blade and the light blade met , clanging against each other on impact. Hori swung his sword forward and Alam followed suit, resulting in another clang. Hori went on the offensive, swinging, slash and stabbing at Alam repeatedly. However, the blonde mamodo parried all of Hori's incoming attacks.

"Damn, I can't get to him." Hori grunted

Alam yelled as he took his turn to go on the offensive with Hori now parrying his attacks. Alam slammed the light blade down once more, but Hori turned his sword sideways and blocked the incoming attack. He teleported and reappeared above Alam, slamming the sword, aiming for Alam's skull. However, the blonde mamodo once again was fast enough to block the sword. The ongoing stalemate was frustrating for both sides. Neither side had an edge over the other at the moment.

Hori returned to the ground and began to feel the flames surge to his blade. The silver haired mamodo felt the flames row and put more of his revelation power into the sword. Alam on the other hand, put more of his own energy into the blade he possessed. The light and flame blades grew significantly in power.

"Time to end this sword fight." Hori said

"I haven't seen someone this eager to give away their life." Alam said charging at Hori

The now powered-up blades met once more at the center before their wielders swung them, canceling each other out and dissipating completely. Hori and Alam both panted heavily. The high power usage was beginning to take its toll, especially on Alam and Amelia. "Having Revelation Power does not make you invincible." Alam declared

Hori hated to admit anybody, especially Alam was right, but it was true. He was not invincible and his back was against the wall. He had to do everything he could just to stand toe to toe with Alam. It would take even more in order to beat him.

"Look at you, trying everything you have just to stand up to me. Pathetic." Alam said, the normally stoic mamodo openly taunting Hori.

"_Ganzu Disu Giniru!"_

Multiple light discs surrounded Alam and Amelia as they were all sent in a huge wave. "There's too many of them to dodge!" Hori yelled

"_Raaja-"_ Meida began to chant before being cut off

The light discs struck Hori's body repeatedly, making it clear that Alam intentionally directed them all on him, deliberately ignoring everybody else. The assault on Hori's body continued as the sheer forces from the small yet numerous and powerful explosions sent Hori crashing into a wall. Smoke danced from his body as he lay there motionlessly. The metallic purple aura now glowing faintly around his body.

"And for a moment there, I was actually worried about this so-called Revelation Power but not even that could help you against me." Alam sneered, becoming more vocal. His arrogance was steadily rising after each hit Hori took.

"Hori!" Meida yelled, running over to her partner

Meida squatted down to scoop the boy into her arms. His eyes were closed and the smoke continued to ascend from his body. "Hori...you HAVE to get up! We've come too far to lose now! Think about everything we're fighting for!"

It seemed as though Meida's pleas fell upon deaf ears. Hori continuously laid motionless in her arms. They awoken their Revelation Power, how could they still be fighting an uphill battle?

"Hori! Listen to me! We're right there...we're right there. Your promise...you have almost fulfilled it. We have had our backs against the wall so many times before and we continued to beat the odds, so why can't we do it again? Please Hori...you got to get up!"

After what seemed like ages, Hori finally stirred in Meida's arms as he slowly opened his eyes. He released himself from her grip and got back on his feet. He said nothing as he ripped his tattered shirt off and stood tall before finally turning to look at his partner.

"I haven't forgotten what we're fighting for. I made a promise to get your company back and to make Alam pay and I won't rest until I've done so!"

Alam raised an eyebrow at this. "YOU make ME pay? What a laugh, you can barely stand on your own."

"Meida...use Nekoruku." Hori said

"Your Revelation aura is still there..." Meida said

"I know, but trust me. I feel a second wind coming." he said

"I'll make sure there's nothing left this time. AMELIA!" Alam shouted

_"Azuru Ginirusen!"_

Alam swiped the air twice as two slashes of light appeared. The light slashes grew until they resembled two large diagonal lines. The slashes made a beeline for Hori who quickly dashed forward. Meida, trusting in Hori focused her energy into the spell book. "_Nekoruku!"_

Hori's already metallic dark purple aura grew in size as the dark flames around his body intensified. His fangs sharpened even more than before, a new surge of energy flowed through his body as he crossed his arms in front of face and took the spell on directly, exploding on impact and kicking up yet another cloud of smoke. The spell knocked Hori back but he landed on his feet. In spite of this however, numerous cuts appeared on his arms and legs, blood dripped to the ground.

"WHAT?! That spell was supposed to cut you all to pieces!" Alam shouted, outraged

"If it wasn't for my Revelation Power in combination with Nekoruku giving me a boost, that spell would have cut my limbs to pieces." he said

Hori advanced forward, the massive bursts of energy he received thanks to his Revelation Power and Nekoruku paid off in dividends. He began to suck in air as his chest expanded, he jumped backwards, making himself airborne and released a large stream of purple and black flames. Alam and Amelia immediately dodged the stream of flames with ease. "Did you truly think that was going to hit us?" Alam questioned

Looking up he saw that Hori was not paying attention to him but instead was still airborne, sucking in the air around him as he blew flames once again but this time began to spin , forming a flaming vortex. The dark fire mamodo spun himself in the fiery inferno at an even faster pace as he dashed forward. Alam quickly moved forward an attempt to stop Hori in his tracks but the momentum was too much even for him. Hori collided into Alam's chest, knocking him into a wall. He dissipated the vortex and slammed a flaming fist into Alam's jaw. Hori landed on his feet, standing before him.

"My Revelation Power allows me to manipulate dark flames without a spell but my Nekoruku spell also allows me to do the same. However, if I combine the two together, more possibilities arise like what you just witnessed.

"Heh...hehehe...hehehehehehe...hehehehehe HAHAHAHAHA!" Alam's laughter was hysterical now as he got back on his feet.

"I managed to underestimate the force behind that last one. That however, won't happen again!"

_"Ganzu Barei Ginirusen!"_

Alam extended all ten of his fingers as numerous beams of light surrounded and trapped Hori, making a light cage of some sorts. Hori instinctively inhaled flames in order to burst through the "cage" but only air came out, leaving an out of breath mamodo.

"Your spells won't work in this. My Ganzu Barei Ginirusen spells nullifies the spells of any opponent who gets trapped."

Hori was stuck in the light cage, he had to think of a way to get out.

"_Bomu Ginirusen!"_

Light particles began to form slightly above the tip of Alam's right index finger as it began to grow. It grew to roughly the size of an average microwave before releasing itself from his finger. The sphere floated before attaching itself to the light "cage".

"My Bomu Ginirusen spell is a mine and detonates on my command and in a few seconds, you will blown to pieces."

_"I gotta find a way out fast...wait, could that be my way out? It seems a little too obvious to work but I won't know until I try!" Hori thought to himself_

"Goodbye trash." Alam said as the light sphere detached itself from the light cage to where it was hovering slightly above it and released numerous ginirus from it. All of them striking the "cage".

"HORI!" Meida yelled, watching the apparent carnage

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Sorry, I know I was supposed to release this on Wednesday but I was out and about getting a new job since university tuition, anime con funding (No, I don't cosplay and this will be my friend and I's first time going to one. For those who are curious, we plan on going to Anime Matsuri) and rent don't pay for themselves.**_

_**This chapter and the actually Sunday's chapter is a doubleheader so you guys are getting them both today. R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	153. One last push! Dragonos Nekorudon!

_**A/N- Keep in mind that today's release is a double chapter because I released 152 which was supposed to come out this past Wednesday. Since I released both of these at the same time, some of you may have missed reading 152 because you clicked on the latest update. So this is me telling you to go back and read 152 before you read this one.**_

The Ginirus stopped their rampage on the light cage and revealed that nothing was there. In fact, Hori appeared a few feet away with his arms crossed. "You may have been able to stop my spells, but you can't stop my natural abilities. I was able to teleport out of it just before it blew up."

"Another slight miscalculation on my part." Alam grunted, it was a rare moment for him to miscalculate even once, but twice in a row? This couldn't be happening!

"Amelia, another spell!" he ordered

"We don't have a whole lot of strength from within left...I'm not sure how many more-"

"JUST DO IT! I DON'T CARE!" Alam shouted in a mix of frustration, annoyance and anger, losing his stoicness. Amelia hesitated before flipping the pages in her spell book.

"_Excelles Dioga Ginirusen!"_

Numerous light particles streaked together as they began to build up and form a massive X-shaped beam. The giant X glided forward, but Meida and Hori were ready for it.

"Meida, I have had a lot of trouble with this spell and we have managed to pull it off a few times." Hori said, indicating which spell for Meida to call next

_"Dioga Nekorudo!"_

Hori held his hands up as the dark purple and black fireball grew to the size of a small sofa. He shot it forward as it quickly collided with the X-shaped beam. In spite of its size, the fireball's power was very concentrated and as a result, it quickly expanded and to everyone outside of Hori and Meida's surprise, it not only quickly overcame the beam, but it was still standing! The fireball grew as it came directly into contact with Alam and exploded, sending him crashing into the ground, burns decorated his arms evidently due to the exposure with the intense flames.

"My spell...was overcome...by his...THAT easily...Amelia's strength from within...it must be pretty low. Enough is enough." Alam said in between breaths

The blonde mamodo stood back on his feet still panting. "Amelia, use it."

The bespectacled girl's eyes widened. "Y-You told me to never use that spell! M-My strength f-form within w-will be completely drained!" she stuttered

"I told you to use it! You don't have much strength from within left anyway. You're only a liability at this point...I should have done this long ago." Alam said coldly

Amelia hesitated before finally complying with her abusive mamodo partner. "_Amuzaou Shin Ginirusen!"_

"A Shin spell!? That's not possible...what IS this guy?" Slash said, looking up

Above the mansion a giant metal circle appeared in the sky and the clear blue sky quickly became a smoky gray. Twelve sections formed on the metal, a demon's bust appear on each section, all of them wearing sun masks, similar to the one that was on one of Alam's previous spells. The ground began to tremble, similar to that of a powerful earthquake as billions of light particles began to gather at the center of the large ring. The upper floors of the mansion disintegrated thanks to the radiation of the numerous light particles above it, leaving only the throne room and the mansion's bottom floor. With no roof or upper floors, they could all see the dark clouds and the ring still gathering light particles.

"T-Those symbols.." Sundance began to say

"Represents the twelve scribes of the all-knowing Sun God Amuzaou! I have been blessed with the gift to summon him before us and can use his power to turn you into ashes, assuming even that survives."

"He's right...if that thing hits us, not only will we be destroyed but the whole countryside is in danger too!" Eve exclaimed

Meida looked at Hori who looked back at her. "There's no way Dioga Nekorudo would be able to even come close to countering that, much less destroy it."

"True, but there is one more."

Meida eyes widened at Hori's response. "As long as we have had that spell, it has never worked for us before."

"I believe that was because I wasn't ready for it back then...but things are different now."

Meida nodded at this as her hands gripped the glowing indigo spell book. "HORI PUT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE INTO THIS! I WILL DO THE SAME!_ DRAGONOS NEKORUDON_!"

A fireball appeared in Hori's hand as it began to stretch out and form. Hori knew he had to keep extreme focus in order to land this attack, one wrong move and the move would fail.

"Like hell, I'll let that happen!" Alam shouted as the light particles in the massive ring were almost done collecting

"Same goes for us!" Eve shouted as she, Vincent, Rachel, Kiichiro all had their spell books opened and the others stood up as well

"What are you guys doing?" Meida asked

"If Alam were to hit you with that spell, there would be no way for you to get your spell off in time and we would all be the destroyed." Eve said

"We'll cover you until you guys are ready." Rachel said

"We'll do whatever we can to keep him from firing that thing." Kiichiro inputted

Sundance, Beat, CJ and Slash in spite of his injuries all stood before Alam. "Meida and Hori aren't alone in this. We started this fight as a team and we're going to end this fight as a team." Sundance said to which everyone agreed

"Thanks everybody." Meida said sincerely

"All right everybody, let's get him!" Eve yelled

"Damn it, I can't defend against their attacks while the spell is still charging up!" Alam exclaimed, noting another small miscalculation

"_Reju Bijucan!"_

A boombox appeared as Beat began to rap, as he continued his lyrics, red sound waves emerged from his mouth and fill Alam's ears, throwing him off balance. "AHHHHHHHHH!" Alam roared, clutching the sides of his head in an attempt to shield out the sound

_"Fogoken!"_

Numerous needle-like spines grew from CJ's back as the needles struck Alam's body. Small sparks of electricity crackled around Alam's body before giving him a nasty shock. When the blonde mamodo thought it was over, a blast of flame covered his body before subsiding. Lastly the needles began to cover themselves with ice before bursting, giving Alam not only frostbite, but the ice shards also cut him a few times.

"_Ganzu Go Hokeiron!"_

Iron turrets extended from both of Slash's hands as hundreds of rounds of bullets struck Alam repeatedly. The bullets continued their assault as Alam's battered body took just about every hit from the bullets.

Battered and enraged, Alam still stood in spite of all the damage inflicted upon him. Before Sundance could attack, the light particles had finished collecting and were ready to be fired. A face whom Sundance knew belonged to Amuzaou appeared at the center of the ring.

"Eve, it's now or never!" Sundance exclaimed

Sundance ran forward with everything within him and with tremendous force behind his legs, propelled himself into the air getting himself directly into the metal ring's path. "If you want to commit suicide by jumping directly below the ring then who am I to stop you?" Alam asked

Amuzaou's face looked directly at Sundance before screeching "ZAOU!" The massive beam of light began to fire, filling Eve with dread. She hoped it wasn't too late. She couldn't bear to see Sundance get disintegrated before her eyes, **she had to keep her faith in him that this would work.**

"_Ra Daimon!" _Eve screamed over a glowing sand yellow spell book

A giant paintbrush appeared in Sundance's hands. He gripped the handle as he swung the large brush as multiple thick waves of various colors of paint (each wave sent out a different color of paint) collided into the metal ring, setting off an explosion. To everybody on the ground it appeared as though the light blew Sundance to pieces in spite of his attack.

Eve covered her mouth in horror as she looked down and noticed that Sundance's book was still intact! Looking up, she saw the sandy blonde haired boy falling through the air and held her arms out to catch him. She held him in a tight embrace and fell to the ground.

"Told ya it would work. I knew that hitting those sections would damage the entire ring." Sundance said looking up at a few of the damaged busts decorated on the twelve sections.

"Damn you! DAMN YOU! It doesn't matter however...I can still unleash the attack!"

Albeit damaged and somewhat weakened, the light beam unleashed itself upon the mansion. Hori, who was still focusing his Dragonos Nekorudon spell, saw that he had no more time left. The flames above his hand fully formed into a European Dragon on all fours. The massive beam collided with the dragon, but the beast stood its ground, held its wings out in an attempt to hold the beam back and continue forward. The light beam however, was destroying the dragon and beginning to pass through it and continue its path of hitting its target. Hori put his remaining strength into the dragon as its claw reached out towards Alam and Amelia.

With a mighty roar, the dragon slammed its claw on Alam and Amelia before dissipating. The sheer power from the dragon knocked Alam into his partner, sending them tumbling across the room. As a result, the massive light ceased its path of destruction and the entire spell dissipated. Hori's aura disappeared and he barely had enough strength to even stand at this point. Alam was also drained as well, the wear and tear of battle was upon the both of them. The blonde mamodo miraculously stood up despite taking a direct hit from Hori's most powerful spell that with the Revelation Power, perhaps even rivaled the strength of a Shin spell. If there was one thing certain about Alam, he was definitely the most formidable opponent Hori had faced up until that point.

Bloodied, battered and possibly internally injured, both mamodo stared each other down for what was inevitably their final clash. Hori began to sprint towards Alam off of sheer willpower and viceversa. The two boys met at a halfway point and lunged at each other in what seemed like slow motion. Alam swung his powerful fist and Hori swung his. Hori exerted himself a little more and connected his fist into Alam's jaw before the blonde mamodo's reached his. The force sent Alam flying into a barely conscious Amelia, flinging the book from her hand as a purple blaze of flames swallowed it.

Alam lay on the ground defeated, his body sparkling and beginning to fade away. Hori fell to his knees as the others save for Chainz who still couldn't even move, made their way over to him. "You did it Hori." Meida said

"No...we all did it. The only reason I even beat him was because of you guys." Hori said

"And the only reason we're still even here is because of you." CJ said in return

"The Revelation Powers are unlike I anything I've ever seen before...it's no wonder why Blue, Ryu and those other scientists were after it."

They turned their attention to the owner of the voice, the now fading away Alam. "Even though I don't even like fighting that much, it fills with me with pride to say that it took two of the Talented Five, three other above average mamodo, Revelation Power and my human partner to run out of strength from within in order to bring me down.

"Ryu? I thought he worked for Blue?" Ishimaru questioned

"He does. He's the **Head General** and t**he most powerful of the Four Generals of the Black Corps**. Being **Head General**, he is **second-in-command of The Black Corps** and therefore Blue's right hand man.** It is rumored that Ryu wants the Revelation Powers for himself and is perhaps even more sinister than Blue**."

"What about the Scientists you mentioned? Are you referring to Marty and Sly?" Meida asked

"Or perhaps Dr. Hatcher?" Slash interjected

Alam did not answer that question, he simply smirked as he faded away completely.

* * *

><p>Thousands of miles away on the Australian Outback, Demos and his human partner Becky were trekking across the desert when he suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked up towards the sky.<p>

"Demos, what's wrong?" she asked

"Somebody defeated Alam." he said

"Are you sad about that?"

"Hell no. I'm just disappointed that he could only make it this far and I didn't get a chance to do it myself. Anyway, we need to keep moving."

* * *

><p>Only a streak of ash was left of what was once Alam's spell book, Amelia was still unconscious however. "It's now over Hori...you have been in three consecutive battles in the last few hours. Now it's time for you to finally rest." Meida said, soothingly<p>

The peace and quiet only lasted a few seconds as the doors flew open. Felicity floated on her broom while Mrs. Figg held the bright pink spell book in her hand. She saw Toru's corpse against the wall and spat on it, inflaming Meida. "Worthless human."

Looking up at the ash that was once Alam's spell book and an unconscious Amelia, Felicity shook her head before she began her venomous speech. "Worthless human...wretched mamodo couldn't dispatch the likes of you. It's a fucking embarrassment that I am the only General who has to get their hands dirty." she spat, glaring at them

"That being said, seeing Revelation Power close up, it's clear that neither Ryu nor Blue himself should get their hands on it. In fact, I'll destroy you all now and make sure it stays out of their hands."

"She fears the Revelation Powers and its potential dangers. In spite of having such a pint-sized appearance and being such a bratty loudmouth, her demonic aura is sickening...she's stronger than Alam...I'll even go as far to say that she's even stronger than the Light Titan Treachor." Slash said grimly, even his tone was grim

The other mamodo were petrified since they too could sense Felicity's power. After their long, excruciating battle with Alam, there was no way they could undergo another fight. Especially with someone even stronger than him. "Mrs. Figg! Blow them away with one of my spells!" the small witch-like girl exclaimed

The pink spell book began to glow as they all looked on in fear. There was nothing they could do to stop her.

"Deeoowgah Awwccaenea!" Mrs. Figg chanted

No spell was casted however. Felicity palm slapped her forehead, immediately realizing what happened. "Mrs. Figg, you MUST keep your dentures in your mouth whenever you cast a spell. How many times must we go over this!?" she said, shoving them back into the old woman's mouth.

Before they could do it a second time, snow flurries began to fill the room. The snow flurries intensified and quickly became a blizzard, in frotn fo Felicity and her partner, a figure began to build out of the snow. Fully materializing it was shown to be none other than Solin with Sara in tow!

"Ice Titan Solin...I thought Blue took care of you already!" Felicity exclaimed

"It will take a lot more than a mere cheapshot to do me in. You will not bring harm upon the Revelation Holders" he replied

As powerful and loudmouthed as Felicity was, even she knew when not to pick a fight. "Blue will hear of this Solin. We already had you, The Iron Prince, the one they call Jyan of the Blue Aura on our radar. However, seeing Hori defeat half of the Six Nightmares by himself in addition to besting Alam and the other members of the Talented Five defeating the rest of my squad, THEN coming here and ruining my plans...the fact that you are endorsing them makes this an even more serious matter than we anticipated. For now on, you and everybody else associated with either you or the Revelation Holders are now _**officially** _permanent enemies of the Black Corps. Consider your days numbered."

Felicity and Mrs. Figg sat upon her broom as they took to the air and soon the sky. Solin turned to the others and bowed in respect. "You did well to fend them off."

"What are you doing here?" Meida asked, astonished to see him in person for the first time ever.

"There is a lot to talk to you about."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Hori defeats Alam thanks to the others, especially Sundance chipping in at a key moment. So Alam finally goes down and Felicity's plans are officially foiled. Ryu may not be so loyal to Blue and to The Black Corps as a whole after all. Yes, The Black Corps Generals are all as strong if not stronger than some of the Titans. (Namely Light Titan Treachor and Hellfire Titan Arkham, whom we didn't see a lot of since Blue burned his book over 120 chapters ago, but will learn more about him in chapters in the distant future, most likely via flashbacks and whatnot.)**_

_**Now this chapter is assigned for Sunday, hope you enjoy the double chapter since I didn't release the previous one Wednesday like I was supposed to. Anyway, Solin has a lot to talk about in the next chapter onwards. Hori's Character Arc is at it's conclusion. Find out whose next by continuing to read Iron Revolution! R&R folks!**_

_**Yes, like I mentioned in a previous chapter, I botched the remaining mamodo count...big time. It's not a story plothole since I didn't mention in canon how many were left, but it is a statistical one. Whatever, I fixed it. Lol  
><strong>_

_**Stats-**_

_**Name- Alam Vaseer**_

_**Partner- Amelia Woolf**_

_**Element- Light**_

_**Rank- 35th out of 100**_

_**Book Burned By-**_

_**Spells- Giniru: Shoots a thin beam of light. It has enough power to penetrate three inches into solid concrete, or pierce through any point of a human body.**_

_**Gikerusen: Shoots a small ball of light that allows him to bounce his spells off of it and in another direction.  
><strong>_

_**Disu Giniru: Throws a small disk of light that can bend in an ellipse patter to strike his enemies from multiple directions.**_

_**Ginirusen: A thicker, more powerful beam of electricity that can pierce through most buildings.  
><strong>_

_**Gigano Ginirusen: Shoots a very thick beam of light that blinds people around him**_

_**Ganreizu Uru Ginirusen: Creates a wheel out of light with a sun symbol in its center, surrounded by alchemical symbols. This acts as a turret that he can control the position of, and tell when to fire**_

_**Amu Gini-Sorudon: Allows him to make a small light blade on his arm  
><strong>_

_**Ganzu Disu Giniru: Sends dozens of Disu Giniru's towards his opponents, all coming from different angles; almost impossible to dodge or block  
><strong>_

_**Azuru Ginirusen: Sends two light slashes towards his opponent in the form of a cross  
><strong>_

_**Bomu Ginirusen: Shoots a ball of light attached to his Giniru which sticks to whatever it lands on; it is a mine, and he can activate it whenever he wants to, sending Giniru's flying in every direction.**_

_**Ganzu Barei Ginirusen: uses all of his fingers to each shoot out a Ginirudon, usually to trap enemies.  
><strong>_

_**Excelles Dioga Ginirusen: Shoots an X shaped massive beam of light that is highly destructive, and shoots small Giniru's from its side as it travels forward.**_

_**Jibouro Ginirusen: Creates a large circle of light which shoots Ginirusens from it; it can be used as a defense, as he can place the ring in front of him, and have the Ginirudons destroy any spell that comes towards him.**_

_**Amuzaou Shin Ginirusen- Alam's most powerful spell. Summons a metal ring that brings forth the sun god Amuzaou who fires a massive beam of light that's impossible to fully defend against.**_


	154. Aftermath

"Before I get started, once again congratulations on defeating The Six Nightmares and Alam. I also extend my congrats to Hori for also unlocking his Revelation Power. Before I continue, were there any questions?" Solin asked, his voice still monotone yet somehow they could sense he was more upbeat than usual

"Who is that little girl? What happened to Lolo?" Slash asked, clearly not forgetting about their battle many months ago

"This is Sara and she is my true partner. She is Lolo's daughter."

"True partner?"

"Seven years ago before the current battle for king started, King Bell II whom you guys refer to otherwise as "Zatch the Appeaser" sent me to the Human World…"

Solin went onto explain Blue, Arkham and Treachor escaping from the Mamodo World in addition to bringing many of Treachor's followers and wreaking havoc on Earth, the Ice Titan then explained how Sara was intended to be his partner in the first place, but since he came to Earth before the little girl was born, her father ended up filling in instead though when he was incapacitated, things switched over to how it was originally intended. He also explained the struggles of partaking in an Unofficial Battle to eliminate all of the ineligible mamodo. _**(A/N- No reason for me to explain all of this again. Solin talks about this in greater detail back in Chapter 108. From this point forward, I'm going to assume you all know about this.)**_

* * *

><p>Or so he thought…<p>

* * *

><p>"Originally I thought all of the ineligible mamodo save for the other Three Titans were eliminated…but I found out that may not be the case. Back when I destroyed a lab and freed Josh and Jyan, I rummaged through the lab's documents to find any useful data. The only thing of interest I found spoke about a "project" and "genetic engineering with mamodo DNA." The most interesting thing about these documents…was the date on them.<p>

Solin materialized a file from a flurry of snow and showed the date for everybody to see.

"That's from five years ago…" Ishimaru said

"That is correct. Meaning that they were from the unofficial battle and the test subjects were ineligible mamodo."

"So does that mean Blue had something to do with this?" Ishimaru asked

"Can't say for sure, it could be something Treachor or even Arkham were conducting them, but I would not put it past Blue to do such a horrible thing. Whether they were ineligible or not, they were still mamodo who were misguided and manipulated by Treachor's propaganda."

"So what can we do about it?"

"I hate to say it, but the info I gathered was fairly vague so there's nothing you guys can do about this except keep an eye out for anything."

"I see."

"In the meantime, the Revelation Powers with the virtues of Love, Friendship and Compassion have been unlocked. That means only Courage, Forgiveness, Faith and Hope remain. Remember that once all seven Revelation Powers are unlocked and all seven virtues become one, we will have enough power to defeat Blue and put an end to the Black Corps. They know this, which is why Jyan, Slash and Hori will be targeted."

This obviously wasn't news to Slash or Jyan like it was to Meida and Hori. "You two are in more danger now than ever before. Do not get content just because you unlocked your Revelation Power. Being stagnant will get you destroyed."

Even though Slash knew Solin was not talking directly to him, he still felt as if he was. Something within him stirred, giving him an uneasy feeling.

"So in the meantime, return your normal lives and continue training. Our paths will cross again in the future."

Solin and Sara dissipated in snow and faded away, leaving the group to their own devices.

* * *

><p><em>[Blue's Island, Black Corps HQ, somewhere in the Pacific near Hawaii…]<em>

"Ahhh!"

Felicity's body hit the carpeted floor with a harsh thud, her body covered with bruises and her light pink hair frazzled. She had delivered the news to Blue about The Black Corps' latest defeat by Hori but what infuriated the Machine Titan the most was a certain Ice mamodo who lead them.

"Almost thirty percent of The Black Corps' forces have been wiped out by the Revelation Holders. What's even worse is that clown Solin is still alive….but that's to be expected since he is also a Titan and the only mamodo in this world who could possibly stand up to me." Blue lamented

"No need to worry my lord, my next operation will take out Hori for sure." Felicity said

"There won't be a next time for you. You had your chance and you failed miserably, you're lucky I haven't destroyed your book or even killed you yet. Both you and Roto have had your squads decimated. I'm going in a new direction this time."

At the moment Blue said that the doors of his throne room flew open and in came Ryu and what appeared to be a large alligator mamodo. He looked like any normal alligator with the exception of being somewhat larger than the typical fully grown adult male and the fact that he was walking upright, indicating that he was a mamodo. His thick green scales and sharp teeth protruding from his mouth would intimidate even the toughest mamodo.

"Ryu and Gakote, the other two Generals of the Black Corps. To what do I owe the presence of you two?" Blue asked, sounding rather polite albeit insincerely

"My lord, we have taken our time to observe the failures of both Felicity and Roto and in turn have concocted a plan of our own." Gakote said formally

"What do you mean 'our'? This is my plan and my plan only you overgrown lizard—" Ryu began before being cut off by Blue

"I don't care whose plan it was, like I was saying, I'm going in a different direction. So no plan from any General, the last two were disappointing enough and I don't want to see a third disappointment."

The three generals were silent at this point. Felicity due to shame, but Gakote and Ryu due to reasons unknown. Blue ignored his Generals' body language and looked towards a Black Corps goon. "Fetch Dr. Hatcher for me pronto."

After a few minutes of waiting, Dr. Hatcher finally appeared. The middle aged scientist made his way to Blue's throne to where he stopped and got on a knee.

"You may speak." Blue granted

"My lord, if this is about recent events then I already know it was the work of the Revelation Holders lead by Solin. The Black Corps Scientist Division has been doing quite well under my watch, we have been receiving positive data reports as of lately."

"What about that brat scientist and his raccoon mamodo?"

"They are becoming quite the pain in the ass and I am wary of their intentions."

"Keep an eye on them then. Now let me see the reports."

The goon took the documents from Dr. Hatcher and gave them to Blue. The Machine Titan took the files and began scanning through the paper work for the next few minutes or so. He finally looked up and directly at Dr. Hatcher. "Which labs?" he asked, no visible emotion in his voice

"Many of them, though the main lab is in the heart of the Australian Outback."

"Mobilize all of the lab mamodo…ASAP. " Blue ordered

"The process will take some time since they have been in suspended animation for quite some time. Within the oncoming days to weeks, they will be at your service."

"Good. Who will you need to assist you with this?"

"There is no need for you to assign any mamodo to me for bodyguards. I already have two in mind." Dr. Hatcher said as he turned around to leave

"Ryu and Gakote, return to your posts. Felicity, you and that old hag you call your human partner, will be placed into suspended animation like Roto and his partner were."

"My lord, is this really necessary?" Felicity asked, horrified

"You should have thought of this before you let lesser mamodo outsmart you and what used to be your squad. You will be awakened when I have use for you again. Now be gone." Blue signaled his goons to take Felicity and Mrs. Figg to be prepared for their placement.

Ryu and Gakote were well out of range before they continued talking again. "I'm surprised that fool didn't take notice of our role reversal back there." Gakote said

"Of course he wouldn't. He's too wrapped up in his own plans to become a Mamodo God, that he doesn't realize that his two most competent Generals in addition to his top young scientist and information broker are about to overthrow him. So let's sit back and let that old buffoon Hatcher do all of the heavy lifting for us."

"I couldn't have said it any better." Gakote agreed

"Of course you couldn't have." Ryu added as the sinister mamodo continued on their way.

Little did anybody know at the time, the darkest days for both humans and mamodo had yet to come.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Yes, Blue even abuses his Generals. This chapter and the upcoming Sunday chapter were originally intended to be one big chapter but, after considering the content of this one and the next one. I realized that they definitely need to be standalone chapters. Like I said, before every character arc is unique, and the next one will be quite different from the Slash's, Jyan's and Hori's in many ways. Not much I can say from this point on without it being spoiler, but you'll see whose character arc is next either in the next chapter or the chapter after next. R&R folks!**_

_**Oh and no, I still haven't decided yet whether or not I'm going to move Iron Revolution from rated T to M yet. I'm leaning towards keeping it T and trying to keep from crossing M territory. (This of course, is still debatable whether or not I crossed that line already.)**_


	155. Back together again!

Meida adjusted her pantsuit's white jacket and straightened the small wrinkle on the black pants as she began walking towards the podium, her black high-heels (something she rarely wore yet still knew how to walk in) clopped on the marble floor of the hotel. Despite the battle with Alam a few hours earlier, Meida immediately called for a helicopter to pick up the others that stayed behind on the mountain and take everybody into Tokyo to the Grand Supreme Hotel. After arriving at the hotel, Meida hastily called the media for a press conference in the hotel's ballroom. The young CEO reached the podium and tapped the mic a few times before clearing her throat and began speaking. It was nothing particular important, just lip service and a base to get the PR spin going.

Upstairs in the hotel room, Hori was out like a light, deep in a well-deserved slumber. The silver haired boy snored slightly, he didn't seem so scary when he was sleeping. A few of the others however, were cleaned up and in fresh clothes. They were in the hotel floor's conference room discussing the ongoing situation amongst other things.

"You know, this is the first time I've been in a five tar hotel." Omar said, putting his feet up on the table

"Omar, act like you've been somewhere before." Gansu Genso scolded his partner

"If it wasn't for Hori and Meida, we wouldn't have made it out back there." Rachel said

"Speaking of which, is it safe to say that Hori is officially the strongest of the Talented Five?" Beat casually suggested

"Of course not!" Angie snapped, something a bit out of character for her

"Angie, I saw it myself. Hori did what the rest of us couldn't do together."

"He only won because of some power-up." she retorted

"Slash has something similar and he couldn't beat Alam either. I mean, I know it doesn't have an on or off switch, but we definitely could have used it back there." Omar said nonchalantly

Slash said nothing to this, he simply got up from the table and began looking around. He didn't want to openly say it, but Omar's comment did concern him. Why didn't his Revelation power kick in? The Iron Prince pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he continued looking around. He left the conference room and began walking down the hallway before stopping at the boisterous sound of laughter. Opening the door containing the noises, he saw Kiichiro watching TV with Chainz, Sundance,Ishimaru, Eve, Roland and Gatrion.

"You know Kiichiro, this show "Our Tiny Unicorns" is actually pretty..." Chainz said before trailing off and seeing Slash come in

"Girly and makes me wanna puke!" Chainz said, quickly finishing his sentence

"Yeah, we wanna watch Praying Mantis Joe!" Sundance added on

"Our fight is still on within the next few days. You already know this, but I'll remind you just this once. If you can beat me, then I'll help you learn how to control our clan's abilities. Your friend over there can assist you if you would like him to and I'll also train him if you were to win."

"Slash, you still haven't fully recovered from your injuries! You're nowhere near full strength!" Kiichiro said protesting

"That doesn't matter...Chainz doesn't have what it takes to win. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told him that I'd help him or his friend." Slash said coldly

"Why you..." Sundance began

"I heard enough out of you!" Chainz spat

"Chainz!" Ishimaru exclaimed

Chainz suddenly sprang up and charged head on at Slash, who despite not being fully recovered, was still able to simply sidestep his brother. Chainz couldn't immediately slow down and crashed into the door. The adrenaline flowed through his body, causing him to not immediately feel the pain and got him back on his feet.

"Fight me like a man Slash, you smug bastard!"

"How can you expect to beat me much less fight me, when you can't even touch me you moron!" Slash taunted, a look of contempt in his eye

Everybody was shocked at Slash's sudden change of character. They had gotten used to his milder attitude but now he was seemingly going back to his haughty ways. "Come on Kiichiro, time to get going." he ordered

"But Slash-"

"Now."

The young girl got up from the ground as she trotted to her mamodo partner. She sadly looked back one last time as she scurried through the door. She and Slash walked down the hall in silence.

"_Is it possible that I peaked in power? Could it be that this so called "Virtue of Love" made me soft and weak? That must be it...before, I was virtually unstoppable and I was fooled into thinking that I had all of the power I needed...no, I'm gong back to what worked before. I will destroy Chainz and make sure there's nothing left..."_

* * *

><p>Things began to return to normal over the next few days with the exception of Meida temporarily relocating her office to Tokyo thanks to her estate being completely rebuilt from the ground up. The young CEO just finished signing and stamping some paperwork as she got out of her chair and decided to go for a stroll in the building hallway. A familiar icy breeze began to blow in her face as Solin materialized himself out of the snow.<p>

"There is someone who wants to see you in the downstairs lobby." he said

"Tell them I'm in a meeting or something." Meida said sarcastically and dismissively

"I don't think you want to keep them waiting." Solin replied simply

Meida sighed as she got into the elevator, these people must be very important if Solin of all people comes out of his way to let her know about it instead of her secretary. The raven haired girl reached the first floor as she and the Ice Titan stepped out of the elevator. Up ahead was a man and a woman smiling warmly at her.

The young CEO's eyes widened as tears slowly began to build up. She couldn't remember the last time she had been with both of her parents at the same time.

"**_Okaa-chan! Otou-chan_!"**

Like a small child, Meida broke into a sprint and threw her arms around both of her parents as they returned the embrace. "_**Watashi wa...watashi wa futatabi ko no yōna shunkan o motte irudarou to omotta koto wa arimasen!"**_(I never thought I would have a moment like this again!) she said between sobs

Meida's mother began to gently stroke her daughter's hair and her father kept his embrace as tears of their own also flowed. Meida finally broke away and wiped her tears. "You're finally out of the hospital...I'm sorry for not coming to see you more often."  
>to which her mother responded by simply continuing to stroke her hand gently<p>

She turned to her father, still astonished. "Somewhere...in my heart, I knew you were still alive."

"That is only because of Ice Titan Solin...who can explain the situation for you."

Meida turned to Solin for an explanation. "I have dedicated the last seven years of my life to stopping Blue, so wiretapping Black Corps phone lines had already been established long ago. I heard Felicity gives the order to Roku to assassinate your father, so I immediately was on the scene of the location and used my ice to shield your father. Once I informed him of what was going on, he updated his will and named you to be his successor."

"That explain the remaining ice at amongst the wreckage...but why didn't you tell me this long ago?"

"I apologize for that, but **in order for a Revelation Holder to truly understand their virtue, they must experience loss and despair...some have heavier losses than others**."

Meida was not pleased by this, but put it aside. "What about the general public? What do we-"

"Leave that to me."

Turning around, Suichi Kasuda (he appeared in Chapter 110) the former head of the Executive Board stood there. "Solin informed me of what was going well before you were named CEO. I also knew your father has been alive this whole time. W can tell the public that it was a publicity stunt-"

"Or I could let the public continue to think I'm dead and retire to a private island." Tateishi Shougou suggested

"Perhaps..." Meida said, shrugging

* * *

><p>The heartwarming buzz continued as Hori looked on from afar. Seeing Meida's with her immediate family reminded him of his own but it was only a distant memory now. Before he could leave, Solin stood in front of him. "I think it's time you learned the truth." he said as his eyes glowed a blinding white<p>

Solin quickly placed his hand on Hori's forehead and warped him into a distant memory.

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback seven years before start of the battle...]<em>

_A preteen Solin stood steadfast outside of the door as the Makai's youngest Elite Royal Guard. He couldn't help but listen to the ongoing conversation amongst King Bell II and his court. _

_"Sire, think of the possibility..." one of the generals could be heard saying  
><em>

_"The Mage Clan has always served me faithfully and put the needs of the Makai before their own. They willingly took up solitude and isolation from the rest of our world as a means of furthering our cause. I refuse to believe that they would do such an awful thing!"_

_"Sire, with all due respect, but what would you do if The Mage Clan suddenly decides to use Faudo against us? Even with your power, it would still be a handful."_

_The king was silent long enough for him to run his hand through his long, blonde hair before speaking again. "In the event that the Mage Clan decides to use Faudo against us, then and only then will I give the order."_

_Over the oncoming days, rumors about the mysterious Mage Clan and their Faudo restoration project flew around the Royal Palace and amongst the aristocrats in the capital. Solin however, paid no heed to the banter until he was summoned by one of the Royal Guard captains one morning._

_"First Lieutenant Solin front and center!"_

_"Yes sir!"_

_"You have been chosen to partake in an operation on the Fire Island and will be deployed in approximately 1600 hours. Once you land on the island, you are to infiltrate and take down as many Mage Clansmen as possible."_

_"Permission to speak sir?"_

_"Permission Granted."_

_"Are the rumors about the Mage Clan and Faudo true? _

_The Captain looked around for a moment before sighing. "That's an affirmative. Our intel have received reports that the Mage Clan has activated Faudo and is planning on launching an attack on the Royal Capital. It is also said that they have formed an alliance with Treachor's Light Kingdom faction which is why we are sending our Elite Forces into combat as a precaution."_

_"Thank you sir!"_

_"At ease Lieutenant." The Captain said as he turned and left_

_The time came and went, the next thing Solin knew, he was on a ship en route to the Fire Island. The voyage took over a day and they were reaching the shore under a starry black sky. He along with the others quickly noticed the purple flames coating the island's forest._

_"That's not supposed to be happening is it?" one of the soldiers asked_

_"You already know your mission! Swim to the island from here!"_

_On instinct, Solin and the other Elite Forces jumped into the water and swam to shore. From that point onwards, they began to split up, taking various routes along the island. Solin decided to make an easier path through the forest, so he stopped before the still burning foliage, closed his eyes and focused. With a sudden flicker of his eyes, the entire forest fire was covered in ice. _

_Solin clinched his fists and turned them as the ice shattered completely, effectively putting out the forest fire. Looking at the aftermath, it was already evident that at least thirty percent of the island's forest was gone. Many creatures had no way off of the island and perished in the flames, he was sure that many fruit trees were destroyed as well so the island had a heavily damaged ecosystem. Solin began his trek through the charred remains of the forest. _

_"I can sense it...this wasn't the work of Faudo, it was a Mage Clan mamodo who started this fire a few hours ago...but why? Why would they burn down their own island's forest?"_

_Solin pressed onwards as he continued through the forest's path. Just as he figured, he saw destroyed fruit trees and numerous dead animals littered on the ground. Within thirty minutes or so, he arose out of the forest and into what used a village. Many of the houses were on fire if not completely gone. Corpses of Mage Clan members were scattered throughout the area, giving a nauseating feeling to Solin. He approached a nearby house and pressed on the door. Inside he saw a family of three. A man, a woman and a girl, all of them bloodied and clearly dying. Solin knew there wasn't much for him to do here, the others already beat him to this area. Just as he turned to leave, he was stopped by a voice.  
><em>

_"Why...why would the king turn on us?" the man manage to croak out_

_"What are you talking about? We received reports that you and your clansmen not only finished and enhanced Faudo but also activated it." Solin replied_

_"We only did that because the king ordered us to!" he exclaimed, coughing up blood_

_"There was never an order...wait, so this means...this was all a set up then." Solin concluded, he had to relay this to his superiors_

_"One other thing...we sent our son away from this island because we had heard word of a possible attack. We said and did awful things to him...in order to toughen him up. It was one of my biggest regrets...tell my son...Hori...that we love him and that we're sorry." the man gasped as he died  
><em>

_Solin checked on the woman, whom he assumed was the man's wife. "My son...I know...he's out there. Please deliver our message if you ever come across him."_

_Looking at the girl who didn't look anything like the man, woman or according tot he pictures on the wall, like their son. She only managed to say "Forgive us...Hori."_

_Solin shook his head as he stood back up. He needed to find his superiors asap._

_[End Flashback...]_

"After I broke the news to my superiors, it turned out that they had heard the same thing from many others. They were all given a proper burial the next day and Faudo was immediately destroyed and dismantled, never to be rebuilt nor resurrected again. King Bell II came under heavy fire amongst the aristocrats and word had gotten around a bit on what happened on Fire Island. However, many dismiss it as a bit of a conspiracy theory. Your family didn't send you away out of sudden malice, they sent you away because they were looking out for you this whole time."

Hori looked to the ground as he let all of this sink in. It was going to take some time to finally be able to move on from this, but for the first time in seven years, he truly felt at peace, getting closure. Looking back, he saw Meida looking directly at him, motioning him to come forward.

"They're waiting for you." Solin said

Hori began to walk towards them, his walk turned into a jog then his jog turned into a run, quickly reaching them. Hori was immediately scooped into a group hug with the Tateishis.

"Hori, you will always be a part of this family."

* * *

><p>Miles away, outside of the remnants of the Tateishi Estate stood Celandor. His eyes still glowing an ominous red, his bushy brown hair flowed in the wind and his pointed, elf-like ears twitched subtly. The look on his face was anything but happy.<p>

**"The Revelation Powers are in the hands of irresponsible mamodo...Hori...isn't what I thought he was..for he too is amongst the irresponsible. The Revelation Holders...the Black Corps...all of them are irresponsible! The Earth suffers because of mamodo battles as does the Makai...I am a destructive force in nature...this is terrible...and I will change this."**

Celandor turned and went back into the forest as numerous trees wilted and died behind him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN-I know it's Monday lol, my bad on that one.  
><strong>_

_**Anyway, that concludes Hori's character arc. Toru's funeral is going to be off-screen, even though all he did was wrong, he redeemed himself. Our next focus will be revealed in Wednesday's chapter! Many thanks to DeathySophia for providing Hori and Meida's artwork, the characters Hori, Meida, Meida's parents and Toru.  
><strong>_

_**Slash was never truly planning on training Chainz nor Sundance. In fact, it looks like he has his own issues to sort out. Let's see if the upcoming Chainz and Sundance vs Slash fight clears any of that up. **_

_**I wonder what the story behind Celandor is...some of it may or may not have been mentioned quite a bit already. However, it seems that he's on his own side and that he is absurdly powerful. **_

_**Huge chapter coming on Wednesday as we officially set the tone for not only the remaining four character arcs but also the rest of The Black Corps arc! The next character arc is going to be the most unique of them all...you'll see why! R&R folks!**_


	156. The daily annoyances of Rika Teruyama!

_Ishimaru looked around him and saw building after building on fire or completely burnt to the ground. He stumbled over his foot but kept himself from falling as he continued to look through the abandoned city. The smoke and destruction darkened the skies, the city was no longer recognizable._

_"You can't stop the inevitable..." said a voice out in the distance_

_"You're wrong." Ishimaru shot back_

_"You're not fooling anybody...this will happen no matter what you do. East Tokyo will fall...there's nothing you can do to stop it."_

_"You're wrong!" Ishimaru yelled again_

_"Be careful on how you react, you could speed up the inevitable."_

_"You're wrong!" Ishimaru yelled a thrid time_

_"You don't even believe that."_

_"Get out of my head!" Ishimaru clutched his head and grabbed two handfuls of his hair as he fell to the ground. Before he could thrash about any further, he felt multiple ropes shoot out of the ground and constrict around his body. All he could do is look at his captor, which was none other than Ryu, the owner of the distant voice.  
><em>

_"This time, I'm going to take the other eye too." Ryu said as multiple chains came soaring towards his face_

* * *

><p>"Ahhhh!"<p>

Ishimaru sprang awake and looked around to see that he was still in his bedroom. He had the same recurring nightmare once again, but he was sure that it was a premonition now. What he didn't know however was how to prevent it from happening or how to tell the others about this. In his opinion, there was no use worrying about something like this now. It was time for him to get to school.

After a forgettable transition of washing up, putting his school uniform on, meeting up with Eve and Vincent then getting to homeroom, Ishimaru sat there as the school bell rang, signaling that class was in session. "I have an announcement today, it seems that Mr. Kasumoda, Mr. Minamoto and Mr. Komahoya from the junior class have all transferred out of East and into West."

This of course caused a class uproar and Ishimaru was sure that the students in the other classes were in an uproar over this too. Three of East's best athletes were poached by West, in the eyes of their fellow student, they were seen as traitors for defecting to a rival school, one that they would be playing in two weeks which also happened to be Homecoming week. Ishimaru, Eve and Vincent however, knew the real reason of their sudden departure. The trio were silent until the bell rung for morning break. The three of them walked through the hallway,still in silence which of course drew whispers amongst their fellow students especially due to their popularity. (A/N- This may have been obvious already, but Ishi, Eve, Vincent and every main character that goes to school is popular amongst their peers)

"I wonder why they transferred?"

"My sister's boyfriend's cousin's friend told her that Kamikatsu, Heart got into a huge brawl with Kasumoda, Minamoto and Komahoya."

"No way!"

"Yes way, I heard Kamikatsu used his captain status to kick them off the team and they transferred to West because of their lack of standards when it comes to admissions plus we play them in a couple of weeks, so they will be trying to get revenge."

"I hope that doesn't happen! I hope the seniors and underclassmen step up and help Kamikatsu-kun and Heart-kun!"

"Me too."

Ishimaru shook his head at the conversation they were passing through. This was the gist of every other conversation going on in the halls of East Tokyo High School right now. They found a table in the lunchroom and sat down at it where they continued their silence.

"Looks like there are some Black Corps members at West." Ishimaru said finally breaking it

"Yeah, but why West of all schools?" Eve asked

"Not sure, but it may warrant an investigation." Vincent suggested

"That bastard Ace probably had something to do with this." Ishimaru commented

"I know you really don't like Hiroto, but something tells me that he's not behind this one." Eve said

Ishimaru wondered if his recurring nightmare had the key to West Tokyo High School's possible involvement with the Black Corps. Now would have been a prime opportunity to discuss the nightmares with Vincent and Eve, but put it off again. He decided to change the subject on the first thing that came to mind.

"So Vincent...are you still upset with Teal?" he blurted out

Vincent gave Ishimaru a look that could kill, but sighed and adjusted his glasses a little. "Let's just say I'm glad she ended up going to West instead of East."

Before Vincent and Ishimaru's banter could escalate into an argument, Takahashi Kana, whom Ishimaru admittedly hadn't seen nor talked to much in quite some time approached the table. Ishimaru took into her looks to refresh his memory. She still had the same shoulder-length jet black hair with navy blue tips at the bottom, much to the dismay of the school administrators. Her pokerface expression and her bored blue eyes were unchanged, her shapely frame also unchanged as well, Ishimaru's eyes however stopped on Kana's chest, which miraculously was able to be contained by her black East Tokyo blouse.

As she sat down, Kana gave Eve a dirty look similar to the one she gave her at the mall a few months ago. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." Eve retorted, unamused with Kana's glaring

Before Kana could respond, Ishimaru quickly jumped in in order to ease the conflict before it got out of hand. "What brings you to the table Kana?"

"Ishi, why did Seiku and the others transfer?" she asked in her monotone voice

"Beats me." Ishimaru said, shrugging

"Ishi, I know you know more than you're letting on...but alas, I have no choice than to take your word for it. I'll be on the lookout." she said, getting up and leaving

"I can't stand her." Eve mumbled

"Geez, what was that about?"

A certain CEO sat down at their table after looking back at the departing Kana. What surprised Ishimaru the most, was that Meida was wearing the sailor styled East Tokyo girls uniform which was black with numerous gold trimmings instead of the modern day girls uniform which consisted of a black blouse, with the gold "ET" emblem embroidered on the chest pocket, a gold tie and a khaki skirt with usually black socks to go with it. "Meida? What are you doing here? You're 19 and why are you wearing the classic uniform?""

"Postgrad and because nobody really wears them that much anymore."

"Postgrad?"

"Postgrad is when you take an extra year to boost your grades and strengthen your transcript for university." Meida explained

"I get that part, but why here?"

"Since my estate is getting completely rebuilt, I relocated my office to downtown Tokyo and I have a loft in East Tokyo. So I'm obviously going to stay there."

"But what about your company? How can you run it while at school?"

"Using my iMade tablet of course." Meida said, revealing the touchscreen tablet

"That's not even on the market yet!" Ishimaru exclaimed

"Well I _am _the CEO of the company who makes these." Meida said

"Any chance you can hook me up with one?" Ishimaru asked

"Of course. I'll drop one off to your house in the near future. Anyway, who do you guy have in football this week?"

"Tokyo High." (A/N- Tokyo High and Tokyo Central are interchangeable, so I'll be switching back and forth between the names. Just an FYI for future reference)

"They have a star halfback by the name of Derrick Runners. He's also plays on defense as a linebacker, so it's going to be an interesting matchup despite losing Seiku, Daisuke and Sage."

"I wonder if there are any book owners at Central..." Vincent said

* * *

><p>Deep in downtown Tokyo sat Tokyo Central High School. Unlike East Tokyo's suburban location and their campus' gothic building design or West Tokyo suburban location and their modern building sign or even Tokyo Heights' inner city location and run-down campus building,Tokyo High was far more unique than the other large enrollment high schools. Tokyo High's campus was in the heart of downtown, skyscrapers surrounded the campus, which also adopted a similar appearance.<p>

Despite having a campus courtyard, a fountain and surrounding trees, the buildings looked like miniature skyscrapers. Inside the building however, it still resembled just about any other high school. Banners of royal blue and cyan were plastered everywhere, showing pride for the Iron Knights, Tokyo High's mascot. The student body's happy buzz was mainly over excitiement for Friday's football game against East. Both East Tokyo and Tokyo High were 8-0 with two games left in the regular season. The winner of this game would clinch of the East Division in the Metro Conference and a berth in the City Championship game. So there was a lot on the line and unlike the rivalry between East Tokyo and West Tokyo or Tokyo High and Tokyo Heights, the rivalry between East and Tokyo High was a very friendly one.

One classroom full of seniors in particular, sat Rika, Lily and Derrick Runners. They all wore the standard Tokyo High uniform which consisted of a royal blue dress shirt with a cyan "T" on the top right hand side of the shirt, a cyan necktie and gray slacks with black socks and typically black dress shoes. Inside the building however, the black shoes are exchanged for cyan slippers.

The girls however, wore royal blue blouses, a feminine cyan neck tie and gray skirts with black socks and dress shoes. Like the boys, their shoes were traded for cyan slippers while inside the building.

Rika slouched in her chair as the Biology teacher droned on and on about crap she didn't care about. She was happy that the church in Arizona was generous enough to fly her, Azure, Lily, Sola, Arashi and Kira back to Japan. Arashi returned to Tokyo Heights do now he and Kira only visit on the weekends. Senior year so far for Rika has only been a bore. Nothing interesting happened and the same people who try to give her a hard time did nothing new either. At this point, the only thing she wanted was for the class to end already so she could go home.

Lily like Rika, was also bored out of her mind, but found other ways to entertain herself. Like poking Rika for example.

"Good new class, tomorrow we get to go on a field trip." The teacher droned on in his slow, monotone voice

The class perked up at this, even Rika.

"This will be educational and you all should learn a lot...you'll be writing a five page report on it."

"Awwwww." the class groaned in unison

"We're going to a biological laboratory and will be taking the train to get there."

"That sounds boring." Lily groaned, putting her head on the desk

The rest of the class, save for Rika and Lily, were murmuring about it amongst themselves. Derrick Runners sat in the back of the class quiet, clearly alone in his thoughts.

"Hey D, you've been pretty quiet all day." Suzuki Hideki, the starting quarterback and Derrick's best friend said

"He must be thinking about how he's going to beat East and Kamikatsu-san." a girl said

"Yeah, you're probably right."

The bell eventually rang, releasing Rika and Lily from this prison called a high school and began the walk back to the apartment they shared a few blocks away from Tokyo High.

"We're home!" Lily called out

"Welcome back." Sola greeted politely

"Good afternoon Sola, where is Azure?" Rika asked

"He's in his room."

Rika made her way to the back of the apartment and to Azure's room. Pushing the door open, she saw him standing in the mirror looking himself over. Getting a closer look, she saw that he had on a green skirt and a plain white unisex t-shirt.

"Azure, what are you doing?" she sighed

"I feel more comfortable in this than I do in pants."

Rika rubbed her temples and took a deep breath. She had been trying for quite some time to get Azure into boy clothes and things were seemingly going her way until recently. At the same time however, she did notice that he went from wearing dresses and robes to t-shirts and skirts, which was nice progress. Besides, she didn't want Azure to be too uncomfortable, so she let the ice mamodo be.

"How was your day?"

"Boring, the highlight of the day was when our Biology teacher announced a field trip for tomorrow."

"I've never been on a field trip before..." Azure mused

"Well, you're not going on this one." Rika said

"But Rika..."

"No buts Azure...you're not missing anything anyway."

"Okay..." Azure said in seemingly defeat, he clearly didn't believe her but wasn't going to argue about it

The next day, the class gathered together and boarded the train which darted up the tracks en route to the countryside. Much to Rika's surprise, the train was quite comfortable and spacey. The class conversed amongst themselves, Rika noticed Derrick sitting with a few of the other football players towards the back of the train. While the other guys were laughing and joking, Derrick simply gazed out of the window, something clearly on his mind.

"Maybe we should have let Azure and Sola come with us." Lily said, breaking Rika out of her thoughts

"There was no reason for them to come along."

"I guess you're right."

Little did they know, Azure and Sola were actually riding on top of the speeding train, holding on for dear life.

"I T-T-OOOOLLLDDD Y-Y-YOU T-THIS WWAS A BAD IDEEEAAA!" Sola yelled at Azure over the loud noises the train was making

"YEAH! WE SHOULD HAVE JUST SNEAKED INTO THE CART!" Azure yelled back

A few excruciating minutes later, they finally reached the station outside of the lab. Azure and Sola's hair was sticking up in a wild direction which was fixed in a matter of seconds. They managed to slip off of the train's roof unseen and watched the class board a bus leaving the station. They quickly latched onto the end of the bus as it was taking off. Riding the back of the bus was a cakewalk compared to what they endured on top of the train. The large vehicle stopped at the front of the lab as the class filed off of it.

For the next twenty minutes or so, the teacher began to babble about the various things conducted at the laboratory which caused Rika to immediately lose interest. She simply looked around the lab and it was plain. Fluorescent lights, brick walls colored a very dull beige and plain while tiles on the floor...boring. There wasn't even any interesting experiments around either.

"Class can I have your attention." The teacher said, his voice a bit louder than usual

Rika snapped out of her thoughts and saw a middle aged scientist wearing a black labcoat. "Class, I would like you to meet Dr. Hatcher, he will take things from here."

"Hello there class, welcome to our laboratory. Your teacher has told me that you guys are currently studying genetics in your Biology class, which means you're in luck, because this laboratory specializes in Genetic Engineering."

"Is that like cloning or something?" a boy asked

"Yes, we do cloning in this lab, but we have only successfully cloned animals."

"Like a tiger or a t-rex?"

"No. Just a few sheep and pigs."

Dr. Hatcher continued rambling as he took the class through the rest of the tour. Rika sighed as she pressed onwards, there was no way she could be anymore bored than she currently was. However, she did figure that she could take notes for her report plus it would give her something to do.

"Rika. This so boooooorrrriiiinnnggg." Lily groaned

"Take notes then, it'll keep you busy."

Lily did not respond to Rika, to which she soon noticed. "Earth to Lily? What are you-"

Lily turned Rika's head to where she was looking. Derrick had slipped away from the class and was disappearing down a hallway.

"I wonder where he's going." Lily said

"Probably to the bathroom, snack machine or water fountain." Rika replied back, uninterested

"All of that stuff is in the other direction."

"That's none of our con-" Rika stopped as she looked up and saw Lily following after Derrick

"Lily, come back here!" Rika groaned, as she too sneaked away from the class

Azure and Sola were peeking from around the corner and were surprised that the class didn't notice that they were gone, continuing the tour. They quickly followed their human partners down the hallway, making sure to keep pace with them.

"Lily! Slow down!" Rika yelled, still catching up

Lily stopped and waited for Rika to catch up as they looked up and saw Derrick turn the corner on the left. The girls followed suit and began to get within a reasonable distance of Derrick. The star football player began to run faster, quickly outgaining the girls. "He knows we're following him!" Rika pointed out to her friend

"Derrick wait up!" Lily called out

"Oh yeah, that'll definitely get him to slow down." Rika said, sarcastically

They lost sight of Derrick but continued down the corridor anyway. Nearing the end, they saw a fork up ahead and had to pick a way to go.

"LEFT!" Rika pointed

"RIGHT!" Lily pointed

"Of course I'm right!" Rika said

"No, I mean the right on the fork coming up."

"No, I'm pretty sure he went left." Rika said

"Fine! Let's go left."

The girls ran down the left path and quickly came to a dead end. "I told you we should have went right." lily said as they turned on their heels but as they did so, they collided into Azure and Sola who tailed them every step of the way.

"Azure? Sola?" Lily said groggily, rubbing her head

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?! I TOLD YOU TO STAY AT HOME?" Rika exclaimed

"I told Sola about your school field trip and she wanted to come too." Azure said

"This feel trip has officially gotten interesting." lily said, happy to have their company

They got to their feet and backtracked their steps to the fork, but this time going right instead of left. The corridor was clearly twice as long as the left one was. Dozens of doors lined up the hallway as they tried to figure out which one to go into.

"Any reason why you guys have been following me?"

That voice belonged to Derrick and the look on his expression seemed angry to Rika and Lily.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- And we'll end it on a cliffhanger. Yes folks, the next character arc will focus on Azure and his human partner Rika. I've been wanting to flesh out his character and Rika's character a LOT but had to wait until his arc to do so. Yes, I know this is Derrick's first appearance in over 130+ chapters and I was meaning to bring him back a lot sooner than I did, but...yeah. Since Rika and Lily attend the same school as Derrick, I saw that it was a good plot device to bring him back into the fold and when I began to write Azure's arc, I saw how much he could potentially drive the plot so I decided to also take advantage of his long absence.  
><strong>_

_**Like I said before, even though every character arc is unique in their own way, Azure's will be the most unique of all. For starters, he won't be dealing with a Black Corps General or a squad of Freelancers lead by a General. The second thing is that he isn't very closely associated with Chainz and the others either. There are many other things aside from those two, but no reason to be spoilerific. I'm going to have a lot of fun writing about Azure, lots of potential waiting to be explored.  
><strong>_

_**As you guys can see, Dr. Hatcher runs the laboratory they're at, but could there be something else to it? Was it a good idea for Azure and Sola to come after all? Find out in the oncoming chapters! R&R folks!**_


	157. Getting drawn back in!

"Wanna explain why you guys have been following me?" Derrick asked, his arms crossed

"We saw you wonder away from the group and being curious, we decided to follow you!" Lily said a little too enthusiastically

Rika gave her friend a funny look before turning back to Derrick. "You must be familiar with this lab in order to be bold enough to run off like that."

Derrick did not immediately respond to Rika's statement, he sighed before making eye contact. "Well it's not going to do me any good if I keep hiding it...just follow me."

Derrick lead Rika and Lily down the corridor before making one of many twists and turns. He would occasionally stop and motion for everybody to hide behind a corner as men in black hazard suits would stroll by. When the coast was clear, Derrick would go back to leading them to their destination. After another few minutes of walking and hiding, they finally stopped at a door. Derrick opened it as they began descending down the large, twisting staircase. "Where does this lead to?" Sola asked

"We are heading into the lab's basement. What I want to show you what is in there."

The more they descended the staircase, the darker it became. The fluorescent light plastered on the cold stone walls only went so far, but as they went deeper and deeper underground the lights began fading away. "This is no ordinary lab, everything on the top floor is only a facade to the public."

"Why do you mean by that?" Rika asked

"You'll see.'

"What's up with the lights getting darker?" Lily wondered

"We're getting to the point where fluorescent light won't reach this far below the ground." Derrick replied

Just as he said that, numerous plasma lights sprouted from the wall, illuminating the rest of their way. "You know a lot about this place, tell us what you know." Rika demanded

"We're going to the true lab...and I have a history there."

"History?"

"This should explain things a bit, I swiped it earlier." Derrick said, pulling a manilla file from his jacket and tossing it to Rika.

Rika quickly opened the file and saw a stack of papers and a picture of Derrick with a small silver-haired girl. "It's you and this girl...is she a mamodo?"

Derrick did not immediately answer her, but after a few moments he broke his silence. "Yes."

"I haven't seen her around nor have I ever seen you with a spellbook, has it been burned?"

"No...things are complicated to say the least."

"What do you mean by that?"

Derrick went down a few more steps before stopping in front of a heavy door made of steel and iron. Next to the metal door was a keypad beeping softly. Derrick reached over and typed in a code before stepping back. "It's best that I show you what I mean." he said, finally responding to Rika's question

"Access Granted." spoke the automated voice as the door twisted and opened.

* * *

><p>A massive laboratory stretching for what seemed like miles on end, appeared before them. It's black interior lined the floors, walls and ceilings, blue surges of energy pulsated through the floor and walls. Most notably however, were the numerous tubes plastered all over the lab. The presentation was obviously a lot to take in. Within a few moments however, Sola's eyes widened and Azure covered his mouth in horror, his eyes watering a little.<p>

"Azure...Sola! What's wrong?!" Rika asked, being the first to notice their horrified expressions

Tracing their line of sight, Rika's eyes immediately descended upon the objects of their horrors. Inside of the numerous tubes she observed from earlier were what appeared to be mamodo, in other tubes were human beings and in a few tubes she saw various body parts of human beings.

"What the hell did you bring us!?" Rika demanded, giving Derrick a deadly glare. Rika almost never cursed and anybody who knew her could tell that she must truly be enraged and/or dismayed in order for it to happen.

"This lab was once owned and operated by The Light Society. All of these people and mamodo were experimented on by Treachor and his human partner Mark Miller."

"We're aware of who they are. Especially Mark."

"Ah yes, the formerly last surviving member of the Miller family, a clan of sadistic madmen. The authorities found him dead in the Light Society headquarters deep in the jungles of Mexico. Anyway, after Treachor was defeated by Slash, the Light Society disbanded by the orders of Kai and Skyde, the last remaining Aces. Soon after, the Black Corps moved in and seized all Light Society facilities, resources and documents. All of the scientists you see in black labcoats and in black hazard suits are all Black Corps workers. "

"Why haven't we seen their name or labels anywhere around here?" Rika asked

"Even though they operate this lab, they don't own it."

"Then who does?"

Before Derrick could answer, an alarm sounded off. A red light began to flash throughout the lab and the grotesque tubes containing the various specimen were sealed in a metal casing and lowered by a platform. "They must know that we're trespassing!" Derrick exclaimed as various men in the black hazard suits began to run towards their direction. The five of them took off running through the lab with Derrick leading the way.

"They're gaining on us!" he exclaimed as their pursuers neared them. Rika instinctively grabbed Azure's spell book from her purse before stopping and standing face to face with the Black Corps henchmen

_"Scythrias Icicalia!"_

Azure felt the fear in his stomach but pushed it aside as a blue sphere hovered above his hand before stretching out and becoming his familiar scythe. With one powerful swing, Azure sent a large ice wave towards the men with the hazard suits on, freezing them solid. "Good work Azure." Rika said, closing the spell book and causing the scythe to dissipate. Derrick looked around the area before pointing up ahead.

"There's an elevator over here!" he shouted as they all jumped in and got the door closed before reinforcements arrived.

"Wait, why didn't we use that to come down here!?" Lily exclaimed

The elevator reached the top floor as they got off and coincidentally saw the class near the entrance. They rejoined the class and saw the teacher standing next to Dr. Hatcher. "I hope we all learned something very educational about today's field trip. As we board the train, please take a goodie bag on your way out. These gifts were generously provided by the Tateishi Zaibatsu, the company that owns this laboratory." The teacher droned in his still boring monotone voice

Rika and Lily looked at each other and back at Derrick who nodded in response as the three of them each took a gift bag. Rika, Lily and their mamodo found an empty car on the train as they sat down and looked into their bags. Rika immediately noticed that it was an iMade tablet.

"It's the latest iMade..." Rika said, surprisingly impressed

"Not even on the market yet."

The girls and Azure turned their heads to see Derrick standing by the door, iMade in hand. "The iMade is a Tateishi Zaibatsu product who also happens to own that lab. Looks like we have our next lead on where to get more answers from."

"Next lead?"

"Yeah, don't you want to continue investigating?" Derrick asked

"Of course!" Lily exclaimed

"Pass."

They both looked at Rika, a bit shocked she could be so dismissive about it in spite of everything she saw.

"Well, you did see a lot today and I suppose it's not something a lot of people can't make an immediate decision on. Just sit on for a few days."

"I already said no."

"My suggestion still stands."

Derrick left their car without another word, much to Rika's relief and Lily's disappointment.

* * *

><p>After returning home later on that evening, Sola drew Azure's bath and Rika took the liberty of scrubbing him. The entire ordeal had been relatively quiet, which Rika enjoyed but to her surprise, Azure broke the silence.<p>

"Rika..."

"Yeah?"

"About the mamodo we saw in the lab..."

"What of them?"

"I can't stop thinking about them..."

"I know you're worried about them, but what can we do it about it? We don't even know if they're still alive."

"It's not that...I'm just wondering if we got ourselves involved with something we will end up wanting no part of."

"Well, I already told Derrick no, so we don't have to worry about that. It's past your bedtime."

Azure dried himself off and slipped into what used to be Adella's nightgown much to Rika's dismay. Nonetheless, she tucked him in bed and was about to turn out the light when Azure stopped her.

"What's wrong Azure?"

"No matter how much we try to stay out of these conflicts, we keep getting drawn into them."

Rika was silent, Azure had never sounded so cynical before. This intrigued and worried Rika at the same time. "That's another reason why I turned Derrick down plus I knew how much it frightened you."

"I'm scared...I'm going to disappear one day...just like Adella did."

"Azure, I'm not going to let you disappear and neither is Sola or Lily either." she said, now hugging him

"Don't even worry about that...now get some sleep, good night."

"Good night." he said quietly as Rika turned the lights out

Despite what Rika said, Azure knew that was easier said than done.

* * *

><p>"Well what do we have here?"<p>

Dr. Hatcher stood before the still frozen men in the black hazmat suits whom Azure froze just hours before. The scientist revealed a laser pen, using the red beam to cut through the ice, removing one of them. Dr. Hatcher pressed a button on the chest area, causing the mask to open. Looking inside, it was revealed that these "men" in black hazmat suits weren't human beings but instead robots!

Dr. Hatcher played back the camera inside of the robot's and saw Rika, Azure, Lily, Sola and Derrick sneaking around the lab and making a run for it. He saw the moments leading up to Azure freezing it and the other bots.

"So you're the one who froze and ruined some of my best Hz-bots." Dr. Hatcher said, rubbing his chin and looking at the paused image of Azure swinging his scythe.

The middle-aged scientist pressed a few buttons on the hazbot. "Call in my bodyguards, Aria and Altheria. Tell them that a few people know a little too much and that their order is to get rid of them."

"Right away sir." the hazbot responded back in its robotic voice.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Very sorry for not updating in over two weeks. The first week I was tired from working, the second week I was at Anime Matsuri. Don't worry though, no more interruptions and we will be back to our regularly scheduled postings.**_

_**Looks like Rika and Azure's wishes were not realized. They've been drawn in again! Why is the Tateishi Zaibatsu have ties to such ethically questionable operations? How important is the iMade that Meida was showing off the other day to Ishimaru, Eve and Vincent? Why were Rika and her class given such lavish gifts? Definitely more to come! R&R folks! **_


	158. The building of foundations!

Dr. Hatcher stood in his lab as the elevator slid open and out stepped four figures. The first of the four figures was what appeared to be a teenaged girl with bubblegum pink hair ties into two identical pigtails. According to Dr. Hatcher whom being a scientist, often thought in the metric system and estimated that she stood at around meter and a half tall, but if he converted that into the standard American measurements, then it would be at around four foot nine. Her large ocean blue eyes matched her soft, childlike face and her outfit consisted of a generic school uniform which happened to be a white button down blouse with a plaid green skirt. Interestingly enough, there was a gold bracelet on her right wrist and a black band tattooed on her left wrist. It was honestly hard to tell that she was even a mamodo.

"It's about time you showed up Aria." Dr. Hatcher said, glancing at her

"Hellllloooooo we're right here!" yelled a second voice

The owner of this voice happened to be of another teenaged girl. She happened to be slightly taller than Aria at about 1.6 meters or five foot two inches tall. Her has forest green eyes and curly flowing violet hair contrasted differently from Aria's pink hair and blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of a green tank top along with a pale white mini skirt over her slender frame. Perhaps the most important details about her, were the violet spell book in her left hand and the black band tattooed on her right wrist.

"Ah yes, how could I not acknowledge Mia, the human partner of Aria." Dr. Hatcher said sarcastically

"What do you want with us Hatcher?"

The third figure stepping off of the elevator appeared drastically different from the first two. They stood as tall as Mia but their outfit consisted of a white haori and a red hakama, heavily resembling a shrine maiden outfit. In addition to the outfit, feathery wings extended from their back. Their long sky blue hair reached all the way down to their waist, giving off a very androgynous appearance. Their somewhat feminine yet very beautiful face and thin frame didn't help matters either.

"Altheria, it is a pleasure to see such a beautiful young lady in our presence." Hatcher said

"I already told you that I am a guy." Altheria snarled in a low-tone voice

"Right...wait, where is your human partner?"

That of course was the cur for the fourth and final person to come off the elevator and stand front and center with the others. Like a seemingly broken record, this was once again, a teenaged girl who like Aria, also had her hair tied into twin braids with the exception of hers being a deep violet. She stood at relatively the same height as the others and her childish face was expressionless. Most notably however, was her shrine maiden outfit similar to Altheria's. She held a snow white spell book in her right hand but unlike the others, had a black band tattooed around her neck instead of her wrist like most others.

"Yamagashi Yuko, the human partner of Altheria." Dr. Hatcher announced

"Yami..." the girl rasped before quickly going silent

"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I called you all here for a reason. We have had some unwelcome guests recently and it is up to the two of you and your human partners of course, to take them out as soon as possible."

"And who are these "unwelcome guests" you speak of?" Altheria questioned

"Take a look for yourself." Dr. Hatcher said, taking a cable from the hazbot and connecting it to a large flatscreen computer monitor. The images of Azure, Sola and their human partners were displayed on the screen up until the moment Azure froze all of the hazbots in the immediate vicinity. Altheria's eyes widened upon seeing both Azure and Sola, namely the former of the two. This of course, did not go unnoticed by Hatcher.

"It seems that you know these intruders." Dr. Hatcher said, genuinely interested in the development

"More or less." Altheria said simply

"In that case, it should be even easier for you to take them out then."

Before Altheria could answer, Aria already stepped in. "I cannot and will not allow my Altheria to dirty his hands with such filth. I for one, will handle their disposal!"

"Well, you aren't getting your hands dirty either...not directly anyway."

"Huh?" Aria asked, cocking her head to the side a little

"It's best that you let _them _handle this one." Dr. Hatcher said, typing a few keys into the computer.

On cue, a large wave of steam blanketed the lab for a few seconds before revealing four large tubes. Each containing a human and a mamodo in them surrounded by a rich purple liquid. "They need to shake the rust off of themselves." he said

"Rust? Who are they? What are they?"

"That's a lot of questions there Aria." Dr. Hatcher said, waving his finger back and forth

"Just tell us!"

"Fine. What you see before you are a few of the ineligible mamodo from the unofficial battle about seven years ago. Contrary to what is generally believed, not all of them were wiped out by the Four Titans. Treachor made sure that at least a handful, about twenty of them, survived.

"I'm still lost here..."

"Back when I worked as the head scientist of The Light Society, I engineered a really efficient process of suspended animation. I had tested it on a few animals such as sheep, mice and goats but I needed a live target. So I introduced it to Mark and Treachor in hopes of dissecting and studying them, especially Treachor, but of course that never came into fruition. Instead, it was used on the twenty or so remaining mamodo. After the first round of tests were conducted and data was gathered, I perfected the technique and they quickly became virtually mindless drones."

"But why the sudden use of them again?"

"I recently received direct orders from Blue to awaken them and using them to dispose of those intruders will be a good test run."

"How long until they awaken?"

"Since they have only been in suspended animation for a few months, they should be fully awakened within a matter of days or an entire week at most. There are a few others who haven't been awakened in years, they however, are going to take weeks if not months to fully awaken." Hatcher explained

"What's so special about these mamodo that they would even require this?"

"These mamodo are not ordinary mamodo, they have been modified by myself originally with Light Society technology but when Blue provided me with numerous wires, diodes and other mechanical parts, their power blew through the roof. Like I said before, they are virtually mindless drones as far as I'm concerned and there's no need to keep an appliance running when it's not in use."

Anybody else would have been disgusted with Dr. Hatcher's gross dismissal of the various humans and mamodo he experimented on as nothing more than mere things, but neither Aria nor Altheria seemed to mind.

"Anyway, I need to go to the other labs and make sure all of the subjects there are activated. Altheria, you and Yami will be accompanying me as my bodyguards."

"Wherever Altheira goes, I go too!" Aria quickly declared

"No Aria, stay here and make sure things go smoothly." Altheria commanded

"Anything for you my love." Aria swooned

"Come along now."

Dr. Hatcher in addition to Yami and Althria exited the lab on the elevator en route to the other labs.

* * *

><p>Things at school were back to their old typical, boring selves which was just the way Rika liked it. Even though she felt that way, she couldn't stop thinking about the things that unfolded during the field trip. She soon found herself looking at Derrick out of the corner of her eye and saw that he still wore his usual nonchalant demeanor.<p>

After class, Lily and Rika walked the hallway together. Students were broken off into their little cliques deep in conversation and standing around throughout the hallways. "Rika, I was thinking..."

"What?"

"We should team up with Derrick-"

"NO. I already told you that I want nothing to do with this."

"But we could get to the bottom-"

"No."

"How is this any different from the conflicts we've been involved with before?"

"Most of that was against our will and need I remind you on how annoying that Solaria girl and the Light Society were? Last time we willingly got involved with this kind of stuff was way back during the whole Chess Master ordeal which caused Adella to get her book burned...and Azure hasn't been the same since!"

"I'm aware of that but that won't stop time from continuing onwards. Azure and Sola won't be with us forever, you know that."

"Yeah, but I want to be with him for as long as possible."

"Plus, if we don't pay the bad guys a visit, they'll pay us one instead."

"Well until that day comes, Azure and I are staying out of this...and you should too."

Lily sighed at Rika's response, she knew there was no way to get her to change her mind. Before their conversation could go into another direction, a certain athlete stood before them. "What do you want?" Rika asked, annoyed

"I was just seeing if you ladies wanted to eat lunch together." Derrick said, seemingly innocent

"Yes, I would love to!" Lily exclaimed

"Pass." Rika said flatly

"Oh come on Rika!"

"It's actually pretty imperative that you come along." Derrick said to Rika

"If it's so imperative, then why did you give me a choice?"

"I was trying to be polite and it was pretty much a rhetorical question anyway."

Rika rolled her eyes at the lack of sense coming from Derrick's statement. Looks like she had no choice.

* * *

><p>Derrick stuffed his face with pastry after pastry, bread after bread much to Rika's annoyance<p>

"Can't you eat like a normal person?"

The football star looked at Rika with a mouthful of red bean paste filled bread in his mouth and swallowed before gabbing his bottle of milk and washing it down.

"Sorry for my rudeness." he replied, wiping his mouth

"I also apologize for not explaining my intentions when I requested your help. Remember the silver haired girl I had a picture with back at the lab?" he asked rhetorically

"Well anyway, my Wild Cub fell into the hands of the Black Corps."

Both Lily and Rika's eyebrows raised in response to this."But how did this happen? Did you fight them and/or lose a bet?"

"That's not it at all."

"Then why are they targeting you?"

"It's because..."

"Because what?"

"I'm an ex-Light Society member."

* * *

><p><strong><em>AN- Sorry for being so slow on the updates. My first job requires me to get up at 3 am and I got midterms coming up. II'll still find time to continue updating on Wednesdays and Sundays or Mondays and Thursdays if necessary.  
><em>**

**_Dr. Hatcher, Aria and Altheria are going to be the main antagonists of Azure's arc in case some of you haven't realized this yet. Derrick being ex-Light Society isn't really that much of a surprise since he knew so much about the disbandment and he appeared as an ally to Treachor back in one of the very early Iron Revolution chapters.  
><em>**

**_Best of all, I turn 22 tomorrow on April 1st (or today for those of you on the other side of the globe), it's time to update my profile again. _**

**_But anyway, a LOT more to come as things are being continuously set up.R&R folks!_**


	159. When Derrick met Alice!

"I first met Alice or as I like to all her, Wild Cub around this time almost a year ago..."

_[Flashback...]_

_"Man practice was pretty tough today."_

_Derrick walked down the sidewalk after coming from football practice, he noticed the moderately gray clouds above his head and knew it was going to rain all evening. Already prepared, he opened his umbrella as the rain fell on cue. He continued his walk as he began thinking about his dinner for the night._

_"I guess I cold go for a hearty stew tonight and..."_

_Derrick quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the swerve of a car as it barreled out of control directly into a path of a small girl. "Watch out!"_

_He quickly tossed his umbrella to the side as he grabbed the girl but realized he wouldn't get out of the street in time. The car thankfully swerved around them as it flipped to its side. The driver climbed out relatively unharmed and Derrick turned his focus back to the young girl. Upon his observation, she was only three feet tall and therefore stopped somewhere at his thigh. Her silver hair fell to her shoulders and her large grayish eyes looked up at him pleadingly. He also noticed her brown jacket and blue pants with white sandals on her feet._

_"Are you okay?"_

_She nodded her head up and down._

_"Where are your parents at?"_

_The girl simply shook her head. Derrick rubbed his chin for a moment before deciding to ask her more questions. He had the bright idea to squat down and speak with her at eye-level.  
><em>

_"Will you tell me where you live?"_

_She shook her head._

_"Would you like to go to the police station?"_

_"Am I...going to jail?" she asked softly, finally speaking_

_"No, the police would simply either locate whoever takes care of you or give you to someone to watch over you."_

_"Oh..well before you do that, can...you see if you can read this?"_

_The little girl reached into the backpack on her shoulders and revealed a silver book. _

_"A book? I'm pretty sure I can read it." he said, wondering if this was some kind of joke but also realized that this could be the clue to the girl's origin and a way to get her home._

_Derrick opened the book only to be met with page after page of blue print in some language he couldn't even begin to read. Before he was getting ready to hand the book back, he found a single line in silver text._

_"How come I can only read one line of this? It says Kiro-"_

_"Don't say it here!" The girl yelled, surprisingly loud_

_Derrick gave her a sideways look but nonetheless, closed the book anyway and respected her wishes. "Well, why don't we go back to my place and I'll get dinner started."_

_"Okay."_

_"But first, you'll need to pull your hood up, I don't want you getting sick."_

_She nodded before pulling her hood over her head, revealing two bear ears. Derrick had to admit it looked adorable on her. He picked up his umbrella from earlier and continued the trek home.  
><em>

_"I never got your name..."_

_"It's Alice."_

_"Alice eh?"_

_she nodded_

_"Well nice to meet you Miss Alice, my name is Derrick Runners, captain of the Tokyo Central High School football team and future pro football star!" to which Alice quietly nodded.  
><em>

_Alice and Derrick soon came across his apartment and after going inside, he quickly whipped up a large pot of stew chocked with beef, onions, carrots, peppers and other nutritious things. After finishing, he set two bowls on the table. Before he was even finished giving thanks for the meal, he heard a small burp. Looking up, Derrick noticed that Alice's bowl was already empty._

_"Go on, have as much as you like." Derrick said, passing his bowl to her_

_Within a few moments, Alice downed a second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth bowl of stew. Derrick couldn't help but smile at this. _

**_"She was really shy at first but she really came out of her shell as time went by. I also noticed her bear hoodie and figured she was quite fond of the creatures."_**

_[Some time later...]  
><em>

_"Hey Alice, come here."_

_"Coming Derrick!"_

_Derrick sat on the couch as the small girl came running towards him. "I have a new friend I would like you to meet."_

_Alice's eyes widened at this and looked around the room to find this supposed friend. "Where are they? I don't see them...are they hiding?"_

_Derrick reached from behind, revealing a small grey bear the wore a royal blue shirt with a cyan capital T. Alice looked down at the gift before embracing it tightly. 'I love it! Thank you Derrick!" she exclaimed, tightly hugging his neck_

_"You should give him a name."_

_"You're right...I'll call him Oso."_

_"Oso huh? That's a fine name."_

_"It's no problem. Though I'm sure you would like to have just a little bit more in common with your friend."_

_"Like what?" she asked, tilting her head to the side a little_

_Derrick reached his hands, picking up strands of her hair. After a few minutes, Alice had twin buns on both sides of her head resembling bear ears."So what do you think?" Derick asked, showing her her new hairstyle with his hand mirror.  
><em>

_"I was known as Wild Cub amongst my clansmen back in the Makai...if you like, could call me that from now on."_

_"Okay then...Wild Cub."_

_Alice simply smiled and ran back to her room with her new bear in tow._

**_"We were inseparable, she didn't like fighting but was willing to battle in order to protect those she cared about and to make sure our time together wasn't cut short. All was going well until that fateful day..."_**

_"So Derrick, are you going to take me to see the stars during the **Winter Solstice Festival**?"  
><em>

_"Wild Cub, that is many months away. It's hardly even Spring, you won't be seeing it for quite some time now."_

_"Aww."_

_Derrick and Alice were walking home that night after Derrick's soccer practice and were initially discussing their potential dinner for the night which lead to them talking about the **Winter Solstice Festival**, an event that many from the city venture into the countryside for. Their thoughts were interrupted by a loud shout for help. _

_"Please! Please! Somebody!"_

_"Sounds like someone is in trouble." Wild Cub said_

_"Yeah, let's go check it out!"_

_The pair reached the source of the voice, which turned out to be a woman wearing a sunhat even though it was night time, her long blonde locks covered her face. They saw a thug apprehending the woman and without hesitating, they decided to take action.  
><em>

_"The first spell, Kironu!"_

_Alice shot a spiral of silver energy from her hand and the thug immediately broke down into light particles before fading away. "He...he just vanished!" Derrick exclaimed  
><em>

_"Thank you so much for your help." The woman said gratefully  
><em>

_The woman began to shift into what appeared to be a young teenager with messy red hair, high water jeans and a familiar plaid shirt. A second young man emerged from the alley's shadow wearing a dress shirt, tie, vest and fedora. He most notably wore a lip ring and carried a white spell book with gold trim in his hand._

_"What is this?" Derrick demanded, the silver spell book opened and glowing_

_"Fear not for we aren't your enemy." The boy in the fedora said_

_"Then who are you exactly and what was that about?"_

_"My name is Jonny Greenburg and this is my mamodo partner Ignoramus. I apologize for earlier, we've been looking for strong teams to add to our numbers. What you encountered earlier was one of the tests we conduct in order to screen out new members."_

_"I am the head of a paramilitary organization otherwise known as The Light Society and our goals is to bring stability to both the human and mamodo world."_

_"Stability? What's going on that such an organization needed to be formed?" Derrick asked_

_"There is a rival organization otherwise known as The Black Corps, while they are also paramilitary, they operate moreso like a mafia. Their various crimes are not the reason we formed The Light Society in defense, in fact, it's much bigger than that."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"There is a mamodo with great power who happened to be sealed inside of a volcano on an island that just so happens to be their HQ. This mamodo's magic is deadly and rumor has it that his magic has the potential to kill every living thing within the vicinity in a flash. There is not too much information known other than this mamodo was not only sealed away but was also modified by Black Corps scientists in an effort to increase its power even more than before." _

_"But why would they want to do this?"  
><em>

_"There is a mamodo named Blue that leads the Black Corps and his ultimate goal is not to be Mamodo King but to become a Mamodo God and let's just say that Blue isn't eligible to be king due to the fact that he isn't supposed to be participating in this battle. Well, the mamodo sealed in the volcano is in fact eligible and we believe that he's going to use this said mamodo as a proxy to become king and use the human's partner wish to ascend to becoming a god." _

_"That's terrible!" Alice exclaimed  
><em>

_"We know, which is why we wanna stop them. So waddya say?" Ignor asked, smiling_

**_"I knew something was off about "Jonny" and "Ignor" but I couldn't put my finger on it at the time and what if what they were saying was true? So of course, we did what we thought was the most sensible thing at the time and accepted, becoming Light Society members."_**

* * *

><p>"But what does this have to do with what's going on now?" Lily asked, interrupting the flashback<p>

"I'm getting to that part." Derrick replied, slightly annoyed

"I'll just skip to the part you guys real;y need to hear."

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Over the next couple of months as Light Society operatives, we conducted mission after mission. We even met a good ally in another mamodo girl who happened to be named Alice and her human partner Drew. (AN- Look back at chapters 14 and 24 if you don't remember them) Little by little, we saw Jonny and Ignor or shall I say Mark and Treachor's true colors. We began to question ourselves if what we were doing was truly right and we went to them demanding answers."**_

_Wild Cub and Derrick with Alice and Drew in tow barged into Mark's office. He simply had his feet on the desk and was tuning his guitar, not even bothering to acknowledge their appearance.  
><em>

_"We want answers." Derrick demanded_

_Mark continued to tune his guitar and when he was finally finished, he returned the instrument to its respective case. Mark sat back in his chair and finally made eye contact with Derrick. "To what?"_

_"We're on to you, all of the things we stole, the destruction, the experiments we let you conduct on us...and the people we hurt...none of that was for the greater good. We're only helping you further your own agenda."_

_Mark raised an eyebrow to Derrick's remarks before breaking out into a laugh. This laugh was hearty but cold and psychotic. "Treachor, get in here." Mark called out_

_Treachor walked into the room, having clearly heard the entire exchange between Mark and Derrick. "Not that they finally have it figured out, what shall I do with them."_

_"Like hell we'll let you do anything!" Drew suddenly exclaimed as he and Alice jumped in front of them and confronted Treachor head on._

_"Wait you two!" Derrick pleaded but it fell on deaf ears_

_Before Drew could get a spell off, a bored Treachor slammed his fist into Alice's face, sending her flying into her human partner. "Mark, they had the nerve to try to attack me. I say its time to wash our hands of them."_

_Mark then turned to look at a now petrified Derrick and Wild Cub. "And what about those two?"_

_"We may still have some use for her."_

_"I won't let you take Wild Cub!" Derrick shouted as the silver spell book began to glow  
><em>

_"Kirouru!"_

_Wild Cub began to form a large ball of silver energy as a ring formed around it. The sphere grew into about the size of a basketball as she fired it at Treachor, who simply caught it with his bare hand and smirked before tossing it at Alice and Drew at point blank range. The sphere exploded on impact and as the smoke cleared, it was pretty evident that Alice's book was on fire and the girl's body was fading away._

_"Well would you look at that. You ended up burning your ally's book with your own spell, what a shame." Treachor said,mocking her_

_"But...But...I." Wild Cub said as she fell to her knees, tears began forming in her eyes  
><em>

_"It's about time we make our leave."  
><em>

_"Luzare!"_

_A sphere of light began forming into Treachor's palm as it grew bigger and bigger before being tossed to the ground, causing a blinding wave of golden light to fill the room. Derrick's eyes burned and sizzled as he couldn't see anything around him. When the blinding light subsided, Derrick quickly noticed that Wild Cub and her spell book were gone!_

_Derrick slammed his fists into the ground as he simply sat there for a while._

**_"Week after week I kept searching for her but to no avail. It was as if she disappeared without a trace and i eventually gave up, assuming her book had been burned. Despite my brain telling me that she was gone, my heart clearly felt differently. I started following The Golden Clowns, Mark's band as a means to track him down. I saw that they were on tour in the US or California to be more specific, so I blew my savings to fly over there."_**

_Derrick stood backstage as he waited for The Golden Clowns to finish performing and right on cue, Mark and the rest of the band appeared. "Guys, give us a minute alone." Mark said, waving off the rest of the band  
><em>

_As soon as they left, Derrick immediately grabbed Mark by the shirt collar. "You got three seconds to tell me where Wild Cub is or..."_

_"Or what?" Mark asked smugly, shoving Derrick off_

_Derrick scowled at Mark, ready to jump on him. "I've been aware of your search for her since she was first taken from you, so I'll reward you for your efforts. Not only is your Wild Cub's book not burnt, but she is in the company of our head scientist, Dr. Hatcher."_

_"Where is she? What did you do to her!?"_

_"That's all you get." Mark scoffed_

_Derrick lunged at Mark, who sidestepped him and on his back. Derrick immediately felt cold, heavy metal on the back of his head. Looking over, he saw a golden revolver being wielded by Mark and pointing to the back of his head._

_"Just because I gave you a hint as to where she was, doesn't mean I'm going to let you live." he growled, pressing the gun into Derrick's head even further. _

_"We need you back on stage!" A voice called out in the distance_

_Mark sighed as he put his prized revolver away. "I have no choice but to let you live for now since I don't want to blow my cover...for now at least. Of course, you don't have much time left anyway."  
><em>

_Mark soon left Derrick alone backstage, despite the experience leaving him shaken, he had a new lead to follow._

**_"I immediately began searching the backwaters of the internet for answers and my efforts paid off when I found out about the lab we just took a field trip at. The first few times I explored it, I was quickly tossed by security every time. After a while, I wondered if what I was doing was in vain and if Mark was even telling me the truth in the first place and that is when I got a surprise visit."_**

_Derrick sat on a park bench looking at the sky, thinking about Wild Cub, whom he couldn't get out of his mind no matte rhow much he tried._

_"Hey Derrick."  
><em>

_He looked up and saw that the voice belonged to none other than Kai and his human partner Haley.  
><em>

_"What do you want?"_

_"I have come to tell you that The Light Society is no more, Treachor was defeated by the Iron prince and Mark is believed to have committed suicide shortly after. As a result, I decided to disband the Light Society effective immediately. I also feel that you should see this."_

_Kai tossed a file full of papers into Derrick's lap. Derrick immediately scanned the documents before looking back up at Kai.  
><em>

_"So she was in that lab and it says that experiments have been conducted on her and she has since been relocated. ANy clue where?"_

_Kai shook his head. "I have no idea, not even I had access to such information. However, you know that she's still out there and that your mind won't be at ease until you find her."_

_"You're right...but where do I go from here?"Derrick asked_

_"I can't answer that for you, but Skyde, Marlo, Haley and I are going on our own journey to right our wrongs and atone for what we did after being mislead by Treachor."_

**_"Even though he didn't outright say it, I knew Kai was pointing me in a similar direction. So over time, I learned how to infiltrate and eventually began swiping and destroying documents, have disrupted minor Black Corps operations among other things."_**

* * *

><p>"The reason I'm begging for your help is because even though I can do smaller things, there is no way i have a chance at getting Wild Cub back without the aid of other mamodo. So please...please help me out."<p>

Lily looked at Derrick with watery eyes, obviously completely willing to help but Rika simply shook her head. "I feel for you, I really do but I just can't help you. I'm sorry, but I cannot put Azure in such a compromising position. Not only would it scare him out of his mind but it just isn't our place to get involved in this stuff."

Rika got up from her chair and exited the cafeteria.

_"Am I not doing this because Azure is afraid or is it because I am afraid?"_

**_A/N- Yeah, Yeah I know. Work and school has me too damn tired. However, I'm pushing to keep it coming on Sundays/Mondays and Wednesdays/Thursdays. There won't be any flashback heavy chapters for quite sometime now, so expect things to really start picking up. You guy already know what to do, R&R folks!_**


	160. East vs Central and A spar gone too far!

The day was finally here, Friday. The halls of East Tokyo High School was filled with the happy buzz of that evening's football game. The Cavaliers were a perfect 9-0 and a win over Tokyo Central, who was also 9-0, tonight would clinch the Eastern Division of the Metro Conference. The winner of this game would play the winner of the West Tokyo-Tokyo Heights game which of course the winner clinch the Western Division of the Metro Conference. The winners of the respective divisions squared off for all of the marbles in the City Championship game two weeks from Saturday which also happened to be the first week of December.

Ishimaru, in his white jersey with gold number 6 and "East Tokyo" printed on the front while still wearing his khaki slacks, sat in the cafeteria with the rest of the team that morning before the first class. He went through the usual motions of traditionally eating breakfast with the team every gameday morning. Then came the ritual of various cheerleaders, fangirls and other females students giving the players treats. Most players received one or maybe two bags but in Ishimaru's case and to a lesser extent, Vincent's, they received numerous goodie bags filled with assorted candies, drinks and some treats as lavish as homemade dango or mochi ice cream. Despite Vincent's female phobia, he did enjoy the various sweets thrown upon him to which Ishimaru figured is what kept him sane around them.

Ishimaru managed to stuff most of the goodie bags and picnic baskets in his locker save for a skewer of dango, which he ate along the way to class. When reaching his homeroom, he saw his desk covered with black and gold balloons in addition to numerous signs encouraging him to kick ass that night. He noticed that Vincent was also at work trying to remove the similarly placed clutter off of his desk as well. After finally managing to it down, he looked over at Eve who happened to be looking at his desk with a hint of amusement on her face.

"It's not as fun as it looks." he said, annoyed

"If you truly didn't enjoy it, you would've said something about it a long time ago." she responded

"I used to only deal with this stuff during soccer season and only then it was only when we played West or had a huge tournament coming up. Ever since Ken blew his knee out and I had to step in as quarterback, everything changed as to where this is a year round thing. Seiku, Daisuke and Minamoto suddenly transferring to West doesn't make this any easier. To the student body, I am the only one they have left to rely on."

Ishimaru felt a sharp poke to the back of his head and saw a pencil roll off of his shoulder. He looked behind him only to see Vincent staring off into the window with his feet up at his desk.

"Well, who is going to replace them?" Eve asked

Before Ishimaru could answer, the door flew open as three underclassmen walked in. The first one had shaggy blonde hair that reached down to his shoulders and what appeared to be dark gold eyes. He only stood at about five foot seven (170 cm), his build was very stocky and looked as though he could bench press a truck. His white football jersey had a gold number 38 and like Ishimaru had "East Tokyo" printed on the front in gold letters in addition to khaki slacks.

"Kusanagi Mamoru, a junior running back who backed up Seiku. He's obviously nowhere as lean as Seiku but his personality is just passionate as Seiku, if not more. He's not a speed runner like Seiku but he is arguably the best power runner in the entire city. He rotated with Sekiu every so often and would have easily been the starter on many other teams. He has a chip on his shoulder after playing second fiddle for so long."

The second underclassman was a lanky six foot one (185 cm), easily one of the tallest kids in school. His shaved head made his hair color practically indeterminable, despite his eyes being squinty, Ishimaru knew they were a dark brownish color. His tan skin obviously coming from the long hours out in the sun and his jersey had a number 88 on it.

"Satou Hayate, a sophomore wide receiver who played on the JV squad most of this year. He would have been moved up to varsity much earlier this season since he was too dominant against the other schools' JV teams but we had a lot of depth at the position. However, thanks to a few injuries and Daisuke's recent defection, it was a no-brainer at this point. Tonight will be his first varsity game."

The third and final of the three was a young man with spiky brown hair and light grey eyes. He stood at five foot nine (175 cm) and had a medium athletic build, as in not as stocky as Mamoru but nowhere near as thin and wiry as Hayate. Ishimaru noticed the silver framed shades with reddish gold lenses resting in the middle of his hair. His jersey was number 47 and unlike the others, his was not tucked into his khaki slacks.

"Kobayashi Kyo, a sophomore cornerback who ascended up to varsity during two-a-day camp. He's actually faster than Minamoto and even though he backed up Minamoto on Friday and Saturday nights, he has the second most experience out of the three replacements thanks to him subbing in during garbage time._** (A/N- Garbage time is the remaining time left in a game when the outcome is heavily one-sided.)**_"

"Looks like we don't need to introduce ourselves then." Kyo lamented as they approached Ishimaru's desk

"That's no way to talk to your senpai and captain!" Mamoru scolded

"It's fine, really. I told you this over a million times already." Ishimaru responded

"Regardless, I refuse to let you down tonight! As a matter of fact, we all do!" Mamoru exclaimed, somehow suddenly standing on Ishimaru's desk

"I will do my best tonight Kamikatsu-senpai." Hayate said, bowing

"Don't worry about a thing Ishimaru, we'll give your girlfriend something to cheer about tonight." Kyo said with a wink

"Girlfriend?"

"Aren't you guys late for class or something?" Eve suddenly blurted out

"You're right! Let's get to class before we won't be playing tonight!" Mamoru shouted, dragging both Kyo and Hayate halfway down the hall before he even finished his sentence.

Ishimaru sighed and slumped in his desk, tonight couldn't get here soon enough.

* * *

><p><em>[Later that Evening...]<em>

Ishimaru sat in his locker with his headphones on. He already had his golf football pants on which glimmered against the fluorescent light. He got up from the locker he was sitting in front of and looked himself over in the mirror. His brown and black hair was matted to his head, the long scar over what used to be his left eye was obviously still present and his black under armor shirt where the sleeves reached down to his elbows covered his athletically built torso.

"Kamikatsu, Itou, both of you go outside and warm up on the field with Tsukino. The receivers will be out there shortly." Coach Yuushi ordered

"Yes sir." they said in unison

Itou Akira was a sophomore and the backup varsity quarterback after Ken's injury. Before he had to be called up in order to back up Ishimaru, Akira was the starting JV quarterback who was quite good and even had the ability to start on a few varsity teams at other schools but his youth was a big hindrance. In spite of this, it was pretty much a given that he is the next starting quarterback for the next two years since both Ishimaru and Ken would be gone. Ishimaru glanced at the underclassman. He was slightly shorter than Ishimaru at five foot ten (178 cm), his navy blue hair was held back by a white headband he wore over his forehead. The look in his regal green eyes screamed determination and the willingness to work hard.

Reaching the field, Ishimaru looked around at the numerous skyscrapers surrounding the football stadium. The bus ride from East Tokyo high to Tokyo Central was roughly twenty minutes or so but they looked like two totally different areas of the country. Their stadium was admittedly nice, especially the metallic exterior. A blue and cyan coat of arms was painted as the middle of the field's logo which Ishimaru knew was a trademark of Tokyo High especially seeing that their mascot was the Iron Knights. The seating style was dual sided, meaning one side of the stadium for the Tokyo High band, fans and Ishimaru assumed the cyan colored portion of the bleachers that hung a banner reading "The Round Table" was the student section. He could also hear a percussion sound off in the distance, indicating that the bands from both schools were warming up as well. Very few fans had already made their way into the bleachers with many more to come. Ishimaru shook those thoughts aside for the time being and focused on warming up his throwing arm.

Ken tossed Ishimaru the football as he planted his feet and dropped back and released the ball, watching it form an arc threw the air and landing in Ken's hands. It was good to see his knee healed up to the point where he could move around without crutches although it was heavily strapped with a brace. Akira was up next and followed Ishimaru's motions. After warming up for a few minutes, the rest of the team came up on the field to warm up. The offensive and the defensive starters split into two separate groups going through the rest of their warmups. It was when Coach Yuushi called for the last drill that Ishimaru fully got into the game.

As he was running towards the rest of the starting offense, Ishimaru caught a glimpse at the crowd, the entire stadium was almost filled to capacity. Royal blue and cyan filled out the entire Tokyo high side while black and gold filled out the East Tokyo side. He was sure that Eve, Chainz and Sundance were sitting nearby.

"Kamikatsu, go with package one."

"Yes sir."

The offensive starters lined up, Ishimaru saw his five linemen in front of him and made sure he was standing three yards behind the center. He checked to his right and saw Vincent lining up at tight end. He looked to his left and saw two receivers, he looked to his right and saw Hayate lined up by himself. Checking behind him was Mamoru lined up three yards behind him. After realizing that they were in a perfect Pistol formation, Ishimaru began barking signals. He stomped his foot once, signaling the center to hike the ball. He held the ball out to Mamoru before pulling it back and dropping back to pass it to Vincent to catch it on a slant route. After securing it into his large hands, Vincent jogged to the endzone before coming back.

The offense lined back up in the pistol formation as Ishimaru began to yell his signals before hiking the ball once again, this time he handed the ball to Mamoru who ran between the left guard and tackle, making his way up the field before coming back. This went on for a few more plays before Coach Yuushi called the team together and returned to the locker room. Going back into the locker room, everybody slipped their shoulder pads on under their jerseys and grabbed the black helmets with the gold "ET" plastered on them. The entire team gathered around Coach Yuushi who immediately began his pregame pep talk.

"Alright, we know what's at stake tonight and I'm gonna tell y'all now. It doesn't matter what's on the scoreboard until the end of the game so go out there, play fast, play hard and most importantly...have fun. That's all I gotta say, Ishimaru take it from here."

With that being said, Ishimaru sprang to his feet as the entire team rallied around him. "I don't care what anybody says, we're 0-0 tonight as far as I'm concerned. We've been playing one way all year and we gotta keep playing the only way we know how. Central can't okay with us, they haven't been through what I been through nor what you guys have been through...no...they haven't been through what WE have been through together."

Numerous yells and whoops could be heard as everybody put their helmets on and stormed out of the locker room where a giant inflatable black and gold tunnel was waiting for them. Ishimaru and the rest of the team began locking arms with each other and they broke through the paper banner and came onto the field out of a cloud of golden smoke. The East Tokyo side of the bleachers erupted with cheers.

An inflated knight on horeeback was mounted as the Tokyo High football team emerged from the smoke coming out from under the knight. Their navy blue jerseys, cyan pants and numbers glistened under the stadium lights. Their silver helmets displayed a capital T in a brilliant cyan identical to their pants and numbers.

Tokyo High won the coin toss and elected to receive. Ishimaru and the kickoff team took the field and kicked off the ball to the Iron Knights. A return man tried to take the ball up the field but was immediately tackled by numerous East Tokyo defenders at the one yard line. The starting defense and offense took the field. Ishimaru sat on the bench as he watched the Cavalier defense shift into position, he especially kept his eye on Kyo who was lined up faced to face with a receiver. The Tokyo High quarterback hiked the ball and immediately handed the ball off to Derrick who ran directly up the middle and was already into the East Tokyo secondary. Kyo managed to escape his receiver and ran over to tackle Derrick but the American immediately spun off of him en route for a 99 yard touchdown.

The Iron Knights' fans erupted in cheers, their student section bounced in the bleachers as they were jumping around in celebration.

"99 yard touchdown by none other than number 22, Derrick Runners!"

Tokyo Central kicked the extra point as the scoreboard read Iron Knights 7 Cavaliers 0.

Ishimaru strapped on his helmet as all of the offensive starters who weren't on the kick return team gathered around him. The kickoff landed into the endzone for a touchback which moved the ball all of the way up to the 20 yard line. Most of the kick return team jogged to the sidelines as East Tokyo's offense took the field. Ishimaru stood on the sidelines with Coach Yuushi as he gave Ishimaru then info he needed.

"Go ahead and work out of package one."

"Yes sir."

Ishimaru jogged over to the offense as they anticipated the play he was going to call in the huddle. "We're going to start off with a read option sweep to the right."

"Break!"

The Cavaliers' offense lined up as Ishimaru stood about three yards behind the center and Mamoru stood on his left in the Pistol formation. He saw Vincent lined up at tight end, two receivers on his left and Hayate line up on his right. Ishimaru began barking signals and felt the ball meet his hands. He held out the ball for Mamoru and on cue, various defenders began running towards Mamoru. Seeing this, Ishimaru quickly pulled the ball away from Mamoru and took off to the left, having an open field. He ran for twelve yards before being brought down by a linebacker. Ishimaru's ears were met with applause as he jogged back to the huddle.

"Kamikatsu Ishimaru on the run, gain of twelve on the play."

"From here on out, I'll call the plays from the line and we won't even bother to huddle. Trips right play action on two."

"Break!"

East Tokyo lined up as Ishimaru looked at the Tokyo Central defense, he saw four down lineman and three linebackers staring him in the face, one of those being Derrick. Ishimaru noticed Derrick's eyes following his own and realized that he was spying him. Ishimaru quickly called a signal to Mamoru to block Derrick when the time comes. He looked over and saw Hayate and two other receivers lined up in Trips Formation towards his right, he saw that Vincent moved over to wide receiver and was standing on the left side. Ishimaru barked signals and hiked the ball, he faked handing off the ball to Mamoru who immediately stood protectively in front of Ishimaru. He dropped back to pass the ball and saw Derrick back up into coverage, still never taking his eyes off of Ishimaru. All of the receivers, including Vincent and Hayate were covered so her couldn't throw the ball without risking it being intercepted.

Doing the only thing he could, Ishimaru flung the ball out of bounds, effectively throwing it away.

"Incomplete pass. 2nd and 10, ball on the Cavaliers' 32 yard line. "

The Cavaliers' ended up going three and out thanks to a four yard run by Mamoru in addition to another incomplete pass by Ishimaru. On fourth down, Ishimaru punted the ball deep into Tokyo High territory before returning to the bench. Coach Yuushi immediately approached Ishimaru, patting his shoulder. "Use Package Two this time, don't stray away from the gameplan, we'll be fine."

Ishimaru and the offense did not get much of a break thanks to an 85 yard touchdown run by Derrick. The inevitable extra point made the scoreboard reflect "Iron Knights 14 Cavaliers 0".

The dejected East Tokyo defense returned to the sideline and immediately huddled around the defensive coaches. Ishimaru quickly went over to the defensive players and pulled Kyo aside.

"Kyo, what's going on out there? You haven't been able to get off of your receiver this entire quarter and Derrick has eluded you twice, both for huge touchdown runs."

"I don't know, I've seen Minamoto do it time and time again, even though I'm doing exactly what he did it's not working out for me."

"You're not Minamoto Sage, you're Kobayashi Kyo so play your way. We need a spark, the entire school and the entire prefecture, suburb or whatever our East Tokyo is classified as, is counting on us. Can you give us a spark tonight?"

"Yeah."

"Can you give us a spark tonight?"

"YEAH!"

Kyo grabbed his helmet as he went on the field with the rest of the kick return team. Tokyo Central kicked off the ball all of the way into endzone where Kyo caught and fielded the ball. To everyone's except Ishimaru's surprise, he didn't kneel in the endzone and take the touchback. The sophomore sprinted up the field, sidestepping a would be tackler before running through the gap left by him, crossing the thirty yard line. Picking up speed, Kyo gashed the Tokyo Central's kickoff coverage, soon crossing the fifty yard line. Everybody on the East Tokyo sideline were on the feet screaming for Kyo to take it all of the way. East students and fans were jumping and cheering. Kyo galloped the rest of the way completely untouched for a touchdown to cut the Iron Lnights' lead in half.

"Kobayashi Kyo, 102 yard kickoff return for an East Tokyo touchdown."

Kyo returned to the sidelines and was quickly swallowed by a wave of pats and high fives. Ishimaru kicked the ball through the uprights for the extra point, changing the scoreboard to read "Iron Knights 14 Cavaliers 7". The Tokyo High sideline was silent, they of course had no idea what they had gotten themselves into.

On the next drive, the Iron Knights went a quick three and out as Derrick was stopped dead in his tracks on three straight runs. After punting and making sure the ball went out of bounds and away from Kyo's hands, the Cavaliers took the field. Ishimaru took control of the offense and steadily began to progress down the field. On one play there would be a four yard run by Mamoru and another play would be a nine yard catch by Vincent. The Cavaliers held the ball for the rest of the quarter as they found themselves at around the 25 yard line with a few seconds to go. Ishimaru hiked the ball and dropped back to pass, he saw that Vincent was covered as were the other receivers. There were two linebackers sitting in the middle of the field so Ishimaru couldn't take off and run with it. He looked out of the corner of his right eye and saw Mamoru struggling to hold off Derrick. With a heavy heave, Derrick threw Mamoru to the side and reached out to grab Ishimaru. Letting his soccer instincts come into play, Ishimaru spun away from Derrick's grasp and flung the ball through the air before being thrown down after Derrick regained his footing.

Ishimaru didn't see what happened but the thunderous cheers from the East Tokyo side of the stadium told him that it was something pretty damn positive.

"Kamikatsu Ishimaru throws a thirty yard pass to Satou Hayate for the East Tokyo touchdown."

Hayate was swarmed by many of his teammates on the sidelines after scoring his first ever varsity touchdown. One could even see a small smile on the stoic boy's face.

Ishimaru got to his feet as they lined for the extra point. Without even thinking twice about it, Ishimaru booted the ball through the uprights to even out the score at 14 a piece.

The rest of the game was a tight battle as neither team budged due to defenses being adjusted and the game droned on until the final seconds still tied at 14. The clocked was stopped with two seconds to go as the Cavaliers were sitting on the thirty four yard line. Ishimaru warmed up his leg as he and Akira went onto the field. Akira got into position as he held out his hand to signal Vincent, who played long snapper on special teams.

Ishimaru could actually hear the deafening silence in the stadium. The tension was thick enough to be visible, his heart pounded furiously in his chest. Make the field goal and they move onto the City Championship, miss and this game goes into overtime. Ishimaru took a deep breath as Akira snapped the ball and held it on the kicking tee. Ishimaru stepped to the ball and brought his leg back, booting the ball into the air. The ball appeared as if it was going wide right but the sudden curve to the left allowed the ball to safely travel through the uprights.

"Kamikatsu Ishimaru's 44 yard kick is good! Final score East Tokyo Cavaliers 17, Tokyo Central Iron Knights 14."

Ishimaru breathed a sigh of relief as he continued looking at the scoreboard. "The final score in the other local game, West Tokyo Tigers 76, Tokyo Heights Wolverines 0. In two weeks, the City Championship game will be The East Tokyo Cavaliers vs The West Tokyo Tigers. Thanks you for coming out the tonight's game, please return home safely." the announcer blared

Ishimaru raised his arms up in celebration as the entire East Tokyo student section began chanting, "WE WANT WEST! WE WANT WEST! WE WANT WEST!"

Of course, taking on West Tokyo, who had been averaging games like the 76-0 thrashing of Tokyo Heights all season long, was a very tall task. The numerous personal issues with those who attended the school was also another matter, but it would be putt of until Monday for tonight was to be a fun night of celebration.

* * *

><p>In the city's Industrial Park were the Talented Five. Ever since the encounter with Alam just a week ago, they had been training harder than ever. Slash and Gansu Genso faced off as their part of the sparring session. The Iron Prince slammed his fist into the ground, sending up numerous chunks of solid concrete at the floating clown mamodo. Gansu Genso weaved and dodged the incoming projectiles as he made a beeline towards Slash. He smirked as he saw Slash open his hand and smiling.<p>

"Kiichiro now!"

"But Slash-"

"I SAID NOW!"

"_Gigano Hokeigo!"_

"A giant spike ball and chain barreled out of Slash's hand, hitting Gansu Genso at point blank range and sending him crashing into the ground. "Gansu Genso!" Omar yelled as he ran over to his partner

"I'm fine Omar." Gansu Genso said, floating back up into the air

"What the hell did you do that for? You know we don't use spells in a sparring session!" Omar yelled

"I did it because I felt like it. If you leave yourself open at point blank range then you should expect the opponent to jump o the opportunity." Slash said coldly

"What part of this is only a sparring match didn't you get?" Omar demanded, outraged

"What's even worse is that you forced that poor child to read that spell. I don't know what's gotten into you, but it needs to stop." Angie said

"Mind your own damn business." Slash snarled before turning to leave

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"For a walk."

Slash walked around the Industrial Park deep in his own thoughts. "_I was humiliated against Alam...after losing to Solin (A/N- Chapters 35-38) I vowed to never be weak again. I achieved that after defeating Treachor yet I chose to embrace Love and to release my hatred and my lust for power. I did and I grew weak...I won't lose to anyone else again! Even if it means reaching out to whatever hate is left in my heart."_

Unbeknownst to everyone, a dark aura radiated around Slash's body. The aura quickly faded away as Slash finally returned to the others. "Finally cooled down now?" Gansu Genso asked to which Slash answered with a swift punch, sending him crashing to the ground.

"You bastard, that's enough!" Omar yelled, revealing the magenta spell book

"Kiichiro, do as I say and bring out my spell book!" Slash barked as the little girl revealed the cerulean book

"Looks like I'll have to calm you down the hard way." Gansu Genso said

"Bring it on...weakest member of the Talented Five."

Gansu Genso bared his sharp teeth at Slash and readied himself for something that was becoming far more than just a mere spar.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- I've had to work overnight all week long. (like nine at night til five or six in the morning) So it was tough being able to get on and update. Fortunately today's my last day doing this before I go back to my usual morning shift. I know it was mostly an American football chapter which won't be extremely pivotal to the plot until the *very mild spoiler* East vs West chapters a while from now.  
><strong>_

_**Slash vs Gansu Genso starts this weekend then the next major fight. (It's obvious which it is since it's been mentioned multiple time already.) Point being, prepare for a LOT of fighting to come! R&R folks!**_


	161. Chainz and Sundance vs Slash! Part 1

"Today's the big day!" Sundance exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement to which Chainz grunted and went back to quietly staring out of the window

Ishimaru, Eve, Meida alongside their respective mamodo were en route to the abandoned Industrial Park in order to get on with their upcoming match with Slash. After partying Friday night after the football game and getting some well deserved rest on Saturday, they had an early start on Sunday. Even though the older mamodo recently reneged on his promise to train them, Chainz and Sundance were going to show up anyway. Meida's limo cruised the city streets and had well over an hour's drive until they reached the city outskirts.

"You're pretty quiet Chainz." Ishimaru said, noticing his partner

"I only have one thing on my mind right now and that's to beat _him_."

Ishimaru sighed at this. When it came to Slash, Chainz had a one-track mind.

* * *

><p>"Do you honestly think you can compete with me?" Slash asked mockingly<p>

"Find out for yourself! Opening the first gate, The Gate of Life! _Vitalruk!" _Omar yelled as the spell book glowed a bright magenta

Gansu Genso roared as a thin red aura coated his body. The clown mamodo charged at The Iron Prince, unleashing a multitude of punches, which he countered with numerous blocks and dodges. Slash landed a punch in the middle of Gansu Genso's abdomen, sending him flying but he quickly regained control of his body in midair as he hovered above the battlefield.

The clown mamodo raised his hands as the Industrial Park's concrete ground cracked and split apart, creating a large crevice. He raised the massive slabs of concrete and slammed them both against Slash as if he was making a sandwich. The concrete slabs crumbled completely as Slash stood tall and practically unharmed.

"Is that all you got? Weak ass stuff like that won't work on me!"

_"Hokekeruga!"_

Numerous chains and hooks fired out of Slash's hands as they vigorously began whipping at Gansu Genso, who gracefully dodged them. The clown mamodo levitated numerous chunks of concrete from the ground and began flinging them at Slash in rapid succession. The Iron Prince dodged them effortlessly and turned around to mock Gansu Genso once more but before he got a chance to, he realized what was going on. A giant chunk of concrete roughly the size of a small house was directly in front of him.

"Damn it, those smaller ones were only a distraction! Kiichiro quickly!"

"_Oruga Hokeiron!"_

Slash opened his hands as two spiked iron battery rams emerged and smashed the massive concrete chunk into tiny pieces. Before he could catch his breath, Gansu Genso slammed his body into Slash's stomach, forcing him to cough up some blood. As Slash hit the groundd, Gansu Genso delivered rapid punches to his stomach. He continued to spit up blood as he kept punching. Finally letting up, Gansu Genso pulled back and returned to the air.

"For him to cough up blood that easily, he must not be fully recovered from the injuries he sustained in the fight with Alam."

Despite this, Slash clearly was not holding back so Gansu Genso decided that he wouldn't either.

"Kiichiro! Give me a Gigano spell!"

"_Gigano Hokeiron!"_

A giant iron warrior statue rose from the ground. His long, flowing beard reached down his neck and his hair was t his shoulders. He wore armor similar to that of an Ancient Greek hoplite. The iron warrior held a massive iron lance as he slammed into Gansu Genso, causing him to freefall from the sky.

"Gansu Genso!" Omar yelled as his partner crashed into the solid concrete ground with a sickening thud. Upon reaching his partner, Omar saw the large crater formed by his partner. Looking inside, he saw his partner sitting up, groggy but sitting up nonetheless much to his relief. "I'm...fine Omar. Let's open the net gate...Slash really is playing for keeps."

"Taking it up a notch...opening the second gate, The Gate of Order, _Deux Vitalruk!"_

A thicker orange aura replaced the thin red one around Gansu Genso as his muscles contracted and increased his strength. The clown mamodo levitated out of the crater ready for another round with Slash. He was still groggy from the previous hit he had taken, but it wasn't going to stop him from going. At least until another spark of pain shot up in his head, causing his aura to suddenly fade away.

"Gansu Genso, what's wrong?!"

Gansu Genso descended from the air, landing in Omar's arms. "Omar...falling from that height hurt me more than I thought...even by mamodo standards."]

"Dammit...so what now?" Omar asked his fallen partner

"Don't worry, I'll step in for you." Angie said, drawing her katana as Aaron held the red spell book in hand

"Because Gansu Genso couldn't cut it, now you're taking his place." Slash laughed

"It's time to cut that ego of yours down to size." she said coolly

"We'll see about that!" Slash exclaimed

"_Gazurogaruga!"_

Slash's hand sparked with white energy has he pulled an iron lance from the ground and pointed the nine foot long weapon at Angie. He charged at Angie, turning the lance sideways and slammed the weapon into Angie's. The clang from the weapons rang throughout the entire Industrial Park.

* * *

><p>The limousine just past the city limits sign as Hori's eyes darted open. The silver haired boy looked around before breaking his silence. "I sense an extremely dark demonic presence...something isn't right at the Industrial Park. Especially since we're still a few miles away."<p>

"Step on it!" Meida ordered the driver

"Right away Tatieshi-sama."

The limo picked up speed as it darted down the road.

* * *

><p>Angie and Slash's respective weapons continued clanging as neither of them budged. Slash jumped back and tossed his lance at ANgie in an attempt to gore her. This of course was not going to work on her, Aaron was more than prepared for it.<p>

_"Shuranu!"_

Angie's katana glowed a bright red as she sliced the iron lance in half as if it was a stick of butter. She ran forward and swung it at Slash, who narrowly dodged it. Slash tugged on his gloves as he felt his newfound battle with Angie on the verge of escalating into an all out brawl.

* * *

><p>"ENOUGH!"<p>

Angie and Slash looked towards the owner of the voice which happened to be none other than Chainz accompanied by the others.

"Chainz? What are you doing here?" Angie asked

"Slash owes us a fight and while I'm sure you can stand toe to toe with him, it's going to be me and me only who defeats him."

"Well, since you're that determined, who am I to stand in the way? However, don't expect anyone to bail you out."

"Wouldn't ask for it." Chainz said, smirking

"Oh great, so we're getting another substitution? Are you guys so weak as in you can't take me on without passing it to somebody else and what's worse, you're letting an inept loser like Chainz fight me."

"We'll see whose laughing when you're on the losing end of this one." Chainz said

As Angie turned to leave, she looked over at Chainz. "We'll be rooting for you on the sidelines."

"You left yourself wide open!" Slash taunted, slamming his fist in the ground and sending a large shockwave at Angie, knocking her into the ground.

"Angie!" Chainz shouted, as his anger began to rise even further than before.

"Damn you Slash...you're going to pay for all of this!" Chainz shouted

"I'm not only going to destroy your book, but I'm going to make sure there's nothing left of you afterwards!" Slash roared

"_Hokeigo!"_

Slash opened his hand as the spike ball and chain was fired from it. Chainz dodged the spell and grabbed on to the chain to propel himself forward, he threw a punch at Slash only for the teenaged mamodo to block it. Slash then slammed his fist into Chainz's torso, sending him crashing into the ground.

"_Ganzu Go Hokeiron!"_

Turrets extended from Slash's palms as hundreds of rounds of bullets struck Chainz repeatedly and before he or Ishimaru could do anything, Slash was already in front of Chainz, landing punch after punch. It was clear to everybody present that Chain was getting completely overwhelmed by his older brother. Despite being pummeled, Chainz managed to put his arms up to block some of the incoming punches. Seeing Chainz do this, Ishimaru knew that there was a way to get Slash off of him.

_"Hokaisho!"_

Chainz opened his mouth as the white laser hit Slash at point blank range. Smoke kicked up, allowing Chainz to get back on his feet and some seperation from Slash.

"Its gonna take more than that for you to keep the upper hand Slash. I don't know what the hell your problem suddenly is, but I'll be sure to get ot the bottom of it!"

"My problem is weak mamodo like you existing!" Slash shouted

"Ishimaru, let's take him down!"

"You got it Chainz, _Hokaisho!"_

Chainz opened his mouth as he let off another laser to which Slash knocked away with only his fist. "Give up already, you're nothing but pure trash! I will mow down any and everybody who stands in my path of being king!"

Slash lunged at Chainz and unleashed multiple punches, Chainz returned them with may punches of his own. the brothers traded punch to punch over the next sevreal minutes with neither of them giving in. Chainz seemingly adjusted quite a bit after initially getting overwhelmed by Slash. Chainz jumped back and opened his hand, prompting Ishimaru to call for the appropriate spell.

_"Hokeigo!"_

Chainz unleashed the spike ball and chain aiming at Slash, who not only dodged it , but suddenly appeared in Chainz's face, striking him with tremendous force and knocking him into the ground.

"Now, I'm going to turn you into nothing but a bloody mess! Kiichiro, give me a spell to rip him to shreds!"

"Slash, you're going too far! I-"

"I wasn't asking, I'm telling you too!" He bellowed

Kiichiro winced before reluctantly reading another spell

"_Egdris Gazuron!"_

Two giant axe blades emerged from the ground and crossed each other forming a giant X. The newly formed X began spinning, making what appeared to be an X-shaped drill. The drill shot forward at Chainz and Ishimaru who had no time to dodge it. The drill exploded on impact, sending dust and debris everywhere.

"Still think you can stand up to me Chainz? Oh wait, you can't answer me because there's nothing left of you!"

As the dust cleared, Slash's smile immediately vanished upon seeing a spiderweb structure made from yellow paint. Much to Slash's disbelief, the web not only shielded Chainz and Ishimaru, but was also canceled out. "It's a shame that you've suddenly turned into a bloodthirsty lunatic, that spell surely would have burned Chainz's book if not outright kill him. Thankfully, I got to him before you did." Sundance said in a rare serious tone

"So you're choosing to get yourself involved in this too then so be it. The two of you can die together."

Chainz got to his feet and turned to look at Sundance. "Thanks, but I can handle Slash myself, stay out of this."

"Negative. In case you haven't noticed, something is up with Slash...he's not his normal self. From what I observed, there's something more going on here."

"That may or may not be the case, but still I can handle him on my own." Chainz argued

"I know this isn't what you wanted but look at him, this isn't the Slash you know. We have no choice but to team up."

Chainz was quiet for a moment before sighing. "Alright, let's do this!"

Chainz and Sundance positioned themselves as they prepared for the next phase of their battle with Slash.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- As you guys can see, the real fight is beginning. Chainz and Sundance vs Slash. I know its a short chapter and Slash finally lashing out after numerous frustrations has been a bit obvious for quite some time now, but it will make more sense within the oncoming chapters as the fight continues. We'll be getting back to Azure in a bit, so don't worry, this is definitely still his character arc. R&R folks.  
><strong>_


	162. Chainz and Sundance vs Slash! Part 2

"Alright Sundance, let's do this!"

Both Chainz and Sundance launched themselves at Slash unleashing multiple punches and kicks. Slash on the otherhand blocked the incoming blows. None of the mamodo would back down so the physical blows continued. Chainz and Sundance both jumped back at the same time, preparing to attack Slash from another angle.

_"Hokeigo!"_

"_Lereg Sapo!"_

Chainz opened his hand as the spikeball and chain shot from it while Sundance sent forward a wave of green paint. Both hit Slash simultaneously and knocked the Iron Prince back. Slash however, regained his footing in midair and landed on his feet. He tugged on his glove and slammed his fist into the ground, sending a massive crevice towards Chainz and Sundance, forcing them to jump out of the way. However they did not waver and were alreaddy focused for the next spell.

"_Hokekeruga!"_

_"Ra Daimon!"_

Numerous chains with hooks connected to them snaked out of Chainz's hands and whipped across Slash's body numerous times. The force from the chains flung Slash into the air. A large paintbrush appeared in Sundance's hands as he ran forward and propelled himself, becoming airborne. After coming within range of Slash in midair, he swung it with heavy strokes, sending numerous waves of dense paint everywhere. The powerful spells hit Slash directly once more as he plummeted to the ground. Taking advantage of their new found momentum, Eve and Ishimaru were already prepped on what spells to call forth for their partners next.

_"Hokaisho!"_

_"Upra!"_

Chainz and Sundance fired the focused white laser and stream of red paint from their mouths respectively, hitting Slash and setting off an explosion. As the smoke began to clear, it was evident that Slash was not only standing but smiling as well.

"He's smiling?" Chainz said, shocked

"We whipped out all kinds of spells on him and there's hardly a scratch!" Sundance exclaimed

"Is that all the two of you have? Neither of you are even remotely worthy of title of Demon King." Slash said darkly as his fangs extended from his mouth and what appeared to be silver scales began appearing on his arms.

"No way..." Sundance began

"You gotta be kidding me..." Chainz trailed off

"There have been a few things I've been hiding as well. I fully got control of this some time after defeating Treachor and I even almost revealed this back during the Alam fight. However, I'm sure it'll be even more satisfying if I killed you all with something never seen before."

The silver scales now completely covered Slash's arms, face, neck and torso, his equally silver fangs were now full visible as well.

"Slash is able to transform without moving his earrings AND control it?!" Ishimaru said shocked

"I know he's strong and all, but I thought nobody from the Cobra Clan aside from the Clan Lord could do that." Eve pointed out

"Kiichiro, you already know what spell I'm looking for, cast it now!"

"But Slash-"

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU NOT TO ARGUE WITH ME! NOW DO AS I SAY!"

The little girl trembled at Slash's booming voice but nontheless flipped the page as the cerulean light glowed on her face. The book vibrated in her shaky hands as she felt fear run rampant in her heart.

"_Hokeirga!"_

The entire industrial park rumbled as though it was caught up in an earthquake as Slash's scaly chest began to inflate. A black aura radiated from his body as the immediate area continued shaking. Chainz and Sundance stood frozen, they knew whatever was coming that there was no way they could block it and using one of their top spells to counter it wouldn't be a wise move either. Slash roared as the massive beam of silver energy erupted from his mouth. If one had to guess, the beam's radius was at least ten meters (32-33 feet) wide. The beam inevitably set off an explosion, the sheer amount of smoke and dust kicked up lead Slash to believe that his work was done. However as the smoke cleared, both Chainz and Sundance were on the ground, wounded but still alive.

"I thought that would have been enough to turn you into ashes but alas, I was wrong. This time, I won't be as inaccurate."

Chainz and Sundance both struggled to get to their feet, they intentionally took on the blast to protect their books and their partners. It was a miracle that they were even able to move, they knew that Slash had to be stopped, someway, somehow.

"If I were you, I wouldn't even waste time getting up, you're end is near!" Slash roared, glaring in Chainz and Sundance's direction

"Slash, stop this! Stop this now!" Kiichiro pleaded with him, tears beginning to form in the young girl's eyes

"Shut up! Having a mere child as a bookkeeper has held me back for far too long. Unfortunately, I have no choice but to let you live, however once I become king and by default, Clan Lord, the mention of my name will strike fear into the hearts of millions! A new age is coming, an age where I stand above all!"

"Slash, this isn't you! Come to your senses, I know you're still in there somewhere!" Kiichiro pleaded once more

"To ascend to glorious title of Demon King, I have to wipe out all who stand in my way, present threats and future threats. I can only be determined as the strongest when all who oppose me have been disposed of!" Slash yelled, clearly ignoring Kiichiro's pleas

Slash roared to the sky as the dark aura grew even stronger than before, in fact it looked reminiscent to the aura given off by Revelation Power. Dark clouds began forming in the sky, lightning began to flash subtly as Slash's demonic presence grew darker and more powerful than before.

"KIICHIRO, USE MY TOP SPELL!" Slash boomed

"No Slash! Not only will that use up most of my Heart Eneregy and a lot of your own power, but that could kill everybody nd possibly yourself! You still haven't fully recovered from the injuries you got from Alam-"

"JUST SHUT UP AND DO IT!"

"I can't-"

"DO AS I SAY NOW!" Slash bellowed, glaring at the small girl with the darkest look she had ever seen from him

Kiichiro litterally spasmed with fear as she forced herself to read the spell.

"DIOGA HOKEIRON!"

Slash's dark aura manifested itself into forming a massive iron goddess. What was different from the version he used to defeat Treachor, was the fact that this goddess was jet black and the look on her face was not calm and peaceful with her eyes closed as if she was in a deep slumber. Instead, it was angry and evil with four glowing full of hatred. The dark goddess unleashed an evil shriek as she made her way towards Chainz and Sundance amongst the others.

"Slash, don't do this!" Chainz shouted

"Stop this Slash, your partner, your brother, your comrades, everybody here will be killed! Perhaps even the innocent people in the area! Stop this at once Slash!" Angie demanded

"Please Slash, listen to her!" Kiichiro pleaded once more

"I DON'T CARE! ONCE ALL OF YOU ARE WIPED OUT, MY CHANCES OF BEING KING ARE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY! MOMENTS LIKE THESE ARE WHAT CREATE NEW ERAS!"

"Damn...you." Sundance grunted

"You can't do this!" Chainz shouted

"I CAN AND I WILL!" Slash chanted as the dark aura coming from the goddess engulfed the entire battlefield

Chainz's eyes widened as the darkness quickly engulfed him, Sundance and everyone else in the industrial park.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- This chapter was intentionally cut way short just so I could leave it on a cliffhanger. More to come this weekend! R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	163. Chainz and Sundance vs Slash! Part 3

Just as the darkness overwhelmed the entire area and made everyone's vision pitch black, it felt like everything was put on pause for a moment. This must be how death felt, nothingness. The concept of time and space flew out of the window, making it completely obsolete. Nothing mattered anymore, nothing existed in darkness except a never ending drift.

After that moment of silence and blackness passed, everything seemingly returned to normal. The darkness and the iron goddess fizzled out, dissipating completely.

Slash looked around in shock, everybody was still standing unharmed. "Why…why are your books still intact, hell why are you all still alive for that matter!? My Dioga Hokeiron was perfect just like when I used it against Treachor!"

"That's because Dioga Hokeiron…the Iron Goddess spell our mother, Iron Maiden Kiyoko created, only goes after those seen as enemies. You don't have it in you to truly be evil anymore…the good in your heart outweighs the evil, otherwise you would have never received the Revelation power of Love in the first place." Chainz said, finally understanding what had happened

Ishimaru couldn't help but smile at Chainz's moment of wisdom. He looked down at the green spell book in his hand and saw that it was glowing, revealing a new spell.

"_The seventh spell, Hokekeruk. This could be our ticket to win!"_

Sundance looked over at Ishimaru, noticing the new spell. He nodded to himself before turning his focus back to Slash.

"Anybody who gets in the way of my goal IS my enemy!" Slash screamed

"Give up the act Slash! We all know that you don't truly see us as enemies! There's nothing wrong with your goal, but reverting back to your old ways is NOT the right way to go about it!" Chainz yelled back, feeling his energy really beginning to rise

"Shut up! I am Iron Prince Slash! I have long since surpassed The Iron Maiden! The road to King goes through me!" Slash yelled, the black aura radiating from his body once more

"How can you be stronger than our mother when you couldn't even pull off Dioga Hokeiron?! You aren't stronger than her! Chainz yelled back, white scales began forming on his skin, similar to the iron scales on Slash's body.

"Chainz is transforming without removing his earrings…but how is he able to do that?" Eve asked

"I'm not sure, but this time seems to be different from what happened during the fight against Alam." Ishimaru responded

The white scales covered all of Chainz's face, arms, torso and legs as his ivory fangs extended from his mouth. A green aura began radiating from his body almost as intensely as the black aura radiating from Slash.

"Who do you think you are?! We're not trash or less than you! I'm also The Iron Maiden's son and I know that doesn't make me better than anybody else! If you think I'm going to sit here and just let you wreak havoc on innocent people THEN YOU'RE WRONG!" Chainz shouted, his green aura just as intense if not more than Slash's at this point

"YOU'RE DEAD CHAINZ!" Slash roared charging at his brother

A green and black blur could be seen crashing into each other. A black and green streak could be seen colliding into each other in the sky before darting back to the ground. Chainz punched Slash across the jaw, he advanced forward and laid punch after punch on Slash. Slash regained his footing and grabbed Chainz by the leg and slammed him into the ground, making a moderate sized crater. Chainz however, quickly got back up and tackled Slash but Slash rolled on his back and flung Chainz into the air with his foot. Chainz took back control on his body in midair as he and Slash collided once again. Both were on back on the ground as quickly as they had left it. Both brothers faced each other, auras heavily radiating.

"Why won't you back down!?" Chainz asked

"And why won't you just die!" Slash yelled

"Their levels are currently off the chart, they're currently powerful to the point where I can barely even sense them right now." Hori said, observing

Slash's tail suddenly appeared out of his back as he whipped it forward and slammed it against Chainz, knocking him down. A few of Chainz's scales came off as Slash whipped his tail back to him.

"His tail attack is like being slapped with an iron whip with barb wire wrapped around it." Chainz said, breathing heavily on his hands and knees.

"KIICHIRO! GIVE ME ANOTHER SPELL! THIS TIME I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE ALL OBLITERATED!"

"No Slash."

"WHAT?!" 

"I said no! You gone too far and I won't help you anymore! If that means I die or your book gets destroyed then so be it!" Kiichiro shouted, running towards Ishimaru and the others

"Fine then, I don't need a godforsaken child to read my book! I can win this fight on my own!"

"Give it up Slash! You will NEVER be king as long as you keep this mindset! I'll be sure of that!" Chainz yelled

"DIE!"

Slash roared as he raised his iron tail once more as the entire dark aura was focused into his tail, transforming it into black iron, appearing similar to the iron the dark goddess had. The black energy radiating from his tail was just as menacing as the dark Dioga Hokeiron was.

"That could kill Chainz! Don't do this!" Angie yelled

"IT'S OVER!" Slash shouted as his sharp tail made a beeline for Chainz's heart. Slash's tail suddenly made a sharp left turn towards Sundance who had Gigano Sabo activated , causing him to slide back. Nonetheless, Slash's iron scaled tail was caught in Sundance's spider webbed structure made from yellow paint. The electricity from the structure crackled softly as it suddenly exploded, sending Sundance airborne and crashing into the concrete.

"Sundance!" Eve yelled, the sand yellow spell book in her hand glowing

"_He used his spell to create a magnet in order to keep Slash from killing Chainz. That was a move of sheer brilliance to even think of using such a spell in that manner." Gansu Genso said to himself_

Sundance however, was seemingly fine in spite of the damage he took. Messy hair, tattered clothes and other wounds aside, he was focused on ending this battle. Unable to even pick himself up from the ground, Sundance manage d to sit up a little and saw Chainz still on his hands and knees.

"GET HIM!" Sundance yelled, making Chainz aware of the small window of opportunity he created. Ishimaru also took notice of this and decided to go ahead and try out the new spell

"It's now or never! The seventh spell, _HOKEKERUK_!"

Chainz yelled as his green aura grew more intensely than it ever had before. His intense onyx orbs he had for eyes became two glowing green sockets. Small iron spikes sprouted over the white scales on his arms, one of Chainz's ivory fangs transformed into an iron one. Chainz stood tall as he locked onto Slash's path.

"What is this!?" Slash yelled in shock

"It looks like Hokekeruk is a physical enhancement spell that normally would grow small spikes from Chainz's arms and increase his physical abilities. However, with his special ability activated, it seems to have combined the two, allowing him to mix the powers of The Iron Maiden, his mother and Lord Galeno, his father. This would explain why there are iron spikes on top of his scales and why one of his fangs is made of iron and the other of ivory." Angie said, looking on

Chainz jumped at Slash and vice versa, however Chainz was obviously faster. He struck Slash across the face with a punch, he slammed his boot into Slash's chest and he appeared behind him and slammed his elbow in his back before appearing under him and delivered a strong uppercut to Slash's stomach, sending him airborne.

Chainz focused a lot of his aura into his fist as he leaped into the air along with Slash and slammed his fist into Slash's jaw once more. An afterimage of a white cobra could be seen for a split second as Slash plummeted to the ground. His iron scales faded away as he laid there, defeated.

"Those two are amazing…" Meida said

"They did it…they beat Slash." Angie said"

"Chainz's potential is off the charts, if he learns how to control his ability, he would be virtually unstoppable." Gansu Genso said

Sundance simply grinned before fading out of consciousness.

Chainz stood over his brother's body and roared to the sky. His white scales and spikes faded away and his fangs shrunk and returned to normal. After roaring, he collapsed right next to Slash, laughing as he did so.

"It's finally over…"

_**A/N- I promise that there will be no more short chapters for a while now. I could have put the aftermath in this chapter but it would have been way too long, so I'll save it for Wednesday. Chainz and Sundance managed to beat Slash so what happens now? R&R folks! **_


	164. A very long and awaited update!

_**Prince Gray here letting you guys know that Iron Revolution ain't dead and will be returning this weekend! Now that school's out of the way and my work schedule is now stable, I'll have time to get this thing going again. Things will be returning to their normal schedule from next week onwards, but as a way of repayment for making you guys wait for so long, I'm going to most likely release either two or three chapters this upcoming weekend.**_

_**Once again, sorry about the abrupt hiatus!**_

_**~PG**_


	165. A new direction!

Chainz and Sundance were sitting upright in chairs covered in multiple layers in bandages, especially Chainz. From what they remembered, both of them had numerous broken bones, moderate burns and in Chainz's case, torn ligaments. Any normal kids would have been in the hospital for months, but with Chainz and Sundance being mamodo, their injuries were expected to heal to the point they can walk around and whatnot within a few days and fully heal in a couple of weeks.

"So where do you guys go from here?" Gansu Genso asked

"I wish we knew the answer to that ourselves." Sundance said

Thanks to a broken jawbone and his mouth being wired shut as a result, Chainz could only communicate by hitting a button on a handheld remote that made a beeping noise. The general rule was one beep for yes and to beeps for no, in Chainz's case however, it seems as if he had developed a language made out of a series of beeps. Or at least so Ishimaru thought.

"Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep." Chainz responded

"Huh?"

"He said that the only thing we can do is get even stronger than before since this IS still a battle to determine the next king." Sundance said

"Wait, you can understand him?" Eve asked, somewhat astonished but not entirely surprised

"Yeah, you can say that. It isn't that hard to learn Chainz's mindset."

"Beep. Beep. Beep."

"Such language!" Sundance said in response

The banter was interrupted by Slash's sudden appearance in the room, which grew silent in an instant. The Iron Prince was only slightly bandaged, only suffering a few cuts, bruises and a mild concussion which explained the ice pack wrapped around his head. Chainz immediately began pressing the button, making numerous beeps in the span of a few seconds.

"Translation?" Eve asked

"He said that he was going to beat Slash in a real fight next time and won't lose." Sundance said

"Didn't you guys just beat him?" Meida asked

"Not really…first off, look at what he did to us while he's barely hurt and this was without him being at full strength thanks to the Alam fight. Secondly, it was two against one and even then Chainz's book could have been destroyed on multiple occasions. It was moreso a draw…I mean, I'm not trying to fully undermine or discredit what we did against Slash but those are just facts." Sundance said truthfully

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here." Omar said harshly

"I am not here to fight, where is Kiichiro?"

"Why should we tell you that?" Rachel asked, she and Beat weren't present at the fight, but word had spread to everybody about what had happened

"I think you should leave." Roland said, also wasn't present at the fight but like Rachel and Beat, had heard what happened

"She's playing in the backyard." Ishimaru said, causing the others to look at him

Slash nodded in approval before going into Ishimaru's backyard.

"Why did you tell him?" Eve asked, curious

"He would have figured it out anyway, plus they need to talk."

Slash walked out into the backyard and saw Kiichiro sitting there. The young girl heard the door open and turned to look at her partner.

"Hi."

"Can I sit down?"

Kiichiro nodded as the Iron Prince sat next to her. It was silent for the next minute or so before Slash spoke up.

"You know I'm not really good at this stuff but I'm sorry...for everything."

Kiichiro simply shook her head in response. "I know...that wasn't you saying or doing all of that stuff."

"That's no excuse! Besides...a lot of that really was me, today showed that even I still have a lot to learn."

"Well, let's continue to learn together!" Kiichiro said triumphantly

"I don't get it...after everything I done and said, yous till want to be my partner?"

"Of course! Nobody's perfect and there's no way I could say no after everything we've been through."

Slash sighed, there was no he was going to convince this child to ditch him as a partner. Even if he didn't fully show it, he was grateful to have someone as caring and forgiving as Kiichiro. Especially when many others wouldn't have been as lenient. The little girl clamped her arms around his neck as they embraced before finally letting go.

"Kiichiro, I will never falter like that ever again and that's a promise."

Before she could respond, a flurry of snow filled the area as Solin and Sara materialized. Within a minute, everybody was inside Ishimaru's house and gathered around the Ice Titan. "I suppose a congratulations is in order for both Chainz and Sundance for beating Slash. I will also confirm some of your suspicious about it being an outside force that amplified Slash's corruption."

"If you knew about this, then why didn't you do anything to stop it?" Gansu Genso demanded, angry at hearing this considering that he and Omar could have been killed because of this.

"I admittedly could have stepped in at any moment and neutralized the situation but I wanted to let Chainz and Sundance handle it themselves. I apologize for risking your lives, but it had to be done."

"What exactly is this outside force you speak of?" Ishimaru asked, curious

"That is another question for another time. That is not for you to worry about right now." Solin said as Sara grabbed his hand and faded away as quickly as he came.

"Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep." Chainz pressed the button in his hand multiple times. In response, everybody looked at Sundance for a translation

"He said that he doesn't like how Solin is always really vague with his explanations."

"In the meantime, we shall continue to rest and fully heal from our injuries because of the training we have ahead of us." Slash announced

"So you're going to help them after all?" Eve asked, somewhat rhetorically

"I lost and a wager is a wager. For the record, there's a chance neither of them survives the training we'll undergo, so don't hold me responsible if that's what happens."

"We're not backing out, no matter what." Ishimaru said to which Eve nodded

* * *

><p>Levitating over the Industrial Park was none other than Celandor. He observed the carnage from Slash's battle with Chainz and Sundance before finally speaking to himself. <strong>"So it appears that I have enough power to only temporarily distort and corrupt Revelation Power. I must continue to bide my time until all of my power comes to me and I can fully usurp power from the hands of those who lack the responsibility to wield power in the first place. The days of the Black Corps, the Revelation Holders and the others whom I deem irresponsible are coming to an end."<strong>

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- Extremely short chapter but whatever, I'm back. Celandor's intentions are a little more fleshed out now and things will be picking up again soon. The focus returns to Azure in the next chapter for quite a long time. I will be changing the cover pic soon as well. Lots to come and once again, sorry for the long hiatus. Thank you to those of you who are still sticking around to see the conclusion of Iron Revolution! You know the drill, R&R folks!**_


	166. They awaken! Azure in trouble!

"The process of lifting them out of suspended animation has finally ended, the time for their awakening has come."

Aria and her human partner Mia stood before the now drained tanks decked out in lab coats. The mamodo girl pressed a few buttons as the thick glass containers unlocked and opened. The humans and mamodo awakened and rose from their former glass prisons. They were completely naked, but Aria made a mental note to do something about that later. She took in the appearance of all four of the mamodo immediately, going from left to right.

The first of the ground was an ogre mamodo standing at a towering seven feet tall (2.13 meters). Aria could immediately tell that he was a large brute with dark tan skin. On the top of his head was a mat of wild blue hair and two thick horns protruded from the sides of his head. Muscles bulged from his massive frame, indicating his sheer strength. The human standing next to him was an overweight balding man who appeared to be middle aged, his olive skin indicated that he was of Italian origin. Aria couldn't tell the man's eye color due to the distance but if she had to guess, she would choose a really dull hazel.

"According to the data, this mamodo goes by the name of Totum and the human's name is George Castrato. Seems easy enough to remember."

Aria moved on to the second mamodo to the right of Totum and George. Unlike Totum, this mamodo was a tall teenaged boy or so Aria guessed considering the Fu Manchu styled facial hair he had. His body frame was lean and quite lanky, his skin was almost as "pure" as Altheria's, much to Aria's delight. Overlooking him some more, she noticed the effeminate violet eyes that strangely complimented his Fu Manchu. The human next to him was easily identifiable as a Jamaican teenager thanks to his dreadlocks and darker complexion. His sleepy eyes mulled around the room, clearly still getting used to being outside of suspended animation for the first time in years.

"This mamodo is named Grooz and the human partner is named Ziggy Wallace. I'll make a mental note of that."

She approached the third mamodo, a young girl with curly light green hair and skin that was somewhere between pale and tanned, her eyes a faded olive green. Aria looked the girl over before turning to the young woman next to her. Her skin tone was roughly similar to the young girl's, her back length hair however, was a rich dark brown and somewhat covered her naked chest. Aria noticed that she was roughly the same height as the human woman and looked down at the clipboard for their names.

"The mamodo girl's name is Ceralia and the human goes by the name Cecilia Gardner."

Aria made her way over the final mamodo and human partner, but unlike the others before, they were looking directly at her, apparently observing what she had done with the others because she didn't even have to ask for their names.

"My name, is Kagin."

"And my name is Racer Briggs." the human said after Kagin spoke

Aria looked over the boy, he had to be around four feet (1.21 meters) tall, his golden brown hair was spiked up like a faux hawk, which confused Aria due to the amount of pressure put on the body in suspended animation. She however, decided to move on from that and saw that his golden eyes were interestingly reminiscent of an eagle's. His dark brown skin is comparable to caramel, complimenting his golden eyes.

The one who called himself Racer, wasn't as dark as Kagin, quite the opposite actually. His pale skin was almost the color of snow, navy blue hair covered hi head and his frame wasn't entirely frail yet at the same time wasn't buff or athletic either. Aria was shaken from her observation as soon as she heard a question.

"What is going on, why are we here and why are we naked?"

Aria turned to see that Kagin was the one asking the question, which didn't entirely surprise her. She expected that she would be asked this sooner or later and already had her answers prepared.

"You all have been awakened and are now property of the Black Corps." she said with a smile

"We work for the one and only Treachor." Kagin responded back

"Light Titan Treachor is no more, Lord Blue made sure of that. He and his Black Corps seized all Light Society assets, including all of his followers." Aria half-lied and obviously avoided giving any credit to Slash

Kagin was silent for a moment and looked away. After a minute or so, he looked back at Aria.

"So what do we do now?"

"There are two mamodo and three humans that are to be hunted down and destroyed.

* * *

><p>"Haaaah!"<p>

Azure's scythe collided with Sola's fan, neither pushing the other back. The stalemate soon broke as Sola knocked Azure back and swung her fan, sending up a strong gust of wind. The blast of wind ripped Azure's scythe from his hand, the weapon landed off in the distance. Defenseless due to his low skill inhand to hand combat, Azure began to chase after his scythe, but Sola unleashed another blast of wind, sending the ice mamodo flying through the air. Despite numerous attempts, Azure couldn't regain control of his body in time and hit the ground with a painful thud.

"Owww." he groaned

"Azure, you're going to have to learn how to fight without your scythe. You know as well as I do that we can't keep avoiding enemy mamodo forever, we're lucky that we have only encountered as few as we have so far." Rika scolded

Azure said nothing in response to Rika. She was right, he couldn't rely only on his scythe, his movepool needed to be increased. Rika helped Azure off the ground as the fatigued mamodo decided to call the day's sparring match to an end. She watched him look himself over before turning to her. "I want to wash myself off at the pond. Where was it again?"

Rika and Lily found one of the city parks to train in and chose a specific spot within the wooded area of the massive park, far away from any people. Their area of the park looked as if it was somewhere in the wilderness, which happens to be one of the park's many charms. It wasn't a terribly cold day despite it being the last week of November, a mild day with clear skies was a nice sight especially when the first snow is looming ahead.

"I already told you, go past the first bush, past those three sakura trees and it will be on your left."

Azure nodded his head as he hurried off to the stream, leaving Rika with Sola and Lily.

Ever since their adventure at the laboratory, Rika has been pestered nonstop by Derrick to help his cause and every attempt has been met with a stern no. She had no idea why he was so persistent, other than the fact that she and Lily were the only two bookkeepers at their school. She found herself sitting on a nearby bench as she took a deep breath and relaxed until Azure returned.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Azure finally came across the pond, he immediately set his shoes and socks aside and got into the water. The dirt washed away fairly quickly, allowing him to move from his feet to his face. After the cool water rinsed everything away, Azure stood there for a moment and began to stare at his reflection. Before he could comment on what he saw, he noticed a few ripple in the water. The only reason this alarmed him was due to the fact that the ripple were coming from the opposite direction and he was the only one there or so he thought.<p>

"Wh-Who's there?!" Azure half-asked, half-shouted which nobody answered

He reluctantly returned to washing himself in the water and all would have been well if it wasn't for the ripples getting larger, whoever was there was making their presence known to him.

Azure looked up again and unlike last time, he saw a large figure off into the distance. Not wanting to stick around, he grabbed his shoes and socks while sprinting through the wooded area. He had to find the others and quickly.

"_It's another mamodo…but I can't overtly since its power level, so I have no idea how strong they are." He said to himself_

After a few minutes passed, Azure noticed that he hadn't passed any of the landmarks Rika told him about. Looking around, he began to get worried, he must have ran the wrong way after he panicked and what's worse, is that the rumbling from earlier was getting louder and louder.

"Wait, the rumbling from earlier?" Azure said, looking around for his pursuer

Rika was sitting on the bench as she, Lily and Sola heard a loud scream. Rika's eyes shot open as she noticed a flock of black birds flying out of the tree, startled by the scream.

"That scream…" Lily said

"It sounded like Azure, let's go!" Rika exclaimed

* * *

><p>Azure stood before his pursuers, one of whom, Totum, the large ogre mamodo seen in Aria's lab and his human partner, George Castrato. To Azure's dismay, the ogre mamodo wore nothing but a loincloth and was even bare footed. He felt the familiar wave of fear in his heart as he stood at Totum, he knew there was no place for him to run at this point.<p>

"Puny mamodo, Totum will make quick work out of crushing you!"

"Who are you? What did I even do to you?"

"Totum has been sent here to crush you!" the big ogre mamodo said, referring to himself in the third person

Azure was confused, why would anybody want him destroyed? "Who sent you?" he asked

"That's nothing you should be worried about since you won't live to see them anyway!"

He figured that he would find out soon but in the meantime, his only worry was not getting crushed by the brutish ogre before him. However, Azure could sense Rika and the others heading in his direction, which gave Azure a sense of hope. He wasn't used to fighting without his scythe nor his spell book but he knew he had to hold out until Rika got there.

Totum stomped the ground with his heavy foot, sending a large crevice towards Azure, who jumped out of the way.

"I barley dodged that, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought."

**_A/N- Sorry for the wait, but here it is. Azure's in a tight spot, let's see how and if he gets out of this one! R&R folks! _**


	167. Azure vs Totum!

_**A/N- Make sure you read the previous chapter before reading this one!**_

Azure stood face to face with the behemoth mamodo as the tension in the air thickened to the point it could be cut into pieces. He couldn't use any spells thanks to Rika not being anywhere near him and he couldn't escape, putting him into a situation with the odds heavily stacked against him.

No longer content with ongoing glare contest, Totum charged forward like a rampaging bull and Azure swiftly sidestepped him. The ogre mamodo turned around and charged once more, horns extended outward. Azure did the same as before and sidestepped him.

"_If he keeps charging headfirst like this, I can sidestep him and buy enough time to find an exit!" _Azure thought to himself as he kept a sharp eye on Totum and his surroundings in hopes of finding an opening. To anyone watching, they would think that Azure was bravely standing up to Totum but in reality, Azure was as afraid as always. He only stood up because he had no other choice; it was either fight or perish. He knew he had to keep his cool (no pun intended) if he wanted to see another day.

"Totum crushes you NOWWWW!" The ogre mamodo roared as the stone gray book in George's hands began glowing

"_Goruk!"_

Totum roared once again as veins began popping out of his muscles and his body began to grow slightly. A gray aura lightly radiated from his body as chunks of the ground broke apart from the sheer pressure of his power. The ogre mamodo charged at Azure and like before, he began to sidestep him, only for his leg to be grabbed by Totum's strong grip. He then raised Azure in the air before slamming him into the ground like a club. More chunks of the earth scattered everywhere as Totum picked up Azure and slammed him into the ground once more. This time, it left the ice mamodo in a small crater.

Groggy, Azure couldn't remember the last time he had been in this much pain. Most of the time the enemy couldn't physically damage him thanks to his scythe not letting them get too close to him. He wasn't sure how much of a beating he could take. His thoughts were interrupted by Totum's hands yanking him out of the crater, the ogre mamodo flung him into an area full of trees. Like in the sparring match against Sola earlier, Azure tried to control his body in midair, but was unsuccessful and he crashed into the trees, breaking through the trunks of a few of them. This of course would have killed any ordinary person , but with Azure being a mamodo, this only resulted in a few bruised or broken ribs.

Breathing heavily due to his injured ribs, Azure forced himself to sit up. He had to think of his next move and quickly. However, before he could act Totum was once again in front of him. The behemoth dropped his elbow onto Azure's stomach, forcing him to spit up a little blood. Azure shrieked in pain which soon took his breath away thanks to hard time he was already having from breathing.

"_I can't let it end like this…I gotta do something, anything…"_

Unbeknownst to Azure, small icicles were beginning to form on his right leg.

Meanwhile, Rika and the others saw Azure, Totum and his human partner George up ahead. They had originally went towards the pond area where Azure had originally went off to as a means of scouting the area. Then they made their way to where they saw the startled birds flew away from the trees. "That's them!" Lily shouted as they drew closer

Azure heard Lily's voice which gave him a jolt of energy because he knew Rika would be with them. Motivation filled Azure's body as he looked on at Totum who raised both his fists in the air and prepared to perform a double axe handle in order to finish Azure off. Before Rika or Lily could read a spell or even Totum could hit Azure, he instinctively used his hands to spring off the tree trunk and brought his ice covered right leg forward, connecting with Totum's chin. The ogre mamodo fell down, hitting the ground with a thud.

Everybody looked on in shock. "What was THAT?" Lily asked as they finally reached Azure's side

"I…I didn't even know I could do that." Azure replied, now standing up

"Are you alright Azure?" Rika asked

"I am now." He said, smiling

"Good to hear, it's going to be a whole new ballgame now." Rika said, as the light blue spell book began glowing

"_Scytharias Icicalia!"_

A light blue orb hovered above Azure's hands as it extended and formed into a familiar ice scythe. Feeling the power in his hands, Azure swung it towards the right as a wave of icicles emerged. Azure then pointed it at the now rising Totum. "I'm taking you down."

"Totum will crush Ice Boy until Ice Boy is no more!" The ogre bellowed

Totum charged at Azure and swung his heavy fist, only for Azure to block it with his scythe. A small sheet of ice covered Totum's fist, causing the ogre to yelp in pain. Azure then cut the ogre in the chest with the scythe, sending back towards the ground. A cut formed as a small stream of blood slowly dripped from the wound. Even more enraged, Totum stood up and tried to charge at Azure once more, Azure simply swung his scythe as the wave of ice pushed him down once more, this time freezing his right leg. Not giving him a chance to make another move, Azure quickly made his way over to Totum and slammed the bottom of his scythe into Totum's stomach, effectively covering his entire body in ice save for his head.

"It's over."

"He did it! Azure won!" Lily cheered

Rika however was silent, for somebody who was beating Azure into a bloody pulp that was WAY too quick and easy for them to be overpowered so quickly. Even though Rika knew Azure was far stronger than he appeared or that most would even give him credit for, however, at this point in the battle for king, there's no way someone that weak would still be around. Something wasn't right and she knew they were going to find out soon.

"Tell me who sent you." Azure asked, standing next to the ice covered heap otherwise known as Totum's body. In response, the ogre mamodo simply chuckled. The laugh wasn't an evil or a psychotic one; it was a hearty, stupid one. One you would expect from a big, fairly stupid creature like Totum.

"Do you think you beat Totum that easy? Totum not weak, Totum will show Ice Boy what Totum can really do!" The ogre mamodo snarled

"_Dos Goruk!"_

A large vein popped out of the side of Totum's head as the ground began to shake and Totum began to roar. The ice covering his body and keeping him frozen to the ground began to crack before eventually shattering. To Azure's surprise Totum's muscles grew even larger than before. In addition to his muscles, his height grew dramatically until the point he stood at over seven feet tall. His horns grew as well in order to stay proportionate to the rest of his growing body.

"This is Totum's second form, Totum show Ice Boy true power in this form!"

"_I knew that was too easy…with my scythe I was able to overpower him in his first form but now that he's gone to his second form, we're about even now according to what I can sense from his demonic aura."_ Azure said to himself

The newly powered up Totum swung his fist at Azure, which he was able to block by turning his scythe sideways, albeit barely. The ice mamodo stood his ground as both he and Totum jumped back, putting a distance between each other.

Azure gripped his scythe tightly as he charged Totum head on. The ogre mamodo swung his first fist but Azure jumped over the brute's arm and slammed his scythe down, only for it to be blocked by the ogre's forearm. Totum slammed his hands together in an attempt to crush Azure but the ice mamodo jumped out of the way and landed on his feet, still in front of his adversary. Azure ran forward and swung his scythe and Totum immediately blocked it again. He dodged another heavy punch from Totum and their close combat continued on as a stalemate, neither side budging an inch. Azure however, fell back closer to Rika before turning to his partner.

"Rika, we're going to have to find another opening. I won't be able to directly attack him with only my scythe; I'll be playing right into his hands.

"Right, start flanking him and I'll hit him with something else."

Azure darted to his right in an attempt to throw Totum off but the ogre mamodo was surprisingly smarter than he came off to be. He simply stood in place, so Azure immediately had to adjust. He ran forward before springing off the tip of his hoot, becoming airborne. Both Azure and Rika mutually saw this as an ample opportunity and weren't going to let it slip.

"_Runaega!"_

Azure opened his hand as a stream of icicles fired from it; he quickly aimed them at Totum's feet. Totum defensively slapped the icicles away, leaving his upper body open. Azure smirked as he saw this as yet another opportunity. He swung his ice scythe downwards in hopes of landing yet another big hit on Totum but felt a sharp pain immediately rise in his abdomen. Azure quickly realized that something wasn't right. He hesitantly looked down as his fears were confirmed; Totum's horn impaled th right side of his chest!

Azure was shocked, this meant that Totum saw right through his strategy and allowed him to get close just so he can do this. "Ahhhh!" Azure screeched in pain

The blood began to drip on Totum's horn and head as Azure dangled there in even more pain than earlier.

"Azure!"

"Totum makes Ice Boy into a cowboy!" The ogre guffawed as he began bouncing the impaled Azure on his horn. The blood continued to spill on Totum's head as he let Azure hang there.

"Ahhhhhhhh! Ahhhhhhh!" Azure screamed once more, the agony almost making him pass out

"Damn you!" Sola snarled, as she opened her fan and the spell book in Lily's hand began to glow

"You monster!" Lily growled, her commonly happy face now a rare scowl

"Don't….get involved!" Azure shouted, spitting out blood on the ground

"Yee-haw! Ride em' buckaroo!" Totum whooped, his horn sliding deeper into Azure's chest to the point his horn could be seen emerging out of Azure's back as he continued jostling him around.

"It's over. Totum make Ice Boy bleed to death!" Totum boomed as he jumped in the air and made Azure's wound even worse

"We can't just stand here and watch him die! We need to do something now!" Lily shouted

"You heard Azure, stay out of this." Rika said, surprisingly calm

"_I hope you know what you're doing…" she thought to herself_

"Rika!" Azure yelled, blood slowly dripping from his mouth

"What?"

"Use…Spherical Icicalia…" he said, coughing up blood between words. It was a struggle staying conscious, a battle Azure was only winning due to sheer willpower.

Rika opened looked down at the glowing spell book before looking back up at Azure. He was somehow hanging in there despite being impaled by one of Totum's horns, despite bleeding profusely and despite his other internal injuries from earlier. If Azure can continue to stand strong then so could she.

"Hurry!" he yelled, his eyes beginning to close, his surrounding beginning to fade

"Totum don't get it. How is Ice Boy still alive? Totum will make sure that Ice Boy dies." The brute yelled as he began to leap in the air once again.

Rika knew it was now or never, Azure's chance to be king and ultimately his life rested on this one spell.

"The sixth spell, _Spherical Icicalia!_

_**A/N- I know it's one of my more graphic chapters, but as the stakes get higher, the battles will get bloodier. I will however, keep the violence within T rated standards without slipping too far into M rated territory. Well, we're on a cliffhanger here. Totum has impaled Azure and he has bled to the point to near unconsciousness, did Rika chant the spell in time or is it too late? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_


	168. Azure vs Totum! Part 2

"The sixth spell, _Spherical Icicalia!_

Azure's body began to glow a light transparent blue as Totum stopped jostling him and looked on in curiosity. The light grew brighter until a flash erupted in the area, causing Rika and the others to turn away. After about a minute or so, the flash faded enough to where they could loo without being blinded. Rika couldn't believe her eyes at what she saw. Azure stood tall, scythe in hand and it was clear he was no longer impaled nor bleeding. In fact, the very horn that impaled was only a mere pile of frozen chunks off to the side.

"What just happened?" Lily asked, shocked but not as speechless as Rika

"My Spherical Icicalia spell allows me to freeze anything that comes into contact with me or anything within a certain range. I was able to freeze Totum's horn and chop it into pieces with my scythe, I also froze the wound in my chest in order to stop the bleeding. Even though it's numb and taken care of for now, it will eventually thaw and continue so it's not a permanent fix."

"But what about getting frostbite?"

"It is impossible for ice mamodo to suffer from frostbite, especially from their own ice." Azure explained without even turning around

Totum was horrified, his opponent, whom he had at the ropes not only managed to turn the tables but also removed one of his beloved horns. This sent the brute into a fury like none before.

"Ice Boy defaced Totum! Totum make Ice Boy pay!"

"Not today. Rika, let's do this!" Azure yelled, a new vigor fueling within him

Rika had to admit that she loved the rare moments when Azure got fired up. Without hesitating, the book began to glow and Rika put her energy from within into its pages.

"Let's play up the speed advantage, _Raian Hovaria!"_

A wave board instantly appeared as Azure hopped on top and took off. Azure instantly became a blur that could barely be seen with the naked eye. He suddenly appeared before Totum and slashed the scythe multiple times, leaving cuts upon the ogre's forearms. Azure then reappeared behind him and connected his foot into Totum's neck, knocking the gargantuan forward. Azure then reappeared directly under Totum's stomach, driving the bottom of the scythe into it, knocking the Ogre backwards. With overwhelming momentum, Azure swung his scythe as numerous ice waves emerged from the ground, sending Totum airborne. Azure slid up his newly made ice waves with his board, swiftly getting above Totum as his feet clapped the board over his back with tremendous force, dropping him into the ground. A crater formed as Azure quickly emerged from it, appearing to have won.

"Your…time…is up." Azure said between breaths

Of course, Azure spoke too soon as the large figure emerged from the crater. Totum stood up, still enraged but cut up and bruised. This mamodo had a lot of fight left within him!

"Ice Boy thinks fancy combo is enough to beat Totum. Totum show Ice Boy what Totum can really do!"

"What he can really do? So this means he has another form he can use? What is this guy?" Lily asked, bewildered

"_Go Goruk!"_

Totum's fist grew abnormally large, large to the point of it almost over taking his body. The brutish mamodo swung the massive fist and Azure attempted to dodge it, but the fist was too large, it crashed into him and sent him flying into a tree.

"Azure!"

Azure got up and added a bruised shoulder to his growing list of injuries he was going to feel after the battle. The sheer size made it virtually impossible to use Raian Hovaria to float over it or to zoom around it. He had to make another plan or this was going to be the end of his time on Earth, his freedom, Adella's sacrifice would be in vain…Adella. Azure lamented thinking about his fallen twin sister at a time like this but she was always on his mind.

"_Adella…I could really use your help right now. I want to make your dream come true more than anything else…"_

Seeing Azure lost in his thoughts, Totum took this as another opportunity and slammed his insanely large fist into Azure again, flinging him into another tree. Totum opened his massive hand and grabbed Azure before dragging him back to the immediate area. He closed his fist and began squeezing Azure, causing the ice mamodo to yell in pain.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Azure screamed as he felt the pressure began to cave his already broken ribs inward. He felt his other bones beginning to cave in on the pressure as well, if something wasn't done soon, he was going to be crushed if not worse.

Rika had to do something fast. Azure couldn't last much longer under Totum's grip and there was no way Azure could use many of his spells thanks to the constriction on his body. All Rika wanted to do was loosen Totum's grip and give Azure a chance to escape. As he was being crushed, Azure's mind was surprisingly not on the pain but instead, still on Adella. The image of her being struck down by the blasts from Chase's guns still fresh in his memory. Her words rang in his ears as if she were standing there next to him.

"_Azure you must have courage, you must be strong…"_

That seemed to be the second spark Azure needed as Totum's grip suddenly relinquished, to Azure that moment had to be faster than the speed of sound because it took him a few seconds later to hear Totum's painful scream. Azure looked down and saw the small blades of ice extending from all over his body. It was reminiscent to the blades of ice on his leg that built up and allowed him to dish out a very powerful kick into Totum's chin.

Azure obviously wasn't sure how he was able to do that, but was very grateful to wherever it came from. His body was in pretty bad shape. Blood dripped from his mouth, his chest wound was beginning to thaw out and bleed again, his ribs broken and his left arm hanging akimbo, most likely dislocated from his shoulder. He felt bruises on his back and shoulders but honestly did not want to see them. He turned to an equally shocked Rika and nodded.

Rika was taken aback by this. "Azure, if I use that spell, it can drain your life fore, especially in your current condition—"

"I don't care, it's the only way I can beat a guy like this…I'll do whatever it takes to win."

Rika sighed and reluctantly flipped towards the back of the spell book as the blue light began to radiate from it once more.

"_Antharias Icicalia!"_

A light blue aura began to emit from Azure as he felt a strong surge of energy throughout his body. The pain from his wounds temporarily vanishing, he knew he had to take advantage of this newfound strength before it wore off.

"_Adella…you saved me again. I won't let this be in vain, I promise!"_

"What's this?" Totum wondered as Azure released even more energy than before

Azure stood there, the wind slowly swaying his now hair back and forth. He began slowly walking towards Totum as the gargantuan mamodo began to truly sense the potency of the energy he was exerting.

"Ice Boy can use all of the fancy tricks he wants, Totum will still crush him!" The gargantuan yelled, swinging his massive fist again

Azure however, simply held out his hand, stopping it effortlessly. Totum's arm and fist shrunk back to normal size as Azure continued forward, clearly set on taking out Totum.

"Ice Boy won't stop Totum!" The ogre mamodo grunted, stupidly charging towards him at full speed

Totum barreled towards Azure, only to be met with a punch that sent him flying into a sea of trees. The brute got back up and charged at Azure again, this time being cut off after only a few feet of running thanks to Azure's enhanced speed. Azure gifted two punches to Totum's stomach, sending the large mamodo to his knees.

"_Wavarius Runaega!"_

Azure stomped his foot as four waves of ice shot from the ground, forming a cross. The large ice waves propelled Totum into the air, flinging his heavy body like a mere ragdoll. He landed into another section of trees a few hundred yards away. Much to Azure and Rika's surprise, the ogre mamodo managed to get up and confront them again, clearly still willing to fight. His eyes were bloodshot and angry, his body tense albeit damaged.

"Ice Boy…thinks he can beat Totum like Totum is weakling! No…Totum show Ice Boy even more of what Totum can do!"

"Wait, he still has more?" Rika asked, surprised and unsure how much longer Azure could keep up the spell

_"Ganzu Goruk!"_

Totum's hands and feet grew significantly though nowhere near the extent of his fist when using Go Gazoruk. The ogre mamodo slammed his fists down, creating a large shockwave, one strong enough to knock Azure down in spite of his enhanced form. Totum jumped into the air and slammed his enhanced feet onto the ground, sending forth another shockwave that slightly leveled the ground around him.

"Ice Boy don't want to see Totum go berserk. Ice Boy no like Totum when Totum goes berserk."

"Well I already don't like you, so there's no need to worry about that." Azure said matter-of-factly

"Ice Boy make fun of Totum? Totum go berserk and show Ice Boy that Totum means business!"

The tiny-brained Ogre set his feet as a clear aura began to charge up around him. Azure did not like the look of this, but knew he had to overcome the continuously mounting challenge before him. It was only a matter of time before his Antharias Icicalia spell wore off and he would lose the only chance he had at defeating Totum.

Totum continued charging his energy as the ground in his immediate area flattened and broke apart thanks to the sheer pressure of his energy. Even more veins popped from his thick muscles which in turn increased their striation, making him look even more menacing than before. His eyes still bloodshot and his face quivering, he glared at Azure with bloodlust and hatred.

"I am now in Berserk Mode."

Azure was taken aback by Totum's sudden change of speech patterns. As appealing as a smarter Totum would be, something told Azure that this was something he didn't want to see.

_**A/N- And Adella comes through for Azure even after she is long gone. (Bonus points for whoever can tell me what early chapter that quote is from.) Totum has gone Berserk and it's not looking very good for Azure. This match can't seesaw forever, somebody has to win! Who will it be? Find out as we conclude this fight in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_


	169. Azure vs Totum! Part 3

"I don't care what mode you're in, I'm taking you down!" Azure yelled

Totum began stomping his feet, sending multiple shockwaves everywhere. The ogre's continuous stomping and thrashing about induced tremors that made it difficult for Azure to move, even with the spell enhancement. Still stunned from the shockwaves, Azure couldn't see Totum's next move. The ogre ripped up a large chunk of the earth and flung it towards his foe, using the shockwaves from his stomping to break down the chunk of ground into tiny pieces, transforming the into projectiles. The chunks pelted Azure mercilessly, but the ice mamodo stayed on his feet, something that would have been impossible without his enhancement spell.

After the barrage subsided, Azure looked up to see his eyes being met by Totum's bloodshot orbs. The ice mamodo felt his feet begin to move and his body surge forward, appearing as though instinct had taken over. Azure's feet left the ground as he flung himself at Totum, the ogre simply swatted his body away with his large hand, sending him back towards the ground. unlike the previous instances, Azure regained control over his body in midair and landed on his feet after performing a midair somersault.

"_Even with the enhancement spell, my hand to hand attacks are still weak. I'll definitely need my scythe for this!"_

"Rika! I need my scythe, there's no way I'm going to beat him without it!"

_"__Scythrias Icicalia!"_

Azure released the blue orb from his hand as it straightened out and became his ice scythe. Rika noticed that it was noticeably sleeker and sharper than normal thanks to the enhancement spell Antharias Icicalia. Rika knew her partner couldn't continuously exert this much energy for too much longer, especially when it involves life force without putting himself in danger. She knew that this battle needed to end as quickly as possible.

Azure seemed to understand Rika's sentiments because he wasted no time surging forward once more, picking up speed as he ran towards Totum. "I'll make sure that you're crushed!" Totum yelled slamming his foot down, sending numerous large chunks of earth into the air.

The first chunk of earth came towards Azure, but the ice mamodo jumped to his left, dodging it. The second chunk barreled a straight path towards him, but Azure sidestepped that one as well. Not losing a second of speed, Azure continued running and allowed his feet to leave the ground, causing him to become airborne. His feet landed on top of the third chunk as he readied his scythe and unleashed a large wave of ice in one large swing, freezing the fourth, fifth and sixth chunk. Taking advantage of this, Azure swung his scythe once more, slicing through the earth chunks as the debris began to rain down upon the battlefield. Totum had no choice but to cover himself and his bookkeeper George fro the debris. Rika, Lily and Sola were shielded by Sola's fan as Azure was now directly above Totum.

Azure swung his scythe downwards, sending another large wave of ice at the ogre. The ice was too fierce for Totum to effectively dodge and froze his forearm as a result. Azure then performed a 180 degree spin as he unleashed another wave of ice from his scythe, Totum used his frozen forearm to absorb the second wave of ice in order to prevent both of his arms from being frozen.

Azure landed on his feet in front of Totum, breathing heavily. "Rika, use Spherical Icicalia, I'm going to freeze this guy right in his tracks!"

Rika simply nodded at Azure's suggestion. _"Spherical Icialia!"_

Azure's scythe rested in his left hand while the clear blue aura began forming in his right. The aura formed into a sphere as Azure ran towards Totum and flung the sphere at the ogre mamodo as hard as he could. Totum raised his ice covered left forearm and took the sphere, causing another sheet of thick ice to cover his forearm.

"I stopped you from freezing both of my arms, making your spell obsolete!" Totum yelled, felling triumphant

"That's just what I thought you'd do." Azure said smiling

"What?!" Totum exclaimed as he slammed his right fist on his left forearm in order to shatter the ice like he did earlier

Unlike the previous attempts, this one was not successful. "Why isn't the ice breaking!?"

Totum slammed his heavy fist on his ice covered forearm once more, the ice still withheld. Much to his horror, the small chunks of ice began forming on his right forearm, the ogre mamodo desperately tried shaking the growing ice shards off but to no avail. The ice continued to spread over his right forearm, the outcome of this battle now inevitable.

"What did you do to me?! What is this stuff?!"

"I knew I was faster than you despite your Berserk Mode being more powerful than my Antharias Icicalia enhancement spell. Mainly due to the fact that I analyzed your fighting style. Unlike earlier, when you were more confronting, your attacks have all been from long range which indicated a close range weakness. Even though your feet grow and give you the ability to create pseudo earthquakes, they also make it difficult for you to run or move across the battlefield thanks to them being disproportionate to your body."

The ice on Totum's right forearm was now almost as thick as the ice that covered his left arm, with his large, spell-enhanced fists now deemed useless, Totum was backed into a corner. His left arm now too heavy, even for him, to move thanks to the thick ice and seeing his right arm approaching the same fate was too much for him to bear.

"Oh and I had a feeling you were going to try and block my Spherical Icicalia with your left arm. It freezes whatever comes into contact with it, so when you tried to break with your right arm, you sealed your own fate. I think if you would have used the shockwaves you create by stomping your feet, you could have overcome my spell, but I guess your Berserk Mode doesn't make you as smart as I thought it did."

That last line from Azure reeked of cockiness which irked Rika somewhat, especially considering how out of character it was for Azure to say such a thing. She simply chalked it up as something that just occurred in the heat of the moment and nothing more. The ice now covered both of Totum's arms completely and was now slowly spreading down his side and onto his leg, it was only a matter of time before he was completely frozen solid.

The light blue aura surrounding Azure finally dimmed out, the pain and strain his body had forgotten suddenly hit him at once, causing him to fall to his knees in agony. Azure's body convulsed as the receptors in his body flared with pain, the ice mamodo however, knew he had to finish the job.

"I...won't...lose...this...opportunity!"

With nothing but sheer willpower, Azure stood up. His body broken, his organs on the brink of a massive collapse, he pushed through it all. He stared down the incapacitated ogre demon and looked down at his now quivering hand. His strength depleted to the point where he could barely keep his scythe summoned. Azure knew that he had to use one more spell, Rika also knew that she had to bring all the power she had remaining from within in order to help Azure. They only had one shot at this or else their effort was all for naught.

Totum still frozen, looked at Azure with contempt. The ice mamodo noticed that the ogre didn't have the same terrified look in his eyes that he had before. It was obvious that he noticed Azure's condition and the circumstances he was currently facing.

"I still have one more spell up my sleeve, you should have finished me when you had the chance." The ogre taunted as George's book began glowing a bright stone gray

"_Dioga Goruk!"_

Totum unleashed a massive roar, sending shockwaves large and powerful enough to destroy the ice that covered his body. The traveling shockwaves began disintegrating the chunks of earth that weren't ripped up by Totum. Seeing the powerful spell coming directly for him, Azure knew that it was now or never.

"Rika! We only got one shot to pull this off!"

"I already know, I only have enough strength from within for one last spell!"

Azure began walking towards the devastating shockwaves being emitted from Totum's mouth. The earth and trees surrounding him were breaking apart and disintegrated right before his eyes. Azure held his scythe up as he continued walking forward despite the pain, despite everything he's gone through, despite the odds being massively stacked against him. He held his eyes forward and his scythe up as he bravely stared death in the face, putting everything on the line.

"Alright Azure...The Eighth Spell, _SLIVERIAS ICICALIA_!"

Azure's scythe began to glow a bright blue as it extended to the point became roughly the same size as Totum. The scythe continued glowing brighter and brighter to the point where Rika had to turn her eyes away. A bright flash engulfed the battlefield and quickly left as it had came. Azure now stood before a completely frozen Totum save for his head. The entire surrounding area was stripped bare of all its foliage, Totum's stone gray book fell from George's hands and Azure saw it land next to his feet. Azure immediately raised his foot and stomped on the book, forcing it to immediately set ablaze.

"It's finally over..." Azure said collapsing

Rika and the others immediately ran over to the victorious Azure. Despite being on the ropes, he never gave in nor backed down. No matter how many injuries Totum inflicted on him, Azure kept looking forward and eventually overcame the challenge before him. Rika bent down and put Azure on her back, feeling that he deserved a long rest.

"Hey!"

Rika's thoughts were interrupted by a boisterous voice. The teenaged girl turned to see Derrick emerge from the remaining bushes. "I saw the whole thing and heard it all. I knew they would be after us after being in that lab!"

"Wait, so you KNEW about us being possible targets and didn't tell us?" Rika asked, furious

"I did and I apologize for that but I had no other choice-"

"You did have a choice, you could have left us out of this!" Rika shouted

"I didn't expect you to understand." Derrick retorted, surprisingly harsh

"That's enough you two!" Lily Yelled, garnering both of their attention due to her yelling being a rare act

Lily turned her focus back to George and the fading Totum whose spell book was now halfway burnt.

"Start talking." Sola demanded

"After we were awakened, we were given orders to hunt you down."

"By who?"

"A mamodo named Aria gave us the orders...said they came straight from Machine Titan Blue of The Black Corps."

"Hold on, I thought you guys were loyalists to Light Titan Treachor when you came to this world illegally about eight years ago."

"We were loyal to Treachor until we learned of his defeat...I expect the others to track you down soon. Aria and them will have your hed on a silver platter..."

The ogre mamodo faded away completely, **the black bands tattooed on his body were completely gone, a detail that did not go unnoticed by Rika** and his book nothing more than a pile of ashes. Derrick immediately stormed over to George and grabbed him by the shirt collar. Unnoticed by Derrick, George's eyes went from a blank white to a soft green.

"What else do you know, I want answers now!"

"Please let me go, I have no idea what's going on."

"Runners, put him down. He really doesn't know what's going on, look at his eyes. After Totum's book was burned, his eyes changed, I think that means the humans reading the spell books automatically have their memories erased or are under some type of mind control."

Rika then looked over at the frightened middle aged man and figured to try this from a different approach.

"Can you tell us the last thing you remember?"

"I was out of work and living at a homeless shelter and I was looking for work. I was on my way to a job interview and on the way there, a man wearing a fedora and a teenager with a stupid grin approached me. I remember that they gave me a better job offer than the place I was going to apply for and being desperate, I accepted. Next thing I knew, there was a bright flash then I wake up here."

"I see...thanks for telling us."

After dropping George off at a Police Station, Rika and the others went to her and Lily's apartment ready to conduct some research.

* * *

><p>Aria and Kagin sat in the lab, looking over the footage of Azure's win over Totum, courtesy of the Back Corps drones that flew over their battlefield. "That Azure kid is a lot stronger than the initial reports indicated." Kagin said<p>

"We assumed that was the case hence why I decided to sacrifice Totum. We needed update information on him and needed to test his strength, while he is definitely a stronger than what was estimated, he's still only as strong as Totum seeing that he barely got out of that battle. The problem with that of course, is that Totum is by far the weakest out of yourself, Grooz and Ceralia. This doesn't bode well for him, not one bit."

"It was a necessary evil but now that we have the updated info, what are we waiting for? I shall personally go ahead and destroy him now." Kagin said, rising up from his seat

"Slow down. While we know what we're dealing with when it comes to Azure the other question mark is _Sola."_ whose name Aria emphasized with disugst

"What's the deal with her?" Kagin asked, curious as to why Aria would say her name so disdainfully

"Altheria seems to know of both her and Azure...it just boils my blood to think such a wretched bitch like Sola could even possibly know my Altheria."

Kagin was fairly disturbed by Aria's outburst but kept this sentiment to himself. "Well...is there anything I can do about her?" Kagin asked politely, trying to bring Aria's more stable side back to the surface

"No..no..._**she's mine**_. In the mean time, we need to plan out our next moves."

Aria looked up at the footage before pausing it on an image of Sola. "Witch of the Wind...when you and I cross paths, you will become a breeze." Kagin cringed a little at her terrible pun be the sinister intent laced in her words steered him to make sure that he chose his words carefully around her.

_**A/N- Azure beats Totum and lives to fight another day. (It's his arc so of course!) If Totum is by far the weakest out of himself, Grooz, Ceralia and Kagin (Go back two chapters if you need a reminder on what they looked like), then Azure is in some deep shit. Now that they are marked targets, Rika has to begrudgingly accept Derrick's alliance. **_

_**Aria has some serious mental issues, not only from her MPD, schizophrenic type of behavior but from her obsession with Altheria and her irrational hatred of Sola and other females outside of herself or her partner Mia. How will their research go? Find out in the next chapter! R&R folks!**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Stats-<strong>_

_**Name- Totum**_

_**Element- Growth**_

_**Book Color- Stone Gray  
><strong>_

_**Partner- George Stratos**_

_**Rank- Ineligible**_

_**Book Burned by- Azure and Rika **_

__**Spells-**__

**_Goruk- Totum powers up and gains strength_**

**_Dos Goruk- Totum's muscles and size increases, making him strong_**

**_Go Goruk- Totum's fist temporarily grows to gargantuan proportions and can be used to send heavy shockwaves_**

**_Ganzu Goruk- Totum's feet and hands grow in size as he rampages around, causing a great deal of destruction._**

_**Dioga Goruk- Totum unleashes a massive roar that sends a overwhelming force of shockwaves everywhere.**_


	170. Research and Theories!

"Nope, drawing up another blank here."

Rika and the others had been sitting at their computers for hours, trying to do some background research on George but to no avail. "Why is everything leading to a dead end? No school info, no job history, nothing." Rika said, frustrated

"What about a missing persons report?" Lily suggested

"It's worth a shot." Rika replied

Lily typed in a few keys and on the mark, George's missing persons report appeared. Rika immediately came to Lily's screen and skimmed the report numerous times before speaking. "It says that he was living in a homeless shelter and was last seen conversing with a man in a fedora and a teenager with wild red hair...that is pretty much what he told us."

"Sounds like Mark and Treachor intentionally picked off a homeless man in order to cover their tracks better." Derrick said

"Seems logical enough, but we'll need to find more info before we confirm that." Rika spoke

"According to what Totum said, the others will be coming for us soon enough, so we need to be prepared for when that time comes.  
>Lily said, now looking out of the window<p>

Rika raised from Lily's sear and left the room, she wanted to check up on Azure. Going into the bedroom, she saw the ice mamodo wrappedin blankets with his eyes clothes. His limbs weren't visible but Rika knew that they were likely broken and bound in a cast. She then turned to Sola, who had tended to Azure's wounds and was steadfast by his bedside.

"How's he doing?"

"It will take about a week for him to heal from his injuries and once that happens, he'll be ready to train. Meanwhile, Lily and I will begin preparing ourselves."

"Thank you Sola, you are a lifesaver."

"It's no problem. I have been caring for Master Azure for many years now, it would be strange for me not too watch over him."

Returning to the other room, Rika saw that Lily was hard at work busily yet futilely searching for more information on George. "Still, nothing new."

"I have a suggestion...let's make a return trip to the lab, we would surely find more information there." Derrick said casually

"Keep in mind that we were almost caught last time we were there, plus these mamodo came form that lab...who knows what else could be in there waiting for us. There has to be a safer approach...especially now of all times."

"Well, we could try to hack into their database and pull the info that way." Derrick suggested, rubbing his chin

The teenaged boy sat down at his laptop and began to type in keys at a rapid pace. An odd website appeared with numerous green numbers flashing in the black background. Derrick typed a few more keys and a login box appeared. Derrick cracked his knuckles as he began typing in keys once again. After a few minutes of typing, it appeared as if he was succeeding. However, that quickly changed when what appeared to be a biohazard sign popped on the screen. One by one, more biohazard symbols began popping up on the screen, multiplying by the second.

"Damn it, I'm being counterhacked!" Derrick exclaimed, typing in keys and activating his anti-hacking software.

After a few minutes, Derrick's anti-hacking software stopped the counterhack in its tracks and restored his laptop to its normal state.

"Well that plan was a bust."

"Maybe not."

Derrick and Rika turned to Lily who was holding up her iMade. Both of them were clueless as to why Lily though the electronic pads was the key to the info they were seeking.

"What are you getting at?" Rika asked

"The laboratory is owned by the Tateishi Zaibatsu and the iMade we got as gifts from the lab are Tateishi Zaibatsu products, so…"

"So they may have more info on there than we think! Lily, that was brilliant yet kinda obvious at the same time." Rika said

The three students gathered their iMades together and logged on. They immediately saw the pre-installed apps on their desktop and Rika clicked on the "Project" application.

"It says here that this is the main app we will be using for the upcoming project. It also says that our project is worth about sixty-five percent of our final grade."

"If our suspicions are correct, then this is no ordinary project." Derrick pointed out

"Well there's only one way to find out and that's to wait for our teacher to give us the official assignment." Rika said as flames of dread flared in her stomach.

* * *

><p><em>[Somewhere in the Hokkaido region...]<em>

Dr. Hatcher continued observing the numerous tanks in front of him while jostling some notes on his clipboard. His process was interrupted as Altheria approached him.

"Doctor, I just received word from Aria that one of the awakened mamodo...Totum was it...has been defeated by Azure."

"Damn it, how incompetent can that Aria get?!" Dr. Hatcher exclaimed, practically slamming down his clipboard

"According to Aria, it was an intentional sacrifice. She apparently used him as a means of gathering updated info on Azure and the others."

"New info? Her order was to use all four of them at once in order to destroy them! However, we have bigger things on the agenda so I hope Aria's plan works out smoothly for her sake." Dr. Hatcher said, gritting his teeth

The last part of Hatcher's sentence made Altheria raise an eyebrow but in the end, he said nothing and turned his attention back to the tanks Dr. Hatcher was observing.

"These are the next group of mamodo that are to be awakened from suspended animation. Unlike the first group that were only in Suspended Animation for about six or seven months, the second group has been in suspended animation for about a year."

"I see. Will it take a week for them to fully awaken?"

"No, like I mentioned earlier, the first group only took a week to safely awaken, because they were only in suspended animation for a couple of months. This group however will take about three weeks to awaken because of being in suspended animation twice as long as the first group."

"Alright, I got it now."

"Also, take note that we will monitor their progress for the next few days before leaving for the third lab in America."

"How many labs are there?"

"You normally don't ask any questions, so I'm a bit surprised. Anyway, there are currently nineteen mamodo that were originally placed into suspended animation by Treachor and all nineteen of them were housed in four different labs. There were four in the first lab, five in the current lab we're in, five in the third lab in America and six in the fourth and final lab in Australia. Therefore, we have two more labs to go to."

"Adding onto what I said, if my plan succeed then Blue will appoint me as second-in-command of The Black Corps." Dr. Hatcher said with excitement in his voice

"There's a bit of a problem with that...you seem to have forgotten about Ryu, the Head General and the current second-in-command in addition to Gakote. You should also keep their human partners Isaac and Dakota in consideration as well." Altheria pointed out, raining for Hatcher's parade

"I haven't forgotten about them...in fact, I'm very wary about them. I'm also suspicious about that brat scientist and his raccoon mamodo as well. Blue should be concerned about this too, but he's too wrapped up in his plan to become a Mamodo God plus being the Machine Titan, he believes he's invincible."

"Then why don't you tell Blue yourself?"

"And risk getting blown to pieces or get laughed at, called stupid and my credibility destroyed? No thanks."

Altheria shrugged at this, he didn't really care one way or the other about Hatcher and his problems.

"On another note, the mamodo sealed inside the volcano on the Black Corps base...also known as our Ultimate Project, has been showing a lot of activity lately."

"How could it be showing activity if it's still officially dormant?" Altheria asked, confused

"My theory is that it created a translucent body and has been continuously observing the ongoing battle. In fact, I believe the sealed mamodo is far more intelligent than given credit for. My other fear is that it will be too powerful for even Blue to control."

"If that's the case, then shouldn't we be focusing our resources on that instead of Azure and the others?" Altheria asked

"It's only a theory but if it does turn out to be true, then I will pursue it."

Dr. Hatcher returned to his research and advancing his plot that would make victory for the Black Corps all but certain.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- So...a mix of work, laziness and writers' fatigue lead to the delay. I never intended Iron Revolution to be anywhere near this long, haha but it is what it is. I HAVE to finish this story whether its by the end of the year or within the next 10 years. Anyway, the ordeal with The Black COrps Scientist Divisions' plan has been explained with greater detail. Dr. Hatcher has a lot of interesting "theories", only time will tell how right or wrong those theories are.**_

_**The focus will shift over to Ishimaru and Eve in the next chapter, of which I'm looking forward to. It's something I've been really wanting to touch up on for quite a while now and will give yet another subplot some much needed development. R&R folks!  
><strong>_


	171. A heartwarming smile!

Sheets of gray clouds rested over the suburb of East Tokyo as the December breeze flowed in the stratosphere. Among the thousands of buildings that resided under the clouds was East Tokyo high school. The interior of the school was already adorned in black and gold streamers and ribbons. Sabres created out of silver and gold metallic paper were being taped on the hallway walls by student council members.

The cause for the sudden influx of school spirit was the City Championship football game, an event East was a participant in for the first time in fifteen years. What made the event even more significant, was the fact that East was pitted against West Tokyo, their most hated rival. Not only was the City Championship on the line but also a rivalry trophy otherwise known as _**Mokusei no Katana**_ or The Wooden Katana. The Wooden Katana has been held at West Tokyo high school for the last fifteen consecutive years and many felt this was East's best chance to earn it back.

The reason so many felt that East had such a great shot, just so happened to be sitting in the school courtyard.

"So why is half the courtyard and the entire back lawn of the school barricaded off?"

"Eve, you're not new here you should know why." Ishimaru retorted

"When I was here before I left, I didn't care enough to pay much attention." Eve replied

Ishimaru, dumbfounded on how Eve did not know why barricades were being set up, sighed before he began his explanation.

"Eve, it's for _**Tora matsuri no nenshō.**_"

"The Tiger Burning Festival?" Eve said quizzically

"Yes, the Tiger Burning Festival." Ishimaru aid, rolling his eyes

"Like I said, just came back to this place three months ago." Eve shot back

"The Tiger Burning Festival is a longtime East Tokyo tradition spanning many decades."

"I get that part, but why a Tiger?"

"As you should already know, West Tokyo's mascot is a tiger and they originally kept a wooden tiger in the middle of their outside courtyard. Well it all started when some East Tokyo students had stolen the prized Wooden Tiger from West. It is said that when West demanded it back, the East Tokyo students refused. As a result, West Tokyo students vandalized many festival stalls and projects, forcing the Winter Festival to be canceled. But instead of being sad and discouraged, all of the East Tokyo students, alumni and townsfolk still came together for the Winter Festival like they always do. After coming together, they removed the wooden tiger's tail before setting it on fire."

"Remind me again what this has to do with football?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The East Tokyo students originally stole the wooden tiger because West traditionally rubs their tiger before each game for good luck. The game the following day ended in a 0-0 tie, the first time an East vs West football game didn't end in a West Tokyo blowout. **After the game, it is said that the tail from the wooden tiger and a chunk of wood from one of the festival stalls are what were used to craft The Wooden Katana. Hence why one side of the katana is painted lavender and white while the other side is painted black and gold.** The katana symbolizes the mutual hate the two schools and suburbs have for each other. From grade school, to junior high to high school and even in adulthood. There are a lot of companies in East Tokyo who won't hire West grads and vice versa."

"So I suppose that this game is even more meaningful because of Hiroto and his goons harassing you and the other students, plus Seiku, Daisuke and Minamoto defecting to their side." Eve said

"Yeah." Ishimaru responded

Eve bringing up Seiku, Daisuke and Minamoto quickly reminded him of the recurring nightmares over the last few months. A look of anguish was plastered on Ishi's face, his eyes watered a little.

"What's wrong?" Eve asked

"It's...nothing..."

"But-"

"We're going to be late for class!" Ishimaru exclaimed, a mix of truth, changing the subject and rushing into the building

Inside their homeroom class, their teacher droned on and on, to which Ishimaru only semi-listened to. The morning continuously passed by uneventfully until the teacher finally mentioned something of interest.

"Now on another note, it is Wednesday and the middle of the First Week of December. I know you're all excited for this weekend's Championship game against West. Of course, being a graduate of Tokyo Union High, I didn't have any ties to this until I became a teacher here. If we lose to West then I will make sure Kamikatsu, Heart and a few other players in this class get an extra long research paper." He said as he began foaming at the mouth

Ishimaru felt numerous eyes on him and he was sure that Vincent felt the same amount on him as well. He chuckled nervously before pointing to the teacher's mouth. The teacher caught on and quickly wiped away the foam from his mouth as he continued on.

"My apologies class, I'm a bit of a rabid sports fan. Anyway, aside from the football game, there's Christmas and New Year's. Now unlike Western cultures, Christmas here in Japan isn't so much a religious holiday but instead moreso like Valentine's. So I suppose those of you who are harboring feelings for your classmates have intentions on letting them be known. Those of you who have relatives you haven't seen in ages should be making plans to visit with them soon and of course, there is also the Tokyo Winter Festival coming up around the same time as the Winter Solstice. In other words, it's an exciting time of year."

The teacher went over to the window and stared at the cloudy sky for a moment before turning back towards his class.

"It also looks like it may snow soon, something pretty rare in East Tokyo considering that it never really snows here, especially this early."

Ishimaru's homeroom teacher continued droning on as he lost interest in class once again, going back to daydreaming. The rest of the school day and football practice went by in a flash and Ishimaru soon found himself leaving the school grounds with Eve as the evening began to set in. Walking down the sidewalk, they noticed people putting up Christmas lights and various decorations around their shops and apartments.

"It's a bit early for that in my opinion." Ishimaru said observantly

"People are going to be more annoying than usual around the holidays. My dad and brother always get into the holiday spirit especially." Eve remarked

"I thought your dad was always away." Ishimaru said

"He often pops in on major holidays. Usually he and my brother get drunk and start acting silly. I'm not really amused by their antics though I'm sure Sundance will be. Unsurprisingly, they were a lot more bearable when my mom was still around. Ugh, why do people get so wrapped up in the holiday spirit?"

"My mom may or may not be home...it's usually a mixed bag with her. I haven't seen her in a few months, so maybe she'll pop in." Ishimaru said

Ishimaru and Eve walked in silence for a minute or so before Ishimaru turned to look at Eve. "Oh and to answer your question, I think people get into the holiday spirit, because its a time of the year when people put aside their differences and come together...when lonely hearts find each other and bond."

Eve seemed a bit surprised at Ishimaru's words. She was half-expecting him to make a stupid joke or give a half-hearted response. She loked ahead and saw her house before them.

"I'll see tomorrow and tell Chainz I said hello."

"Will do."

Eve went inside as Ishimaru left. She set her briefcase down on the kitchen table as she went into the living room and saw Sundance watching Praying Mantis Joe on TV. "How was your day?" she asked

"It was alright." Sundance said, not ven turning away from the tv

"Are you hungry?"

"I already ate something out of the fridge."

Eve nodded in response as she began ascending the stairs. She looked at the pictures decorating the walls as she continued up the steps. Many of them were of a younger her, a younger Sindri and extended family members. She stopped in front of a picture of a man and woman with a little boy and girl. The little boy was clinging to the man's leg while the woman held the little girl in her arms. They appeared to be outside and were all smiling. The man had golden brown hair and a face similar to hers. The woman next to the man, was very beautiful, but most noticeably had deep blue eyes like Eve's. Even the most dimwitted person could tell that the man and woman were Eve's parents.

Eve turned away from the photo and went into her room, she immediately laid on top of the bed and stared at the ceiling. Ishimaru's words still lingered in her head as she got up and went into the shower. The warm drops of water felt good against her skin as she continuously let them run up and down her body.

"_While I was complaining about my dad and brother...Ishi spends every day at home with nobody but Chainz to keep him company. Then there's the chance he'll spend Christmas alone..."_

_"_Why am I concerned...it's not any of my business what he does for Christmas anyway." Eve said to no one in particular as the shower continued to drench her hair

* * *

><p>Ishimaru jogged down the sidewalk towards Eve's house, where she was already waiting outside the gate.<p>

"About time, I was ready to leave you." Eve said

"You live about eight blocks away from me, geez."

Ishimaru and Eve joined the ongoing stream of students traversing down the sidewalk. "The first snow still has happened yet." Ishimaru said, staring at the clouds still hovering above them.

"It's only a matter of time plus we are talking about a rare occurrence here." Eve reminded him

"Well, I hope it snows before the Winter Solstice."

"Ishimaru, that's not until a few days before Christmas."

"Hah, yeah you're right...wow I never thought I'd ever say that."

Eve ignored Ishimaru's comment and decided to change the subject.

_"Now's as good a time as ever to ask him."_

"What are you doing for Christmas?"

"I was hoping to spend it with my mom, but she called me last night and said she was going to be stuck at a resort with a client."

"Sorry that didn't work out."

"It's fine. Chainz and I will make the best of it."

"Well, you could always come over to my house."

Ishimaru eyes widened at Eve's suggestion but he didn't verbally respond.

"You don't HAVE to...it's not like I'm forcing your or anything."

"It's not that...just a bit shocked you asked me."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"It's definitely a yes."

Ishimaru and Eve reached the school gates and quickly went inside. The morning period of school came and went in a flash. After the bell rang, signaling the end of the morning period, which honestly was pretty uneventful save for people approaching Ishimaru and wishing him luck. The rest of the school day and football practice came and went. Ishimaru and Eve were leaving the school in a different direction than usual due to being en route to the hospital.

"You must be looking forward to seeing your brother today."

"Yeah, I haven't been up there in a couple of days."

Ishimaru, remembering that Eve didn't know about Sindri coming out of his coma and Sindri asking him not to tell Eve, he realized that he had to give him a heads up so Eve wouldn't walk in on him.

"Eve, shouldn't we call the hospital first?"

"For what?"

"To let them know that we're coming and don't walk in on the doctor changing IVs or something."

"The receptionist can tell us that plus, I've been in there when they changed his IV before it'll be fine."

"Well don't you want to get them a chance to uh...tidy up first?"

"It's a hospital, they're supposed to keep everything clean and sterilized."

"Shouldn't you go check on Sundance?"

"Sundance has almost made a full recovery from the fight with Slash. There's no reason for me to check on him right now."

"Well uh...uh..."

"Ishimaru, what are you not telling me?" Eve asked, suspicious

"What could I possibly know?"

"You don't want me to go to the hospital without telling them."

Ishimaru sighed, there was no way he was going to be able to get around this one.

"Well...the truth is, Sindri came out of his coma a while ago, he didn't want you to know yet."

Eve said nothing and continued to walk to the hospital with Ishimaru following her in tow. After a few minutes of tense silence, Eve finally broke it. "I figured it out a while ago anyway."

"You did?!"

"He's a pretty terrible faker. I don't know why he's been trying to keep something like that from me, but that's something I plan on finding out today."

Ishimaru stared forward while Eve was talking, he knew why Sindri didn't want to tell Eve, but felt like it wasn't his place to say. He figured he was going to let them talk it out when they arrive.

It wasn't much longer before they arrived at the hospital. Ishimaru waited in the lobby while Eve left to go speak with the head nurse and the doctor. After a few minutes, Eve returned and told Ishimaru to follow her. The two of them went into the elevator and reached the fifteenth floor before getting off and going to Sindri's room. Eve opened the door to find her brother watching TV, completely unaware of them being behind him.

Eve cleared her throat, causing an alerted Sindri to quickly turn towards her.

"Eve...uh...what a surprise to see you." he stammered, looking in Ishimaru's direction, wanting some help

Ishimaru looked away and began to back out of the room. Eve said nothing aside from wacking Sindri across the head with the remote and giving a bump on his head.

"Ow..." the elder sibling replied, rubbing his head

"You idiot, did you seriously think that I wasn't going to find out?" Eve asked, crossing her arms

"I wanted to surprise you at the right moment...it just didn't work out exactly how I wanted to."

"And just how long was it going to be before you found "the right moment"?"

"I'm...I'm not sure..."

"Well, I was thinking about things while I was on the way here, and I know we haven't been as close lately with all that's been going on...but we can change that. Just because you're not in a coma anymore, doesn't mean I have to stop confiding in you."

"You're right, I should have told you this in the beginning and I apologize for that."

"And I'm sorry for whacking you in the head."

"Hah, I kinda had that one coming."

"I already cleared things with the doctor and head nurse, we can take you home today." Eve said, her voice tone noticeably different

"Sounds good." Sindri said, smiling

"I'll go get the nurse and a wheelchair." Eve said as she turned to leave the room

As Eve was walking past, Ishimaru saw that she had a smile on her face, something that he noticed was rare. He didn't know why at the time, but seeing Eve smile put him at ease. He couldn't help but wonder how eventful this winter would turn out to be.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- I was really considering making this chapter and the next chapter into one, massive chapter but decided against it. In all of Iron Revolution, we have seen Spring, Summer and Fall so far. Now it's Winter's turn, I will also say that I was looking forward to this chapter, the next chapter and the two that will come after for a long time now.  
><strong>_

_**R&R folks, next chapter will be out on Wednesday!  
><strong>_


	172. Love Epiphany!

The cloudy gray sky sat virtually unchanged from the previous day over the Friday morning sky, as the morning traffic of students poured into the local high school. A construction company was already busy bringing in extra bleachers in order to expand Cavalier Stadium from it's typical 19,000 seats to 35,000 seats in preparation for Saturday's City Championship football game. The East Tokyo Student Council vetoed the proposal to move the game to the Tokyo Dome due to the student body and the football team wishing to retain a home field advantage by keeping the game on campus. As a result, this made the East-West ticket even hotter than before due to their only being 35,000 seats and the game was sold out within hours of the announcement.

"It's been cloudy for the last couple of days, hopefully we'll see the first snow soon." Ishimaru said looking up

Eve simply nodded in response, they were surprisingly a bit early on their way to school though she suspects that's only because Ishimaru wanted to grab his football jersey and wear it around school.

"By the way, are you sure you should be leaving Sindri at home by himself considering he just got out of the hospital and all?"

"He'll be fine, plus Chainz and Sundance are at my house with him." she said, reminding him

"True."

The teenagers continued walking down the sidewalk towards the inner portion of the district. Christmas decorations were out in full force, no matter where you turned, everything was decorated. Young women in Santa dresses were already selling Christmas Cakes, others were asking for Christmas donations. Within a few minutes, they were on school grounds, Ishi and Eve part ways as he went to get his jersey and she continued onwards to homeroom. Eve found her chair and looked around at her classmates, many of whom were standing around in groups discussing the Tiger Burning Festival and what stalls they were going to visit that evening. She saw a large array of treats spread out on Ishimaru's and Vincents desk, courtesy of various cheerleaders, student council members and other girls that gave treats to the football players. Eve usually saw players with a small or medium bag of treats but with Ishimaru and Vincent being key players to the team's success and their overall popularity, it's no wonder they had significantly more than the others.

Speaking of whom, Ishimaru and Vincent son entered the classroom, clad in gold jerseys with black numbers and their typical khaki slacks. Football players were permitted by school dress code to wear their jerseys on game days and pep rally days but still had to wear their khaki slacks in order to stay within the aformented dress code. They were greeted with applause and wishes of good luck to which Ishimaru took the reception warmly while Vincent's annoyed expression did not change. They along with the rest of the class found their seats as the teacher called attention to the front of the classroom.

"Alright class, I know you're excited for tonight, so I will make this brief. Today, you all will be working on your stalls and overall helping the school get ready for **_Tora Matsuri no Nenshō._ **Those of you not part of any club are encouraged to the help out anyway or can go home Now, let's finish preparing so we can give our Cavaliers some good luck tonight!"

The class clapped and cheered as the students immediately split back into their groups. Ishimaru and Vincent gathered all of their treats up before leaving to go to the athletic complex. Ishimaru explained that Coach Yuushi wanted the entire Varsity team doing Game Prep all day until the festival started. All of this left Eve to her own devices, she wasn't a part of any clubs and didn't have Ishimaru, Vincent or Meida (who was away on a business trip but mentioned coming by the festival that evening) to talk to, so she did the next best thing and left school for the day.

She admittedly felt a little envious that she wasn't in any school clubs but relatively unsurprised at the events taking place due to not joining anything when she had the chance to do so. She put it on her to-do list to find something she could join, having the day off, Eve realized that she had a lot more on her mind than she normally does. After walking up and down the streets of East Tokyo, Eve found herself at the entrance of the local park. Going inside, she quickly found a bench and sat down. The bench was unsurprisingly ice cold, causing Eve to jump a little. However she eventually grew used to it and settled in, noting that she wasn't very cold thanks to the long jacket she wore, her black leather gloves and the black leggings under her khaki skirt. She went back to looking into her thoughts and why she felt differently.

_"I'm usually not very fond of winter and was miserable around this time exactly a year ago...but I don't feel that way this year. I felt so...empty and everything was in turmoil."_

A komadori (Japanese Robin) randomly perched itself on the bench near Eve and captured her interest.

"Shouldn't you have flown with the others to a warmer area?"

Eve quickly noticed that she was acting as if the bird could verbally respond back much less even understand what she said. To her surprise the songbird looked at her before beginning to preen itself. Eve found herself trying to get the robin to perch itself on her finger, but the bird instead opted for her shoulder. Sighing, Eve continued thinking back.

_"Caleb had already left by that point and I wasn't living with my dad anymore. I didn't really have anywhere to consistently go...I remember spending a that winter in Tokyo Heights thanks to my friend and his wife. It wasn't too much longer after that when I met Sundance and he brought a brightness to my dark and lonely life."_

Eve smiled a bit when thinking of her mamodo partner. He was an annoying one sometimes, but after all of the battles, all of the training and everything they bee through for anything this world could provide her.

_"Aside from Sundance, there's something else that made everything brighter for me...I remember it started that summer-"_

"No...it couldn't be that!"

Eve found herself jumping up from the bench, causing the komadori to fly into the tree. The komadori however, returned to her shoulder, cocking its head a little.

"I bet you're wondering why I'm just strolling around in the park. Well...that's a bit complicated, but I'll let you know that I'm jealous of you."

The komadori stared at her, obviously confused.

"I mean, it must be nice just being able to fly around all day without a care in the world."

She began walking down the path through the park, she came across a group of young boys kicking around a soccer ball while a young girl watched and cheered them on. Eve stopped for a moment and watched the scene unfold as she thought back to that Summer.

_[Flashback...Chapter 83]_

_"Kamikatsu?"_

_"Miroashi?"_

_"Why in the hell are you staring like that."_

_"I'm trying to figure which of the rumors are true."_

_"None of them are true you dumbass!" Eve snapped_

_"Wait, so you two know each other." Sundance asked, astonished_

_"We know **of **each other." Eve corrected him_

_"Miroashi used to go to East but dropped out at the end of sophomore year. Last I heard she ran off with this guy named Caleb and the rumors started to fly until we heard she got pregnant. She hangs around the soccer games a lot so according to the rumor mill, she's one of the soccer groupies but **of coruse** I can confirm that isn't true. Though from my experiences, Miroashi isn't someone I would call pleasant, hell I figured most of the rumors at least weren't true because what billionaire or anybody for that matter would want to marry such a battleaxe and who would **intentionally** knock her up of all people?" Ishimaru sounded like a real asshole but felt as though he was speaking the truth_

_Eve was furious with Ishimaru's remarks but instead of jumping on him, she thought of a better way. "But let us not forget Kamikatsu, the glorious captain of the soccer team aka **"East Tokyo's Golden Boy"** who thinks he's a ladies man when all of the girls talk about how he only acts like the **big** man on campus because he's the** little** man in the bedroom." The look on Ishimaru's face gave more satisfaction to Eve than any beating could have ever done._

_Chainz and Sundance were confused as to what exactly they were talking about since it all went over their heads._

* * *

><p><em>[End Flashback...]<em>

"I was only like that because I was pretty sure he was as much of an arrogant jerk as he always came off as. Plus, him acting as if the rumors were true certainly didn't help his case." Eve said out loud

* * *

><p><em>[Flashback, Chapter 85...]<br>_

_"That is the FOURTEENTH bump we went over! We are taking a plane next time!" Eve snapped_

_"As I recall, YOU were the one who was too cheap to buy a plane ticket." Ishimaru shot back as he sped the pickup truck down the highway._

_Ever since they started their road trip from Florida to Arizona, Eve has not been very pleasant to Ishimaru. If she wasn't being unreceptive to most of his conversation starters, she was complaining. That being said, Ishimaru was no saint himself. He took to his amusement of mocking anything Eve said or any time she turned on the radio to a song she wanted to here, he would insult her taste in music._

_"Well, YOU should have talked ME out of it. **Kogansho**." Eve said with ridicule_

_"Kogansho?" Chainz said_

_"It basically means Golden Boy. Kogane no means golden and shonen basically means boy...in other words, Miroashi here is just being a smartass. That being said, if my new name is Kogansho then hers is **Kijo**." Ishimaru snickered_

_"You bast-" Eve growled as she lunged towards Ishimaru but the sudden stop of the pickup truck caused her to fly back and slam into her window. Rubbing the side of her head, Eve looked up and noticed they were in a motel parking lot. Aside from the somewhat rundown condition and the shady vibe it gave off, the place was strangely placid._

_"This place looks like shit."_

_"Well, you don't have a pot to piss in right now." Ishimaru said hotly, how much more of this girl could he take?_

_"Give me the keys and I'll find a better place." Eve said holding her hand out_

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>"We didn't get off to a good start...but not too much longer after that, everything changed..."<p>

"_Teiru Dracosen!"_

_A dragon tail appeared on Ryu's backside as long spikes emerged. Ryu raised it towards the ceiling and swung it downwards, aiming for Eve's heart. Eve stood there, not even trying to get out of the way, preparing for her death._

_"What is she doing?" Chainz questioned_

_"EVE! GET OUT OF THE WAY NOW!" Sundance shouted, tears forming into his eyes_

_Sundance's plea fell on deaf ears. Eve stood there, eyes closed and waiting for the finishing blow. She felt her body crash into the ground before hearing a loud scream echo throughout the warehouse. Eve then realized she did not feel any pain nor any blood. She was somehow still alive! Eve slowly opened her eyes to find herself laying on the ground without any wound whatsoever. She then saw Ishimaru hunched over, clutching the left side of his face._

_Eve's eyes widened when she realized Ishimaru had pushed her out of the way at the last moment and took Ryu's tail slash directly! Eve slowly went over to Ishimaru and tried to move his hand away from his face. Ishimaru gently jerked his arm away from her. "It's...just a scratch."_

_Eve saw Ishimaru's arm covered in blood, his shirt was ripped to shreds and blood stained his pants and did not look to be stopping anytime soon. This was obviously no scratch._

_"You...you IDIOT! Why did you save me! I should be dead right now!" she shouted_

_"I don't know...my body simply moved by itself."_

_..._

_Eve felt herself blink twice and saw that it was actually Ishimaru carrying her through the fire. He emerged from the burning warehouse as it collapsed completely, making it outside with very little time to spare. Sundance and Chainz were already waiting for them outside, due to them clearing the path. Ishimaru let Eve down before falling into the sand, Eve sat by Ishimaru, holding his head up._

_"Why? Why would you do a foolish thing like that? Why did you try to play hero?"_

_"I told you already...my body moved on it's own. Plus, there's no need for you to die a senseless death." Ishimaru said before closing his eyes_

_"You idiot...don't die on me!"_

_[End Flashback..]_

* * *

><p>"He saved my life and I don't think I can ever repay him for that. <strong>Even though he doesn't know it, it was from that day onwards that I began to put my faith in Ishimaru."<strong>

_[Flashback, Chapter 95...]_

_"After that happened, Eve closed her heart completely and has refused to get close to anybody else. She seems to think that she curses anybody who gets close to her so she pushes them away. I may seem to be very happy-go-lucky but I can read and understand the feelings of others very well. Eve doesn't hate you at all, I think it's quite the opposite. Aside from that, don't let what happened get you down too much."_

_"He's right Ishi. Whether you have only one eye, no eyes or even a hundred eyes, you're still Ishi to us and people, especially you will have to accept that."_

_"Heh. I guess you're right, I'll keep moving forward...or at least try to." Ishimaru said, though he was still very torn up inside._

_Eve was still standing outside the door listening to everything. Tears streaked down her face but she was smiling._

_"Stupid Sundance..." she said, semi-laughing to herself. She straightened up her face before going into the room._

_"So are you going to lie in bed all day or are we going to get to training soon?" Eve asked crossing her arms_

_"Oh come on, I just got hurt not too long ago. Plus I had surgery."_

_"So you're making excuses now **Kogansho**?"_

_"I can never catch a break with you, but I suppose that's why you're a **Kijo**."_

_Everybody couldn't help but smile at the scene going on. Moments like these made healing physically and emotionally that much easier._

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>"That was the time we met each other halfway and of course, we became friends after this...after what we went through, I don't see how we couldn't."<p>

Eve continued walking through the park as the robin continuously stayed perched on her shoulder. She noticed the park getting somewhat crowded as people from work were coming to the park on their lunch breaks and more children appearing in the playground area. She continued around the path and found herself standing over the small bridge. Looking over, she saw her reflection in the lazy river flowing underneath.

* * *

><p>[<em>Flashback...Chapter 108]<em>

_"Eve, do you still live in East Tokyo?"_

_"Yes."_

_Finding the East Tokyo route, they paid their fares and got on board. Finding some empty seats, they sat down and felt the underground train take off._

_"I am also returning to school."_

_"How is that going to work? You dropped out your sophomore year."_

_"Yes, but I can take the credit exam to receive sophomore and junior credit and with a decent score, I can be a senior when school starts."_

_"That's a pretty tough test and will require a lot of studying, I don't know if you're even smart enough or that." Ishimaru said, getting a quick snarky comment in_

_"I don't need a **kogansho** who happens to also be a damn Cyclops calling me stupid...and yes, I went there. " She shot back_

...

_"What made you decide to come back to school?"_

_Eve did not answer his question initially; she looked straight ahead as they went back to walking in silence. They came upon her street and reached her house. Ishimaru turned to walk away but Eve stopped him._

_"I'm coming back to school…because I want a fresh start."_

_[End Flashback...]_

* * *

><p>"I didn't want to admit it back then, but he was part of what inspired me to return to school..."<p>

* * *

><p>[<em>Flashback Chapter 112...]<em>

"_Then you have no valid argument, so please take your seat. Mr. Kamikatsu, we already heard your coach and your friend with the biker clothes speak so you can only have one more person. Seeing as that person does not seem to be available, we shall fully deny your appeal." Yasu said, trying to hide his giddiness  
><em>

_"Is this the case Mr. Kamikatsu. Do you have nobody else to speak on your behalf?"_

_"Well..."_

_"I am sorry , we have no choice but to de-"_

_The commissioner's voice was cut off by a the door making a loud slide._

* * *

><p><em>Eve stood in the doorway. Her appearance alone sent the entire room into a frenzy.<em>

_"Miroashi, what's she doing back?"_

_"I thought she got pregnant?"_

_"Is that her son sitting with Kamikatsu?"_

_"Sorry, but you cannot speak in this hearing. You are a dropout and therefore do not attend school here."_

_"And neither do Chainz or Sundance."_

_"That's because they are too young. A dropout on the other hand, forfeits all rights and privileges according to the student rulebook."_

_"Well that does not apply to me. I re-enrolled last week."_

_"You are not a senior or a junior, so you still have no say. It says in the student rulebook that the head of the disciplinary committee can set any requirements during a hearing and my rule is that only an upperclassman can speak on Mr. Kamikatsu's behalf. You dropped out your sophomore year and are therefore, not an upperclassman."_

_"On the contrary..."_

_Eve reached into her briefcase and revealed her test score. She had gotten all of them correct and was given all of the necessary credits to be classified as a senior._

_"Mr. Dorobo, you have pulled out every stop in the book in order to keep this young lady from speaking and she has sidestepped each and every one of them. So you have no choice but to let her speak."_

_"Fine."_

_"Everybody, listen to me. I know that until last week, I have not been a student at East Tokyo for almost two years, but I can tell you that Ishimaru is one of the most selfless people I know. You also have to understand that he is human and makes mistakes. I get that he's the face of the school and I get that he could have really hurt that kid, despite the fact that he may or may not have deserved it. He has suffered enough punishment when the team lost and he let many seniors playing their final game down. Would taking his senior year away and his opportunities for scholarships from him really teach someone, who has not had any prior incidents a lesson? Put him on probation if you must, but please, don't take his livelihood away from him._

_The last thing I will say on this is something that I really would like all of you should think about. When you made a mistake, did someone give you get a second chance?"_

_Eve then took her seat near Sundance._

_The commissioner had a smile on his face, he turned to the disciplinary committee to address them. "All in favor of overturning the suspension?"_

_The entire student disciplinary committee raised their hands, well everybody with the exception of Yasu._

_"I call an objection! She is obviously in love with the defendant!"_

_"LIAR!" Eve and Ishimaru shouted in unison_

_..._

_After the verdict was read and the suspension overturned, everybody left the room and was ready to start school that following Monday. Ishimaru caught up to Eve, Chainz and Sundance._

_"Eve, thank you for bailing me out back there."_

_"I didn't do it because I wanted to. I did it for the school and so I could have more time away from you."_

_"Whatever. A guy can't even than you without getting a snappy comment." Ishimaru said, rolling his eyes and walking away_

_[End Flashback...]_

"I didn't tell anyone this, but on top of studying for my exam, I researched the school rulebook for days. I didn't want to see Ishimaru lose his dream...I thought the least I could do was help keep it alive by any means possible."

Bringing back that memory, there was something said that day that lingered in Eve's head. Something that felt like a thorn in her side if she were to describe it. Yasu Dorobo's words continuously echoed, he was easily the least credible person around, but his words still stayed with her.

* * *

><p><em>"I call an objection! She is obviously in love with the defendant!"<em>

* * *

><p>"In love with him...I couldn't be! That's impossible...that's ridiculous!" Eve shouted out loud, causing people to look at her funny. Embarrassed, Eve began to hurry home. The Komadori left her shoulder and found a tree to perch itself in. Eve made the quick trek home and found Sindri out of his wheelchair playing with Chainz and Sundance.<p>

"Looks like somebody has gotten better." Eve said, amusedly

"I've been on my feet at the hospital since last week. I can walk around, but I gotta take breaks every so often. It's gonna take a while before I can run or do anything really active."

"Well go ahead and get dressed, we gotta get to campus in time for the festival and pep rally." Eve said as they began cleaning themselves up.

_**A/N- This chapter is pretty close to hitting the 4,000 word mark so I'm going to put the rest in a separate chapter which will be up in a bit. Eve is coming to grips with how she feels about Ishimaru, see how the rest of it unfolds in the second half!**_


	173. Second Love and Takoyaki!

The sun sat in the lower horizon as Eve, Sindri, Chainz and Sundance neared the school grounds. They followed the ongoing trail of black and gold as they reached the back of the schoolyard which was completely unrecognizable! Stalls, games and rides were plastered everywhere, it was almost impossible to even see the football stadium. Eve knew that the students were going to be hard at work clearing everything out in time for tomorrow evening's game. The crowd flowed into the gym and the small group of humans and mamodo followed suit.

Going inside the gym, Eve saw the stands unsurprisingly jam packed with black and gold. They somehow found unoccupied seats towards the front as people continuously came in. She took in her surroundings and looked around the building. Black and gold stripes stretched around the wall of gym's perimeter, on the wall on the far left, was the school mural. It was that of a golden stallion glaring menacingly while a cavalier riding on its back dressed in all black, had his sabre raised high in the air as if he was leading a charge. There were basketball goals on both ends of the gym's court as expected, since this was after all where East Tokyo's boys' and girls' basketball teams played. In the middle of the court, there was the familiar "ET" with two sabres crossing through it, forming an "X". This was East's main logo, which could be found on the right hand pocket of all uniform shirts and other school merchandise.

Before Eve could observe anything else, the band began playing. The drumline unleashed an amazing cadence, causing everybody to focus their attention to what's going on on the court. The band and the drumline continued playing as everybody settled into their seats. A girl holding a microphone stood at the middle of the court. Eve recognized the girl as Hirano Yui, a fellow senior. Hirano's normally brown hair was dyed an interesting mix of gold and black, she wore a gold tube top with a black "ET" logo on the chest, her tight black jeans complementing the color scheme. Eve was surprised that the administration and student council allowed her to wear it on school grounds, but then again, knowing how big this game was to the people in East Tokyo, they had no qualms on anything as long as it one showed school pride.

"Good evening Cavaliers and welcome to the annual Tiger Burning Festival. I am your MC Hirano Yui, I will not only be hosting this pep rally, but I will also be a student sideline reporter in tomorrow's game!"

This earned a loud applause, especially from the male students.

"Please give a round of applause for you ETHS cheerleaders!"

The cheerleaders began to pump up the crowd and take everybody through the usual cheers. Eve simply watched but Chainz, Sundance, Sindri and the thousands of East Tokyo supporters on the other hand, were completely into it.

Eve then noticed that the football players were coming together, waiting to be introduced. The cheers subsided as Hirano returned to the mic. "And now, here is your East tokyo football team!"

The gym exploded into applause as the football team ran to the center of the court. They were jumping and piling on top of each other before dying down. Coach Yuushi also came to the center of the court, taking the microphone from Hirano.

"Good evening, I will now announce the captains for tomorrow night's game. Junior, Kobayashi Kyo."

The crowd responded with a light applause as Kyo stepped forward from the large group of players.

"Senior, Vincent Heart."

This time, a moderate applause could be heard as Vincent casually strolled forward and stood next to Kyo."

"Senior, Tuskino Ken."

Another moderate applause as Ken came and stood next to Vincent. A knee brace could be seen on his right knee and he was no longer limping. Eve recalled Ishimaru mentioning that Ken's knee had recovered to the point that he could technically play, but with Ishimaru being the starter all season and the young but capable sophomore Itou Akira being the second string, Ken was very unlikely to play. At most, he would suit up in an East Tokyo uniform for the very last time, but nothing more. In other words, this was only an honorary choice made by the team to have their once superstar quarterback back in the limelight, even if only for a brief moment.

"And last, but definitely not least, Kamikatsu Ishimaru."

A deafening roar of cheers was heard throughout the gym as Ishimaru stood by Ken and the others. It was more than clear who the most popular player on the team was. While the spotlight was flattering, the pressure of being the face of East Tokyo athletics was a very heavy burden, but one that Ishimaru was more than willing to take. He also knew the implications of tomorrow's game, not only because of it being for the City Championship and a historic rivalry, but also because of the money wagering over the game. Meida informed Ishimaru that corporations and the Yakuza had money riding on the game and even went as far as advising Coach Yuushi to keep all of the players in a hotel owned by the Tateishi Zaibatsu the night before the game in order to prevent anybody from West Tokyo or any Yakuza betting on a West Tokyo victory to sabotage the players.

This of course lead to speculation that Meida did this as a power play, especially with the Tateishi Zaibatsu's questionable ties to some Yakuza groups. There was also speculation about the Tateishi Zaibatsu had a lot of money invested in an East Tokyo victory hence Meida's coercing the team to stay at one of her hotels. Meida did not confirm nor deny the rumors and speculation, not giving the media much to work with.

Eve suddenly found herself surprisingly more alert as Ishimaru addressed the crowd, thanking everybody for their support and that being an East Tokyo Cavalier has made the last four years an amazing ride. To the crowd's surprise, Ishimaru kept it short and the pep rally soon concluded as everybody was more than ready to get to the festival.

* * *

><p>Eve, Sindri, Chainz and Sundance waited outside the gym for Ishimaru before going to the festival. After a few minutes of waiting, Ishimaru emerged from the doors. He was having a conversation with a few other players, Eve couldn't hear what they were talking about, but it could be assumed that they were asking Ishimaru to come to the festival with them. Seeing Ishimaru wave and come over towards them told her that he declined in favor to be with them.<p>

"Hey guys, enjoying yourselves so far?"

"Yeah." Chainz and Sundance both said in unison

The small group walked to where the festival was being held and couldn't believe their eyes. Rides of every variety were stationed everywhere, including a large ferris wheel that lit up with gold lights, thanks to the president of the company that crafts the lights being an East Tokyo Alumnus. Food stalls containing various items sat in numerous rows, the aroma of the cuisine hovering throughout the air. Stall containing games and prizes were scattered around as well. Most importantly, a giant wooden tiger was isolated from the festival. Numerous barracades were set up around it and the East Tokyo Fire Marshall along with school officials, Yuuda Sasami , the student council president and a few others were inspecting the area in order to give the final go-ahead to prepare for the burning.

"I want to go to all of the stalls!" Sundance exclaimed

"As do I." Chainz said in agreement

"Don't worry I'll take you wherever you guys want to go." Sindri said, as the boys dragged him away. If Eve didn't know any better, she would have sworn she saw a small smirk on her brother's face.

* * *

><p><em><strong>(AN- When I was writing this, I listened to "Best Romance Anime OST's" on Youtube. You guys can give it a try to see if it affects how you read the rest of this. Also from this point onward, I'm going to let you guys know what I was listening to while writing this to give you an idea on the background music I imagine while writing this..)**_

Ishimaru and Eve walked throughout the festival area. She noticed that Ishimaru was now wearing his letterman jacket. The sleeves were gold while the rest of the jacket black. A gold ET could be seen embroidered on the front while football, soccer, basketball and baseball patches also covered the sleeves, his hands covered with black cotton gloves. Eve on the other hand, still had her school uniform on. The same long jacket, gloves and leggings under her skirt.

"Let's check out that stall over there!" Ishimaru said pointing

Approaching the stall, they saw it was a fish scoop game, sponsored by the Glee Club."I haven't played this game since I was a little kid!" Ishimaru exclaimed, clearly excited

Uta Kashu, the Glee Club treasurer and a longtime associate of Ishimaru was manning the stall.

"Kamikatsu!"

"Uta my man, I would like a try on this game." Ishimaru said, sliding a few yen coins on the counter

"I've known ya since we were in Elementary. I can't charge you for this." Uta said, shaking his head

"Don't forget that this festival is also a fundraiser for many school clubs, including yours." Ishimaru said, knowing how much the Glee Club needed the funds

Seeing he had no choice, Uta graciously accepted the money and handed Ishimaru the paper scoop.

"You have three tries Kamikatsu. Whatever koi or goldfish you scoop up is yours to keep."

"Isn't this game normally played during Summer Festivals?" Eve remarked

"Normally yes, but we wanted to be impractical. We also have a heater that is keeping the water from freezing but not hot enough to stress out the fish." Uta explained

Ishimaru approached the tank and observed for a moment before dipping the paper scoop into the water. He quickly scooped up a goldfish and just as he brought it up from the water, a hole broke through the scoop and the fish fell back in.

"Almost had it." he grunted

Ishimaru looked over at Eve who was trying not to laugh at Ishimaru failing. "How about you give it a try." he suggested, handing the scoop to her.

Eve approached the tank and dipped the paper scoop, she scooped up a goldfish, but like the first time when Ishimaru tried it, a hole broke through and caused the fish to fall back into the tank. "Damn it."

Eve handed the scoop back to Ishimaru as they were facing their last chance, not only because it was their third attempt but also because the scoop appeared as if it wasn't going to take much more. Ishimaru started for the tank when he had a better idea.

"Eve, let's do this last one together. That way, we're equal."

Eve found herself blush a little bit, but nonetheless agreed. Ishimaru held the bottom end on the handle while she held the top, in a harmonized effort, they managed to capture a koi. The scoop emerged from the water and held. Uta took the fish and placed it in a special bag and prepared for it to be taken home.

"I gotta say, I'm impressed with that last scoop. I don't think I've ever seen to people so in-sync like that before."

That comment managed to catch both of them off-guard. "That...that was because of my hand-eye coordination thanks to being an athlete." ishimaru said smugly

"Oh then what did you need me for?" Eve asked

"I only let you try just because I felt sorry for you." Ishimaru replied

"Hmph." Eve said, elbowing Ishimaru

"Well, here's your fish. You two enjoy the rest of your date."

"Date?!" They both said in unison

Uta did not respond to their rhetorical half-question thanks to more people coming over to the stall. They continued walking through the festival, looking for their next stop. They walked in silence, passing through various stalls, numerous students who were portraying the role of vendors called out to them.

"Come toss the ball and hit the bottles Kamikatsu!Win your lady a prize!"

"Get some extra practice in by throwing the football in the holes, impres your date "

"Launch a ball into the plush tigers with a slingshot and win a prize for her!"

Ishimaru saw other pairs of male and female students walking around together. Many of whom were holding hands or the girl was clinging to the guy's arm. No wonder people thought that he and Eve were on a date.

"Eve, check out all of these couples walking around together, no wonder people got the wrong idea!" Ishimaru said, chuckling a bit

Eve looked away from Ishimaru before muttering a response. Much to Ishimaru's confusion, she didn't seemed to pleased with his remark.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Why don't you suggest a place to go next?"

"I don't care, pick whatever." Eve muttered

"Fine, we'll go over there." Ishimaru said, pointing to a mask stand

The mask stall, ran by the Art Club consisted of hundreds of mask in various sizes, shapes and colors. Ishimaru slid a few yen bills over to Atisuto Dan, the Art Club's president. Dan gave Ishimaru the same rundown, Uta gave earlier, to which Ishimaru insisted on keeping the money due to the Art Club also needing to use the festival as a fund raiser. Ishimaru then grabbed a horse mask and slipped it on before jumping in front of Eve.

"That mask is creepy." Eve said despite her voice tune being that of an amused one

Ishimaru pulled the horse mask and returned it to the stall. He felt a small tap on his shoulder as he turned around and saw Eve with a moustache and glasses mask similar to the ones in American cartoons when they try to disguise themselves.

"Heh, that looks better than your actual face." Ishimaru said, laughing

Eve responded with a playful punch. Ishimaru reached for a snow monkey mask and put it on before showing Eve. "I should use this one to scare Chainz."

"Not bad." She said before grabbing a blue oni mask.

Before they could play with anymore masks, a loud growl rumbled. Ishimaru held his stomach and looked back at Eve. "Looks like it's time to get something to eat."

"I haven't had takoyaki in forever." Eve said as they were now walking throughout the food area, koi fish in tow and masks on top of their heads.

"Takoyaki sounds pretty good right about now." Ishimaru said, leading the way

Ishimaru and Eve walked through the festival e route to their destination. To Eve's surprise however, they walked right past the food stalls and towards the festival's entrance. "Ishi, the food stalls are back there."

"I know, but we're not going to the food stalls. When it comes to takoyaki, you should only have the best."

They continued onwards as they soon found themselves outside of East Tokyo high's gate. They walked a few blocks down the sidewalk before stopping in front of a run-down hole in the wall. The sign above read "Funanori Seafood".

"This is the place." Ishimaru said before sliding the door open

Behind the counter was a young man a few years older than Ishimaru and Eve in addition to short old woman. "Hey there Ishi, long time no see. We thought you may have found another joint to hit up."

"Never. Mako, rest assured that I am a customer for life." Ishimaru said happily

"You better be. Otherwise, I would personally have to find and hunt you down." the old lady said sternly

"I wouldn't want that to happen Granny Miko." Ishi said sheepishly

Miko looked over at Eve, she focused on her intensely for a moment before turning back to Ishimaru. "She's much too pretty to end up with a knucklehead like you."

"Whoa! It's not even like that Granny Miko!" Ishimaru exclaimed

"Same, clueless boy as always." Miko sighed

"So do you want the usual?" Mako asked

"Sure." Ishimaru said as he and Eve took their seats

Eve looked around the restaurant, numerous anchors along with other naval memorabilia hung on the old wooden walls. Pictures of various groups of sailors, battleships and fishing trophies also filled up the areas. She turned her attention to the wooden table she and Ishimaru were sitting at, she looked closely at the wave design painted on the table and the numerous ships attempting to brave it. She was impressed by the strong sense of detail and knew it was something Sundance would appreciate. She looked up at Ishimaru who seemed to be looking back at her, taking her by surprise for a moment.

"You know it's rude to stare right?" she asked rhetorically

"You're the one staring out into space." Ishimaru said in jest

"I...was looking at the designs on this table."

"Yeah, it's a pretty underrated place but this place holds a lot of treasures."

"How did you find out about this place anyway?" Eve asked, curious

"My mom first took me here when I was a little kid. She also said that this is where she and my dad went on their first date. Ever since, I haven't eaten takoyaki from anywhere else."

Eve blushed a little at Ishimaru's comment about his parents and it made her wonder a little. Before they could get any further, Miko came back with a nicely sized plate of takoyaki. The deep fried balls were golden brown in color, each one was lightly and evenly coated in the familiar brown takoyaki sauce. Pickled ginger and green onion were sprinkled over one half of the plate while sesame and vinegar was on the other half. She also brought the plates and chopsticks as well, Eve and Ishimaru broke their chopsticks and began eating. Ishimaru loaded his plate and was already chowing away. Eve on the other hand, brought one to her mouth and tossed it inside. She chewed on it before swallowing and was impressed by its crispiness and balance in flavor.

"It really is good." she said, before taking a few more

Within a matter of minutes, they burned through almost the entire platter to the point where there was only one left. They both reached for it, causing their chopsticks to touch.

"You can have it." Eve said, rolling the last takoyaki ball to Ishimaru

"No, you go ahead and take it." he said, rolling it back

"Why don't we go ahead and split it." Eve said, taking a page out of Ishimaru's book

"Hey, that's my line!" Ishimaru said, laughing a little

Ishimaru split the takoyaki ball down the middle as evenly as he possibly could. Eve watched as he grabbed his hald with his chopsticks, unbeknowst to Eve, she began thinking out loud.

"I want to feed it to you."

Ishimaru immediately dropped the half ball back onto the plate. "What?" he asked, surprised and for the first time a blush of his own appeared

Eve, now realizing what she just said quickly covered her mouth. "I...I..."

"Only if you let me feed you too." Ishimaru said

"At the same time." Eve suggested

"Alright then." Ishimaru said, picking up the half he dropped on his plate while Eve did the same.

Miko and Mako couldn't help but chuckle at the ongoing seen. The teenagers clearly forgot that they were even still there, which made it even better for the spectators. They opened their mouths as the food was slowly deposited by the opposite person. Eve was amazed by how just another hangout escalated into an actual date. By this point, she truly accepted how she felt about Ishimaru, yet couldn't help but wonder if he truly felt the same way. She had to know for sure without making things too awkward or killing the mood. She really wanted to just flat out ask him and just get a simple yes or no, but decided against it. She was going to let things come naturally like they have been all along.

After paying for the food (this time going dutch at Eve's insistence) they left the restaurant and made their way back to the festival. They made haste on getting back on schoolgrounds, Ishimaru not wanting to miss the tiger burning. It turned out that they interestingly enough returned right before it was about to start. The crew had already made the preparations and all that remained was the countdown before the wooden tiger was to be lit.

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three"

"Two!"

"One!"

The wooden tiger was engulfed in flames as the fire grew and grew, consuming it completely. This lead to the entire festival audience cheering, and many wishing luck to the nearest football player. Expectedly, Ishimaru had many people approach him and wish him luck, stating how much they believed he would lead the team to victory tomorrow and how much he meant to making sports popular at East.

"Alright everybody, as we draw this year's Tiger Burning Festival to a close, please head over to the hill as we unleash the pregame fireworks. Shall we win tomorrow, we will unleash the special postgame fireworks. These fireworks were generously customized and created by pyrotechnic twins who happen to be East Tokyo alumni, so please support their store should you ever feel the need to purchase firecrackers or want to request a fireworks show!" Hirano said over her microphone

Ishimaru and Eve joined the numerous groups of people already on the campus hill. They found a place towards the very top of the hill where surprisingly no one was sitting or standing. Having been on their feet almost all day, they wasted no time sitting on the hill and looking up as the fireworks began popping in the sky. Eve felt a weight gently pressing on her hand, she turned to her right and saw that it was Ishimaru's left hand that was the culprit. He seemingly noticed as well and didn't bother to move it. They found themselves looking at each other in a way that was different from any other time before. She felt her blue eyes lock into his light brown ones as it felt as though time stood still.

"There you guys are!"

Suddenly Chainz and Sundance plopped themselves between Ishimaru and Eve, killing whatever moment they were about to have. Eve glared at Sundance, but the mamodo didn't seem to notice due to being excited about the firework show. Ishimaru didn't seem to be bothered by what transpired at all.

"Where's Sindri?" she asked

"Oh, he was talking to some teacher whom he referred to as an old friend of his. He went to watch the firework show with her, so we decided to come and find you guys."

"Why that little...oh nevermind." Eve said, playfully ruffling Sundance's hair. She looked over at Ishimaru one last time. He was staring at the ongoing fireworks, half-listening to Chainz complain about not having a cigarette in months. Maybe finding love again was going to be more fun than she thought.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN- It's about damn time. I made IshiEve canon from Eve's side, now all that leaves is Ishimaru's side which will obviously come up in a later chapter. Next chapter will be the game of which, I don't know if I'm going to split it into two chapters since it is pretty long but I'll make a decision by Tuesday at the latest. Once the football game is over, the focus will shift back to Azure, Rika and the main plot. **_

_**I'm not that good at writing romance, but I want to be pretty well-rounded in my writing. Also for those who remember, I was going to originally make Ishi and Haley canon, but didn't like the way I started them off and didn't want to heavily retcon it, so I ended up sinking that ship. I didn't know if I was going to ship Ishi with anybody from that point onward, but when Beloved Princess submitted Eve and Sundance and when I read her fic Rewritten Promise (which you guys should check out btw if you haven't already) I really liked Eve's character and thought someone with her personality would have an interesting dynamic with Ishimaru.**_

_**Another reason why I'm going slow (but hopefully not too slow) on them, is not by learning from my previous mistake, but also because I don't want a subplot to overtake the main plot, which I know something like this can do if you're not careful. Well anyway, that's all for now, R&R! **_


	174. East Tokyo vs West Tokyo! part 1

The sun rose over East Tokyo, Japan just like every other day since the beginning of time. Today however, was no ordinary day, for it was the day of the City Championship. The two teams competing against each other weren't just two run of the mill teams, they were the East Tokyo Cavaliers and the West Tokyo Tigers. Two distinct high schools, two distinct Tokyo suburbs, two distinct communities, their differences was not what made their rivalry fierce but instead it was where they found common ground. The common ground in question was however, their mutual hate for each other.

The site of the championship game was at Cavalier Stadium on the campus of East Tokyo High School. Normally the East vs West games were always played in the Tokyo Dome due to the mass numbers the rivalry always drew, however thanks to a concert preempting the game, it was moved to Cavalier Stadium thanks to East winning the coin toss to host the game. That of course isn't to say that Tiger Stadium, located on the campus of West Tokyo High school wasn't just as, if not nicer than the stadium at East since after all, West Tokyo is a designated sports high school as opposed to the strong academics East is known for.

Ishimaru had already arrived at the Athletic Complex near the stadium and watched a little bit of last minute game film. After an hour or so passed, many of the other players began to arrive as the team began going through the pregame motions. It all started with Coach Yuushi and his army of assistant coaches taking roll call before proceeding to the team breakfast. After breakfast, the players split into position groups and went with the respective position coaches.

Ishimaru sat in an isolated room with fellow senior Ken Tsukino, the previous starting quarterback whose season ended with an abrupt knee injury and Akira Satou, Ishimaru's backup, a sophomore who was the starting JV quarterback prior to Ken's injury. Akira was almost as good as Ishimaru and easily could have filled in for Ken instead of Ishimaru but due to his inexperience, was instead chosen as a backup due to Coach Yuushi feeling that Akira should study the speed of the game before taking the reigns as a junior the following year. Akira accepted the role gracefully and had improved rapidly over the course of the season and played well in mop-up duty after the games were no longer in doubt. He made sure to study film and constantly followed Ishimaru, Ken and the coaches' directions very closely. At the current rate he was ascending, it was very likely that Akira would be better than Ishimaru and as good as Ken by this time next year.

As the three of them waited for Coach Yuushi to come into the room, Ishimaru looked over at the stat lines. Even though he did not put too uch stock into it, he saw that in the ten games the Cavaliers had played in, they were currently undefeated at a perfect 10-0. **In all ten victories, Ishimaru had threw for 2,347 yards, 41 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions, he rushed for over 958 yards and 15 rushing touchdowns**.

Looking slightly further down, he saw that** Akira had threw for 750 passing yards, 8 touchdown passes, 1 interception, rushed for 385 yards and had 4 rushing touchdowns thanks to multiple blowouts East Tokyo accomplished over teams during the season.** Despite being the backup quarterback, Akira had some very impressive stats for being a **sophomore** quarterback on varsity, if Ishimaru had to guess what Akira's stats would have been had Ken not been injured and he was able to stay the starting JV quarterback, it wasn't difficult to assume that he would have had **at least 3,000 yards passing and perhaps over 1,000 yards rushing.**

Coach Yuushi came in a mere few minutes later and the pregame rituals went through their normal motions. Ishimaru soon found himself going through film, reciting the gameplan back to Coach Yuushi, being quizzed on various plays and signals, all of which took most of the morning. The team lunch came and went in a flash and everybody was outside going through various plays. Ishimaru and Akira tossed passes to various receivers and ran the team's offense to the best of their abilities. To anybody witnessing the ongoing ordeal, it was clear that East Tokyo was focused and ready to play in the evening game.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, over at West Tokyo High School, the atmosphere was noticeably different to the one at East. For starters the West Tokyo campus had the look of a modern school building as opposed to the classic gothic style campus over at East. More specifically, the West Tokyo Athletic Complex housed the defending City Champion West Tokyo Tigers and amongst the players was a select group meeting in a small room. Noticeably familiar faces sat amongst the group consisting of none other than Ace, Seiku, Daisuke, Minamoto and a few others.<p>

"East has been doing pretty well even without us." Seiku admitted

"That's only because the eastern division is full of scrubs, they didn't have to play Tokyo Heights, Tokyo Union, Tokyo Forest or anybody worth a shit aside from Central. I'm not worried about them or Kamikatsu." Ace said gruffly

"Ace, I don't think you understand. Kamikatsu is pretty talented, we would know that since we have played football, basketball, baseball and soccer with him." Daisuke inputted

"He's right Hiroto, you should listen to him."

Ace and the others turned to see who was at the door. The source of the voice was Isaac, otherwise known as the human partner of Ryu.

"I already told you to call me Ace and why are you here? You're not on the football team." Ace snarled

"I'll call you whatever I want. Anyway, you need to take extra precautions when dealing with Kamikatsu and East as a whole if you don't want to lose this game." Isaac suggested

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Let's just say I have planted people in various positions in order to ensure that West wins the game."

"As much as I despise Kamikatsu and East, I want to beat them fair and square!" Ace shouted

"It's not in your best interest to not do this my way Hiroto." Isaac said, shaking his head

"Get out." Ace growled, pointing to the door

"Alright then, have it your way, but you will regret this." Isaac said, walking out

"That guy is a pain in the ass." Ace said, rubbing his temples

Seiku and Daisuke looked at each other and said nothing. Their eyes revealed that they knew very well what Isaac was capable of doing and were concerned about what that meant for them.

* * *

><p>The sun was almost set as a buzz in Cavalier Stadium traveled throughout the area. There wasn't an unoccupied seat as well over 35,000 people sat in the sports facility waiting for the City Championship to began. Half of the stadium was decked out in black and gold while the other half was lavender and white.<p>

Ishimaru along with his teammates sat in the locker room. Their choice of uniform tonight were gold jerseys, black numbers, black pants and a special gold helmet with "ET" in black letters. Coach Yuushi and his assistants filled the locker room, his pregame speech coming. He looked around for a moment before beginning.

"This is it. We've made it to the championship game, but our journey isn't over yet. Some of you seniors will be playing football at university and maybe even the NFL or X-league but for the rest of you, this is the last game in pads you will ever play. So you need t make the most of it, you guys have been competing with West since you were in middle school and have pretty much never beat them in anything save for soccer. So go out there and make a statement tonight! Show them and everybody else why the East Tokyo Cavaliers should never be underestimated!"

The locker room roared triumphantly as everybody jumped to their feet and snapped their helmets on while surrounding Coach Yuushi.

"Go out there and win the day and always remember that **the scoreboard does not matter until the end of the game.**"

The team streamed out of the locker room before stopping in front of a large black banner being held by the cheerleaders. Once everybody was outside the locker room, Ishimaru took the lead as they shredded the banned and galloped onto the field, drawing a loud roar of applause from the East Tokyo half and a massive chorus of boos from the West Tokyo half.

After making their way to the sidelines, the West Tokyo players emerged from an inflatable white tiger head spraying out purple smoke. Ishimaru received a good look of their uniforms. As expected, they wore white jerseys, white pants with lavender numbers. Interestingly, their white helmets were decorated with purple tiger stripes that also included their pants.

Ishimaru, Vincent, Kyo and Ken all went to the middle of the field for the coin toss. Getting there, they were met by the West Tokyo captains. Unsurprisingly to Ishimaru, they were all familiar faces, Seiku, Daisuke, Minamoto and Ace. Ishimaru's eye met Ace's and felt the intensity, it was quite clear that Ace was ready to compete.

East won the toss and elected go on offense first, therefore meaning that West Tokyo had to kick off the ball. Ishimaru and the starting offense stood on the sideline with their helmets on, ready to go in. West Tokyo lined up to kick the ball off, they ran forward as the kicker kicked it deep. Kyo caught the kickoff and ran it out of the endzone, slipping by two West Tokyo defenders before being brought down by Ace at the 30 yard line.

"Kobayashi Kyo on the 30 yard return, brought down by Hiroto "Ace" Yamato."

Ishimaru and the starting offense got onto the field, with everybody in the huddle.

"All right, we're gonna hand the ball off to Mamoru, so open up a hole to the right."

After breaking the huddle, East Tokyo lined up as Ishimaru stood three yards behind the center in the Pistol formation. Ishimaru began yelling out signals as he noticed Ace shifting over to his right. Ishimaru hiked the ball as he turned around to hand it off to Mamoru. The junior barely got past the line of scrimmage before being slammed into the ground by Ace, a loud cheer could be heard from the West Tokyo fans.

"Kusanagi Mamoru on the run, no gain on the play. Tackle made by Hiroto "Ace" Yamato."

The Cavaliers got back to the line of scrimmage as Ishimaru began yelling out signals once again. He stayed in pistol formation and he hiked the ball once again, this time he faked the ball to Mamoru who again sprinted to the right. Ishimaru however kept the ball and ran to the left. He gained four yards before being dragged down by Ace.

"Kamikatsu Ishimaru on the quarterback keeper, gain of four on the play. Tackle made by Hiroto "Ace" Yamato."

"Third down and six, ball is on the East Tokyo 34 yard line."

Ishimaru could hear the West Tokyo fans yelling and screaming, attempting to make it hard for him to call signals. Noticing this, Ishimaru switched to a silent count, a system of nonverbal signals used whenever the opposing crowd was too hostile. Ishimaru hiked the ball and dropped backed to pass, but before he could throw, Ace was already in front of him and threw him to the turf, the West Tokyo side went ballistic with cheers.

"Kamikatsu Ishimaru sacked by Hiroto "Ace" Yamato for a 7 yard loss on the play. 4th and 13, ball on the East Tokyo 27."

Ishimaru sighed as the punt team came on the field. Ishimaru, doubling up as the teams' kicker and punter also, stood int he backfield waiting for the punt. After receiving the ball, he booted it to the other end of the field, the ball bounced and rolled out of bounds at the West Tokyo 9 yard line.

The West Tokyo offense came onto the field as well as the East Tokyo defense. Ishimaru saw the West Tokyo quarterback hike the ball before handing it off to Seiku. Seiku danced around two East Tokyo defenders before sprinting past Kenji Abe, East Tokyo's starting middle linebacker and fellow senior. The West Tokyo fans were once again going crazy as Seiku spun around Takeru Kizashi, a junior free safety for East. At this point Seiku was at the 40 yard line but crossed the 50 then into East Tokyo's 40 then the 30 then 20 and soon enough the endzone.

"Kasumoda Seiku, 91 yard touchdown!"

The West Tokyo kicker kicked the ball through the uprights to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead.

The defense came back to the sideline dejected as the defensive coaches were interrogating them on the sudden meltdown. West kicked off once again but this time, Kyo didn't take the return out of the endzone. Ishimaru and the offense went back on the field, he looked towards the sidelines and saw Coach Yuushi giving him various signals and nodded in response.

Ishimaru stood behind the center as he began calling out signals, beginning East Tokyo's newest drive. The ball landed into Ishimaru's hands as he took a few steps back before planting his feet and throwing a short pass to Vincent, who ran around the West Tokyo defender and gained twelve yards on the play.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu pass to Vincent Heart is complete, gain of twelve on the play. First and Ten, ball is on the East Tokyo 37 yard line."

The offense was set once again as Ishimaru went through the motions of calling signals before having the ball hiked to him, he dropped back to pass once again and slung the ball towards Vincent but the West Tokyo defender jumped in front of him, intercepting the pass before being dragged down by Vincent almost immediately.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu's pass is intercepted by Seishi Juudai. The Tigers take over deep in East Tokyo territory!"

Over the next quarter and a half, West Tokyo drove for four more touchdowns. Two of which were ran in by Seiku and the other two thrown by West Tokyo quarterback Ryo Honda. The Tigers also added a field goal to their massive lead as the half ended.

"We are now at halftime, the score reads West Tokyo Tigers 38 East Tokyo Cavaliers 0."

Ishimaru and the rest of the East Tokyo players sat there in silence and to their surprise, Coach Yuushi was doing the same. Everybody was discouraged and all hope seemed to be lost, Ishimaru went over to the restroom in order to ease his mind. As he was washing his hands about a minute later, he felt somebody next to him. Looking over, he saw that it was Ken.

"Tough half huh." Ken rhetorically asked, breaking the silence

"That's an understatement." Ishimaru muttered

"Well the good news is that there is still another half of football to be played."

"Which means West will have time to put more points on us."

"If you're going to talk like that, then you don't need to be leading this team. Come on Kamikatsu, you're better than this."

"It should be you leading this team right now, I was the backup for a reason."

"Enough. What happened, happened and there's nothing that will change that. You aren't one who gives up when things get hard, everybody is counting on you...if you want to get Ace and his goons to shut up then here's your chance."

Ishimaru nodded as Ken's words finally sank into him. He grabbed his helmet and slammed it n his head, re-energized. He and ken walked back into the main part of the locker room as the others perked up at their presence.

"Alright, listen up everybody, we didn't play our game in the first half hence why we're in the hole we're in. It's in the past now, so let's get our shit together, we have a championship to win!"

The tea roared in response as everybody was getting re-energized. Coach Yuushi sprang to his feet and trotted over to the dry erase board and pulled out a marker.

"Alright, we're going to make a few changes. Vincent will line up here and...

* * *

><p>The East Tokyo Cavaliers marched out of the tunnel and onto the field with a newfound purpose. The Cavaliers lined up for the kickoff as Ishimaru booted the ball into the endzone for a touchback. The Tigers started off on the East Tokyo 25 yard line as Ryo Honda handed the ball off to Seiku, but the blonde was quickly swarmed by East Tokyo defenders. West Tokyo tried to run the ball with Seiku again but the play ended in a similar result of Seiku bring brought down at the line of scrimmage. On third down, Honda dropped back to pass only to be sacked by Kenji Abe who forced Honda to fumble the ball and subsequently jumping on the ball.<p>

"Ryo Honda is sacked by Kenji Abe, fumbling the ball! Recovered by the Cavaliers! First and goal at The Tigers 19 yard line!"

Ishimaru and the offense quickly found themselves on the field. Ishimaru barked out signals before hiking the ball, he faked handingit off to Mamoru before rolling to the right and setting his feet then finding Vincent wide open in the endzone for an easy touchdown.

"Ishimaru Kaikatsu play-action pass finds Vincent Heart for the East Tokyo Touchdown!"

Ishimaru's all but guaranteed extra point kick cut down the West Tokyo lead as the scoreboard read **Tigers 38 Cavaliers 7 11:28 remaining in the 3rd quarter.**

West Tokyo went a surprising three and out, meaning that the East Tokyo defense anchored by Abe stopped them on all three downs forcing them to punt. The punt went out of bounds as Ishimaru and the offense returned to the field with plenty of momentum behind them. Ishimaru began calling signals as he hiked the ball and sprinted to the left side of the line, he gained about six yards before being brought down by Ace.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu on the quarterback keeper, gain of six on the play. 2nd and 4, ball at the East Tokyo 37 yard line."

Ishimaru hiked the ball as he dropped back to pass, he immediately saw Ace burst through the offensive line and wrapping his arms around Ishimaru's waist. Ishimaru however, had other plans as he spun out of Ace's grasp and found Vincent running free down the field. Ishimaru quickly planted his feet and tossed the ball about forty yards down field. Vincent reached out and snatched the ball in midair before bringing it to his chest and galloping to the endzone untouched.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu 63 yard pass to Vincent Heart for the touchdown!"

Ishimaru kicked the extra point as the score now read **Tigers 38 Cavaliers 14 8:48 remaining in the 3rd quarter.**

Returning to the sideline, Ishimaru could hear the East Tokyo fans starting to get back into the game as the black and gold chants began to get louder. A new vigor could be seen amongst anybody who was wearing black and gold, a whole new ball game had started.

Over the next quarter, the East Tokyo defense denied any West Tokyo offensive progression while Ishimaru lead the offense to narrowing the gap.

"It is now the end of the third quarter and the score is now **West Tokyo Tigers 38 East Tokyo Cavaliers 35. **Will Kamikatsu and the Cavaliers fully pull off the come-from-behind victory or will West Tokyo hold on and prevail?"

Ishimaru could feel the momentum behind the team but knew that this game was still fall from over.

**A/N- Yes, I'm back. Work, projects and getting closer to finishing college took a toll on my 22 year old mind. Ironically, I got my spark back after seeing that garbage called a Naruto ending. I literally said that I could have wrote a better ending than that but it's whatever. I shold have been finished or close to finished with the Black Corps Arc by now but meh.**

**Last part of the East vs West chapter to come on Wednesday which will wrap up the football subplot and back to focusing on Rika and Azure. R&R folks, and like I said, glad to finally be back.**


	175. East Tokyo vs West Tokyo! part 2

The fourth quarter began as the successful yet very fatigued East Tokyo defense trotted to the field, ready to defend the endzone from the West Tokyo offense once again. The Tigers started on their own 25 yard line as Ryo Honda stayed at quarterback for West. Honda hiked the ball before handing it off to Seiku who beat Kenji Abe off of the edge of the line and scampered for twelve yards before being dragged down at the West Tokyo 37 yard line. West Tokyo quickly ran to the line of scrimmage and Honda quickly called for aother play, taking advantage of the tired East Tokyo defense. He dropped back to pass and found that Daisuke was wide open before launching the ball downfield and safely into his hands. With no other defender in sight, Daisuke ran all the way to the endzone untouched, award West Tokyo another touchdown.

"Ryo Honda throws a 63 yard touchdown pass to Daisuke Komahoya for a West Tokyo touchdown pass!"

With the extra point tacked on thanks to Ace, the scoredboard now read **West Tokyo Tigers 45 East Tokyo Cavaliers 35. **Ishimaru, knowing that the defense was tired after keeping a very potent West offense scoreless, realized that the offense would need to outscore West if they wanted to win this game.

Kyo was able to returned the ball to the East Tokyo 35 yard line, giving Ishimaru a bit of a shorter field to work with, an opportunity the latter was not going to waste. With the offense by his side, Ishimaru quickly got set a began to yell out various signals before hiking the ball, dropping back to pass, he saw nobody was open and tried to run through the middle, but Ace quickly yanked him to the ground.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu on the quarterback keeper, tackled by Hiroto "Ace" Yamato for no gain on the play. 2nd and 10, ball on the Cavalier 35."

Ishimaru called for a new play and hiked the ball, he dropped back to pass and once again Ace was already there, dragging Ishimaru to the ground immediately.

"Kamikatsu sacked by Yamato, loss of seven on the play. 3rd and 17, ball on the Cavalier 28."

Ishimaru stood in the huddle with the rest of the offense, attempting to conjure up something new. "Ishi, we're doing everything we can to hold them back, but Ace is reading our offense pretty easily not that he has adjusted." said Takahiro Arata, a fellow senior and starting center.

"I know Arata, but don't worry about Ace, I'll take care of him. You guys just keep their defensive line off of me. Vincent, I want you to look for the ball and Hayate, you also keep an eye out for the ball. Mamoru, I want you to stay by my side, I'm going to need you to help with Ace in a pretty big way."

"What do you have in mind senpai?" Mamoru asked, curious

"Well here's what we're gonna do exactly..." Ishimaru began

The East Tokyo offense broke the huddle and lined up. Ishimaru got under center this time instead of staying in the usual Pistol formation. He saw Ace creeping up to the line as if he was going to charge through but then backed off a few yards. Ishimaru then jumped back into the shotgun formation as Mamoru stood right next to him, making it a 1-back set. Ace, read this ad came back close to the line, making it clear that he was going to blitz. Ishimaru however, stood tall and hiked the ball.

Ishimaru stood in the pocket as Ace came charging at him like an enraged bull. The charge did not last much longer as Mamoru stepped in and took Ace off his feet with a perfectly executed cut block, giving Ishimaru plenty of time. He looked down field and saw that Vincent was covered, so he shifted over to see that Hayate had gotten just enough separation from the defender and delivered a nice arching pass which made for an easy catch. The lanky sophomore stayed on his feet and galloped down the field for a touchdown. The East Tokyo crowd went wild as the West Tokyo fans booed and cursed, crying foul on Ace getting taken out of the play by Mamoru's "dirty" block.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu to Satou Hayate for a 73 yard touchdown!"

Ishimaru kicked the ball through the uprights to cut West Tokyo's lead back to only three points. The scoreboard now read **West Tokyo Tiger 45 East Tokyo Cavaliers 42, 8 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.**

The ensuing kickoff forced a touchback, leaving West Tokyo to start on their own 25 yard line. Ryo Honda hiked the ball, simply handing it off to Seiku. Seiku ran through the line and spun away from Kenji Abe's tackle before sprinting down the field, he reached the West Tokyo 40 yard line before being dragged down by Takeru Kizashi.

"Seiku Kasumoda on the run, gain of 15 on the play. 1st and 10, ball on the Tiger 40 yard line."

Honda hiked the ball once again and dropped back to pass, he looked to his left and saw that Seiku had a lot of room on the side and tossed a screen pass to him. A West Tokyo wide receiver blocked Kyo from making the tackle, giving Seiku even more room to run to the endzone untouched.

"Ryo Honda's pass to Seiku Kasumoda goes for a 60 yard touchdown by Seiku Kasumoda!"

The scoreboard read **West Tokyo 51 East Tokyo 42, 7:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.**

Instead of going for the usually obligatory extra point, West Tokyo kept their offense on the field, indicating that they were going for a two point conversion. To everybody's (as far East Tokyo players and fans go) Ace was in the game at quarterback. He called the signals and hiked the ball ebfore running directly up the middle. Kenji Abe tried to make the tackled but Ace simply ran him over before diving into the endzone to earn the two extra points.

The West Tokyo side of the stadium erupted into cheers while the East Tokyo side was quiet and all but ready to give up and abandon **hope**. Ishimaru on the other hand, was not phased. The heavily downtrodden defense walked towards the sidelines, crestfallen. Ishimaru wasn't having it and neither were Ken, Vincent or any of the other players on offense.

"Defense, don't hang your heads! We're still in this game! Just keep playing hard, we did not go undefeated throughout the season and win the Eastern division just to lose the City Championship! **ESPECIALLY NOT TO WEST!**" Ken yelled

The defensive players were alert and nodded at Ken's words. Coach Yuushi and the defensive coaches then grasped the attentions as they began to make adjustments in order to slow down Seiku and the rest of the West Tokyo offense.

"Offense, come here!" Ishimaru called out

The starting offense gathered around Ishimaru.

"Ken, you come here too!"

Ken jogged over to Ishimaru as well.

"What's up?"

"How's your knee feeling?"

"It's a lot better, but now's a weird time to ask about it."

"No, it's the perfect time to ask about it. It's also a good thing that you're suited up too."

"What do you have in mind?" Ken asked, curious. He was happy to have suited up for the last time, but he simply expected that he was only going to coach up the team on the sideline, since his horrific knee injury ended his high school career and scared away numerous colleges and destroyed his stock in the upcoming X-League draft.

"I'll tell you in a minute, but we'll need Akira too."

The sophomore backup quarterback and next year's starter, came over towards the growing huddle.

"Get ready to go in."

Akira's eyes widened before snapping his helmet on in anticipation. Seeing that everyone necesary was gathered, Ishimaru began his explanation. "All right here's the plan..."

* * *

><p>"I wonder what Ishimaru is talking about down there..." Sindri wondered looking through his binoculars from the middle of the crowd in the stands. Eve yanked them from her brother's hand before giving them back.<p>

"He has that look on his face..." Eve said unsurprised

"Huh?"

"It means that he has a plan." Chainz filled in

"Oh."

* * *

><p>A West Tokyo kick also went into the endzone as a touchback, forcing East Tokyo to start at their 25 yard line.<p>

"The Cavaliers start their next drive on offense and there looks like a quarterback change. Under center is previous incumbent starter Ken Tsukino who was lost early this season to a horrific knee injury...and right next to him is sophomore backup quarterback Akira Itou. It seems that East Tokyo is lining up two quarterbacks at the same time and it appears that Kamikatsu has lined up at wide receiver...what exactly is going on here?!" The announcer said, confused

Ken and Akira looked at each other and nodded as they began to simultaneously call out signals, heavily confusing the West Tokyo defense.

"Stay in your assignments! They are trying to throw you off! Stay put!" Ace screeched, trying to reassure his teammates to see through the ruse.

The ball was snapped directly to Akira and the underclassman dropped back to pass and saw Ace rushing towards him. Akira then lateraled the ball to his right side where Ken was waiting. This caused Ace to fall face first and give Ken plenty of time to throw. Ken, with his feet already planted launched the ball all the way to the other side of the field where Ishimaru was one on one with Minamoto. He saw the beautiful deep pass sailing towards him as he and Minamoto jumped for the ball at the same time. Ishimaru saw Minamoto's hands grab onto the ball and knew if he pulled the ball in before landing, it would be an interception and seal West Tokyo's victory. So of course, Ishimaru yanked the ball away from Minamoto's hands and into his own before tucking the ball away.

It felt as if this happened all in slow motion until Ishimaru saw Minamoto fall down then everything sped back up like a waistband that was stretched before being released. The East Tokyo sideline erupted in cheers as Ishimaru raced to the endzone for a touchdown.

"TOUCHDOWN CAVALIERS! Akira Itou to Ken Tsukino to Ishimaru Kamikatsu for a 75 yard touchdown pass!"

The East Tokyo sideline were re-energized while Sindri was shaking the life out of Eve. "ISHIMARU IS BRILLIANT!"

"STTTTOOOPPPP SHAAAKIIINNNG MEEEEEEE!" Eve yelled, getting dizzy

* * *

><p>The West Tokyo sideline was the complete opposite. Ace threw his helmet down and began cursing to himself. "How could I be made a fool of by a SOPHOMORE who should have been playing JV football this year, a quarterback with a bum knee and the likes of Kamikatsu! This is unbelievable!"<p>

"Hiroto-kun, there is a call for you from the booth." A student trainer said, the receiver in her hand

Ace took the phone from her and answered. "What is it Coach?"

"This isn't your defensive coach." The voice said sharply

"Isaac, what do you want?"

"It's not too late for me to make sure that West wins this game. Just say the words and it shall be done."

Ace immediately hung up the phone and slipped his helmet back on.

* * *

><p>Ishimaru kicked the extra point to pull the score within 4 points. The scoreboard read <strong>West Tokyo Tigers 53 East Tokyo Cavaliers 49 6:50 left in the 4th quarter.<strong>

East Tokyo landed another touchback, forcing West to start at their own 25 yard line. Ryo Honda hiked the ball before simply handing off to Seiku, the blonde ran 10 yards up the field before being stopped by multiple East Tokyo defenders. Now on their own 35 yard line, West Tokyo ran the ball again, Honda handing it to Seiku who gained five yards before being tackled.

The West Tokyo players stood around for a bit, obviously draining out the clock as much as they could. Honda got the offense set ad handed the ball to Seiku who got another first down by running five yards and getting tackled. This process continued with Seiku gashing the East Tokyo defense for 5, 7, 15, 6, 4 and 5 yards respectively. Coach Yuushi had called two timeouts in an attempt to keep the clock from bleeding too much, but Seiku's running in addition to the excellent blocking by West Tokyo's behemoth offensive lineman woredown the smaller and battered East Tokyo defense.

Coach Yuushi called East's final timeout before looking at the scoreboard. **West Tokyo Tigers 53 East Tokyo Cavaliers 49 1:03 left in the 4th quarter.**

Before Ishimaru, Ken or Coach Yuushi could give the defense and motivation, Kenji Abe stood before the defense.**(A/N- For those of you who don't know, it's pronounced Ah-bāy) ** A heavily underrated player and leader of the defense, Abe felt it was his obligation to anchor the d during the good times and during times of adversity.

"Listen guys, Kamikatsu and the offense have done EVERYTHING to put us in position to win this game. They have scored more than enough for us to win but we are letting them down right now. I know we're tired, I know they're bigger and stronger than us..."

Abe then held up a finger.

"We just need one stop. If there's one thing we as a defense an do to repay the offense, it is to get one stop."

Despite the modest speech, the message resonated loud and clear amongst the defense.

_**Just one stop.**_

The teams lined up at the 18 yard line, it was 1st and 10 and if West scored a touchdown or got one more first down, this game was over. The defense got set and Abe looked at Seiku in the eyes. Honda hiked the ball before handing it off to Seiku, the blonde darted around the edge towards Abe's side. The middle linebacker knew it was up to him to make the play. Abe charged full speed at Seiku and lowered his helmet directly into Seiku's arm. He did not bring Seiku down but heard a loud roar and did not want to look up. He was sure that Seiku broke away and scored in the endzone untouched, he was sure that he and the defense failed and costed East not only their chance at retaking the Wooden Katana but also the City Championship. Wanting to get the feeling of despair out of the way, Kenji looked up and saw Ishimaru and the offense running out onto the field.

"Beautiful play Abe!"

"Hell of a job Abe!"

Abe was confused, why were they cheering Seiku's touchdown? Why was the offense so eager to get back onto the field? What was going on?

"What happened?" he asked

"See for yourself." Ishimaru said pointing at the videoboard showing the instant replay.

There he saw it with his own eyes. As Abe was going in for the tackle, his helmet hit Seiku's arm, forcing him to fumble the ball! It was then immediately recovered by Kyo, giving the ball to East Tokyo and stopping a game-winning score or first down by West! Abe made his way to the sideline where the pats and cheers continued.

"We did it...we redeemed ourselves." Abe said as he collapsed on the bench

* * *

><p>Ishimaru and the offense stood on the field hyped up and the East Tokyo crowd shared their sentiments. Everywhere he looked, Ishimaru saw fans clad in gold and black bouncing around, anxious to see the final drive. He felt a small surge of ice on his neck as he quickly looked to the sky, snow was beginning to fall! The first snow had finally arrived, he wanted to see if Sindri, Eve, Sundance and Chainz were enjoying the snow but he had no idea where in the crowd they were sitting.<p>

"Well ladies and gentlemen, there you have it, the first snow of the winter!"

Ishimaru and the regular starting offense were now in a huddle as Ishimaru began to speak.

"This will be our last drive, so let's make it count. The defense gave us this opportunity so squandering it is not an option. From here on out, we will go to our hurry-up offense, so listen for the signals. Let's go trips left, slant right 84 eagle on 2."

_**(A/N- Song I imagined in this part was NFL Films- Drive to Glory on Youtube)**_

The huddle broke as the East Tokyo offense lined up. Ishimaru saw Ace and read that he was going to blitz as hard as he could, so he had to be ready for it. All of the pressure was on Ishimaru. Ishimaru called out the signals as the West Tokyo crowd tried to make enough noise in order to make it impossible for the offense to hear Ishimaru. Ishimaru hiked the ball and dropped back a few steps and saw that Vincent was open. He flung the ball to him and he caught it before bringing it down to his large frame and getting tackled for a 15 yard gain and a first down.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu pass to Vincent Heart is complete. Gain of 15 on the play."

Ishimaru looked at the clock and saw that it was temporarily stopped at 53 seconds. The offense quickly got set as Ishimaru received the ball and dropped back to pass once again, he quickly saw that was open and tossed him the ball. The sophomore caught it before being brought down, gaining yet another 15 yards.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu pass to Satou Hayate is complete. Gain of 15 on the play."

The ball now spotted at their own 48 with now 44 seconds and counting left, Ishimaru and the offense quickly ran to the line as the clock ticked away. He called out signals and hiked the ball. Ishimaru looked for a receiver and saw that fellow senior Seishi Fukamura was ope and flung the ball to him. Fukamura caught the ball and evaded a West Tokyo and ran down the middle of the field before being thrown down.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu pass to Seishi Fukamura is complete. Gain of 13 on the play."

Ishimaru and the offense got set with 30 seconds left to play as Ishimaru rolled out to pass, however he was grabbed from behind by Ace. A loud cheer erupted from the West Tokyo side of the stadium as Ishimaru looked up and saw the clock ticking away with only fifteen seconds left to play.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu sacked by Hiroto "Ace" Yamato, loss of seven on the play. 2nd and 17, ball on the West Tokyo 46."

Ishimaru quickly got set on the line as he immediately spiked the ball, stopping the clock and losing a down. He took a deep breath and got to the line and hiked the ball. Ishimaru dropped back to pass, waiting for a few seconds to find an open receiver and saw Fukamura open once again and threw the ball as he snatched it from midair but failed to hold on to it, rendering it incomplete.

"Ishimaru Kamikatsu pass for Seishi Fukamura is incomplete, broken up by Sage Minamoto. 4th and 17, ball on the West Tokyo 46."

Ishimaru looked at the scoreboard and saw that only 7 seconds remained plus it was 4th down. This was their last chance and it looked like the opportunity by the defense was going to waste. No...he couldn't think like that, he had to make a play, he was the quarterback, he was East Tokyo's ace when it came to athletics, he was Chainz's human partner, he was the son of soccer legend Ayumu Kamikatsu, he was a lot of things but the one thing all of those other titles shared was that the owner had the name of Ishimaru Kamikatsu.

Ishimaru stood at the line, the snow falling a bit heavier now and the turf field was covered with white patches, plus the West Tokyo crowd screaming their lungs out not to forget that Ace was practically breathing down his neck, making zero effort to even try to disguise his blitz from the middle.

"Black 16! Gold 89! Set! Hut! Hut!"

Ishimaru barked the above signals as the ball was hiked to him. Ace burst through the offensive line, not giving Ishimaru anytime to sit in the pocket and make a throw. Ishimaru felt Ace's arms lock around his waist in an attempt to sack him and end the game. Ishimaru however, knew that he could not allow Ace to win this time, this was East Tokyo's year. With some unfound strength, Ishimaru somehow broke free of Ace's irontight grasp and rolled out to the right. He set his feet and with everything he had, threw the ball as far as he could. His arm was not as strong as Ken's but it was still more than good enough to play quarterback.

The ball flew from the West Tokyo 46 all the way inside the 10 yard line. Vincent leaped up and made sure he caught it before landing, two West Tokyo defenders jumped on him but he stretched his long arms out and crossed the plane with the ball before being brought down.

"TOUCHDOWN! EAST TOKYO WINS! EAST TOKYO WINS!"

Ishimaru jumped up and down! The Wooden Katana and the City Championship were going to be on the grounds of East Tokyo High School! He looked at the scoreboard for the last time and it read, **West Tokyo Tigers 53 East Tokyo Cavaliers 55 0:00 left.**

Ishimaru and the rest of the team ran down to the field to dogpile Vincent. Ishimaru then helped him up as they hugged each other, a moment that was generally Out of Character for them but both were too caught up in the moment to care.

"Kamikatsu!"

Ishimaru turned around and saw Ace standing there.

"Yeah?" Ishimaru said, prepared for whatever Ace had to say

"You beat me fair and square...that...hat was a helluva play. Nobody has ever broke free from my grip like that before." Ace said, bowing to Ishimaru

Ishimaru wasn't prepared for that.

"Thanks Ace." he managed to get out

"Don't think I like you or anything...I just respect your abilities as an athlete. this isn't over Kamikatsu! We will meet again in basketball, baseball and of course soccer."

"I'm looking forward to it."

Ace then turned and left with the rest of the disappointed West Tokyo players.

The East Tokyo crowd screamed in delight as the massive sea of black and gold rushed the field from the stands.

"Champs! Champs! Champs!" they constantly chanted

Ishimaru saw Eve and the others up ahead and made his way to them as the fans quickly formed a path to them.

"Good job out there, you're almost as good as me." Chainz joked

"Ishimaru, you're the best." Sundance, interestingly a big fan of East Tokyo athletics said

"You were alright." Eve said nonchalantly

"Ishimaru, you gotta show me how to throw a football like that." Sindri said

"In due time. So let's go celebrate!" Ishimaru said

"You gotta go to the trophy and katana presentation oh and I'm sure the media wants to do an interview of you." Eve remarked

"True." Ishimaru said sheepishly as he trotted back to the other side of the field.

As soon as he got over there, the Wooden Katana was thrown into his hands. Ishimaru held up the half black and gold, half lavender and white katana as the crowd roared in applause. The Ace for East Tokyo has done it again!

* * *

><p>The West Tokyo locker room, was another story. The somber, quiet, sweaty atmosphere said it all though in a certain secluded area in said locker room, was another story.<p>

"Useless, incompetent fools. THIS is what happens when you don't go with my plan." Isaac yelled at the gathered football players

"Especially you." he said to Seiku, shoving him a little

"What are you so worked up about, Isaac, you aren't even on the team." West Tokyo quarterback Ryo Honda said

Before Isaac could respond, another voice filled the area.

"That's because his little ego is bruised."

The players and Isaac turned to look at Ace, who stood there in his towel.

"Excuse me?" Isaac asked rhetorically

"You heard me, you're mad because I wanted to play fair and square and that I'm not one of your ass-kissing yesmen." Ace retorted

"Well, if you had listened to me, West Tokyo would still be champion but no, you wanted to do this your way and now your teammates have to pay the price because of your selfishness." Isaac said, shaking his head

"It was a hard fought game and I don't want to hear you blame Seiku for what happened. We gave it our all and we were outperformed, he gave up a huge lead and have nobody to blame but ourselves now you need to leave." Ace said

"Have it your way then, I'll leave but not without having a word with Seiku and Daisuke first."

Ace rolled his eyes as he went back into the shower.

Isaac made sure they were out of earshot amongst the other football players before turning to them.

"What's up?"

"Hiroto is becoming a huge pain in the ass and he has stuck around long enough."

"What?"

"You guys know that nobody disobeys me or to a lesser extent, Ryu and gets away with it. Nobody."

"This isn't a good idea." Daisuke said

"You're right, it's a great idea and here's what we're going to do..." Isaac said, smiling

* * *

><p><strong>AN- East beats West, wins back the Wooden Katana for the first time in YEARS and wins their first ever City Championship. I know that it took me a little longer than normal to upload this but whatever. Next chapter switches back to Rika and Azure and I wonder what Isaac has in mind for Ace. Nobody disobeys Isaac and gets away with it! NOBODY! R&R folks!**


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